Windows 7 desktop icons keep rearranging themselves

Anonymous
2009-10-07T02:55:22+00:00

Every few days, all the icons on my Win7 desktop rearrange themselves. Usually they move to the left edge of the screen. I laboriously move all the icons back to where I like them, and 3-10 days later, they all shift left again. I've found no pattern or event that might cause this -- but it's very annoying!

I've got Win7 build 7100 running on a Dell Latitude D830 laptop. Totally standard hardware and very little non-Microsoft software. In short, it's a pretty clean system.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2009-10-07T17:38:17+00:00

To supplement Reyas.M.I.'s answer, Under View is the option to select the icon size, Auto arrange icons and Align icons to grid.  The Sort by option includes Name, Size, Item type and Date modified.  I suggest you check both View and Sort by.

Corrine, Microsoft MVP (Consumer Security). This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty, and confers no rights.

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Anonymous
2009-10-07T04:51:35+00:00

Check whether "Auto Arrange" checked. To check this, right click on desktop and select "Arrange icons by".

I hope this helps.

Thanks and Regards, Reyas...

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-07-21T23:26:33+00:00

    Did you read the agreement to install???

    Softonic uses cookies and IP tracking. Softonic’s software and the Softonic’s site’s traffic analyzer use cookies and IP trackers to collect data for statistical purposes, including: date of first visit, number of visits, date of last visit, URL and domain, browser and screen resolution.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-07-21T22:37:19+00:00

    Windows hasn't been able to remember icon positions consistently since Win 3.1. Use Iconoid.

    The above is the answer!   Posted way back in November, 2009, tenth post on Page 1.

    I have installed Iconoid (from sillysot.com), and played around.  Anytime Windows screws up the icon locations, I just go to Iconoid, and click the "Restore Icon Positions Now", and they go back to where I put them!  Makes me verrry happy.  :-) 

    I can even use the Windows  View -> Auto arrange icons, and then do the Iconoid (Positions tab) "Restore...Now" and it puts them right back (After turning off the Auto arrange icons setting).

    Iconoid was written for earlier versions of Windows, so with some experimenting I found that setting its "Compatibility for all users" to Windows XP (SP3), and also checked Run as an administrator, its Restore function works better (from the System Tray as well as its own window/tab).

    Here's what I did: 

    1. Install Iconoid.   Set its compatibility to: Change settings for all users,  Win XP SP3, and Run as Admin.
    2. Moved all the icons around where I wanted them.
    3. Open Iconoid.  On the "Positions" tab, click "Save Icon Positions (Relative)"

    Whenever icons get moved or repositioned, I can open Iconoid, Positions tab, click "Restore Icon Positions Now", and they go to where I put them before the "Save".

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-07-15T16:25:15+00:00

    Do Windows programs run on LinuxMint? It's nice to have desktop icons that don't scramble themselves, but I kind of lose a lot of programs switching to Linux...

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