Desktop icons move from main screen to extended screen monitor

Anonymous
2013-10-10T13:38:33+00:00

I have been using this setup with my laptop for 18 months so I am familiar with extended screen usage.  Two days ago a problem started.  I have a laptop with 17" screen set to the Main Display plus a 22" not checked to be the Main Display.  Screen Resolution > Multiple Displays = Extend these displays.  Desktop right click > View > Auto Arrange is Not checked.  Sort By options are unchecked.  Personalization > Allow themes to change desktop icons is Not checked.

I have all my desktop icons arranged on the laptop screen which is set to be Main Display.

New Problem: 

When I plug the extended monitor cable into the laptop or when I fresh bootup or if I had changed the Appearance settings from extended to duplicate or to the external 22" to be off and then turn it back to being extended, any of those things, to basically use the 2nd monitor as extended will cause all the desktop icons to move to the extended 22" screen space.  They are supposed to stay anchored to the laptop Main screen since that is how it is allocated.  This worked fine until two days ago and I was not playing with any settings before it happened.

If I unplug the external monitor or set it to be unused or as a duplicate image then the icons return to the main laptop monitor.

I use a freeware IconRestorer to save and restore the last saved desktop layout.  Since this problem started it restores to the extended monitor not back to the laptop main screen like it had previously.  I have killed IconRestorer from the background to see if it was causing the problem and it had no affect.

With the icons showing on the extended 22" monitor and I unplug the video cable for it the icons move to the laptop screen however they are rearranged.  Each time I try that the icons form a different layout and order on the laptop screen. 

I can then run IconRestorer with the 22" still unplugged from the laptop and all the icons will be restored properly.  So I conclude IconRestorer is working fine.  The problem seems to be that Win 7 thinks the Laptop screen is not the main screen even though it is checked as to be the main screen.

Once only while repeating these various steps, after the icons are restored with the 2nd monitor unplugged, then plug it back in all looks fine but if I do the IconRestorer restore all the icons again get placed to the extended 22" screen.  Usually plugging the extended monitor back in causes the icons to jump to that monitor.

Note that when the laptop is checked to be the Main screen the taskbar is located on the laptop monitor so it only partially thinks the extended screen should be the main screen.  If I set the extended 22" as the Main screen then the task bar jumps to the extended screen and all the desktop icons come back to the laptop screen.

It never worked like that before.  I also am running win 7 on desktop with 4 monitors and all icons being on main screen at far left and that still works fine including the use of IconRestorer.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-01-12T18:37:16+00:00

    A slightly shorter method for Windows 10 (may work on others)

    1. In Display Settings - change multiple displays value from ' extend these displays'  to  'show only on 1'.  
    2. Apply (but don't close Display Settings)
    3. Change multiple displays value back to 'extend these displays' 
    4. Apply and close.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-10-14T13:32:44+00:00

    Win 7 Home Premium with Service Pack 1

    The laptop screen always shows as screen 1, the 22" external screen always displays a 2.

    I always run the setup with the Laptop screen being checked "This is currently your main display".

    Note: with the external monitor plugged in and set to extended screen the desktop icons jump to the screen 2 however the taskbar stays locked at the laptop screen.

    If I set the external screen 2 to be the main display the desktop icons will jump back to the laptop screen however the taskbar jumps to the external screen 2.

    This implies it does know which monitor is the main screen however it has decided to not keep the desktop icons on the main screen when there is an extended screen.  If screen 2 is set to be duplicate everything looks fine.

    Experiment:  Assigned screen 2 to be the main and then resetting the Laptop 1 to be the main the desktop icons and the taskbar return to the laptop as they should.  Two icons remained on the screen 2 extended screen.  This is good.  I had tried this last week and it had not fixed the problem.

    I moved those two wayward icons where they should be, saved the layout with IconRestorer and reapplied it and everything remained as it should!  I rebooted with the screen 2 plugged in and all is still fine.  I unplugged the screen 2 and plugged it back in and again all is fine.  The problem appears to be fixed.  Appears related to assigning screen 2 to be the Main however why that failed to fix it last week I cannot guess.  The difference is that I deleted and reinstalled the graphics driver between tests of reassigning the Main display choice.  I didn't try anything with my McAfee security suite, windows firewall is not being used. I didn't uninstall IconRestorer.

    Thanks for your troubles.  I hope to not have to report more trouble with it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-10-14T10:02:05+00:00

    Hi David,

    Which edition of Windows are you working with?

    You may try these steps:

    In the screen resolution window kindly check if the laptop screen is the first display or not. If the laptop display is not the first display, please change it to the first display by dragging it.

    Once it’s done you would get the option to put a check mark where it would say make this your main display.

    Note:

    When I say first display, it means marked '1'

    You may also try to uninstall Security software and Icon Restorer.

    Disable antivirus software

    Turn Windows Firewall on or off

    **Warning:**Antivirus software can help protect your computer against viruses and other security threats. In most cases, you should not disable your antivirus software. If you do have to temporarily disable it to install other software, you should re-enable it as soon as you're done. If you are connected to the Internet or a network during the time your antivirus software is disabled, your computer is vulnerable to attacks.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-06-02T18:04:45+00:00

    this is what worked for me in windows 10...

    right click desktop

    click display settings

    change scale and layout to make sure both displays are set to the same percentage.

    hope this helps :-)

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-01-25T13:42:26+00:00

    Just delete the registery key:

    Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

    log off and on. This restets everything about icons. I hed the same problem and this solved it.

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