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
    2012-07-13T02:59:32+00:00

    I don't know of any real fix, but this happens what anything "touches" the Desktop. Whether it be changing resolution, changing the icon size or even plugging in an external monitor such as your TV.

    This will not prevent the icons from moving, but they can be put back where they were with a couple of clicks.

    Save and Restore Desktop Icon Layout in Windows Vista (Works In Win7)

    http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-layout-in-windows-vista/

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-07-13T02:47:36+00:00

    I had this issue a couple years ago, and read somewhere that the screen saver was the culprit.  Something about the screen saver was not adjusting to the correct size and causing it to rearrange the icons.  I believe the author mentioned something about the screen saver was never updated to the newer monitor resolutions, so it has to change the screen resolution for the screen saver and it gets confused when it "wakes up".   I turned it off and haven't had a problem for two years until now, just after I turned the screen saver back on!  It's going to get shut off again. Try that.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-06-27T13:29:23+00:00

    it's better than TechNet where the "techs" mark their own answers as solutions.

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