This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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.
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...
I was seeing the same issue. Turns out that "desktop.ini" was on my desktop twice. Not desktop.ini & desktop(2).ini, or anything like that, but 2 files with the exact same name. Of course hidden & system files need to be un-hidden in order to see this...
THIS IS THE SOLUTION FOR ME. I've tried all other solutions, save for creating the Exporer key in registry before I tried this.
I copied my desktop icons from my old desktop. I guess that's where the second desktop.ini came from.
You'll need to remove one of those two. In order to know which desktop.ini file to delete, I tested each one. I deleted one, and moved my icons, then I refreshed (Right click on the desktop -> Refresh) the desktop. If the icons position are moved after the refresh, I restored the deleted desktop.ini and delete the other one. I repeated the same test.
Had the same probelm since win doze 3.1
Solution? Got a mac.
THANK YOU. This solution worked for me. After I deleted the two desktop.ini files (have to show invisible files in folder properties to see these), my desktop now auto aligns to grid and sorts by whatever way I want. A new file/icon added to the desktop WILL NOT affect your current settings like it used to. Was driving me crazy.
