Windows 11 Desktop icons rearrange and re-sort themselves

Anonymous
2023-07-21T01:09:08+00:00

Lately, my Windows desktop icons have periodically and at random rearranged and re-sorted themselves.

It looks like at arbitrary times, This PC and the Recycle Bin, which are traditionally at the top left hand corner of the desktop now shift downwards. The icons re-sort themselves into alphabetical name order. It usually happens after a boot or reboot.

I also have icons spread out randomly over a two-screen desktop. At an arbitrary moment, again associated with a reboot, all icons suddenly snap to the left hand side of the left-hand screen.

There are many posts on the web about the "Autoarrange Icons" and "Align Icons" settings. Changing those settings do not resolve this problem.

This may have something with the ""Sort By" setting. If that is it, the setting does not stay that way for long.

I don't know if this is a new bug that has appeared in a recent build. I use Windows 11 Home, and the current Version is 22H2, and the Build is 22621.1992.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-10-19T14:48:05+00:00

    Already tried that, it was the first thing I tried.

    That seems to be not only the primary solution everywhere on Google, but apparently the only known solution.

    Thank you anyway.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-10-19T15:10:38+00:00

    sorry--it worked for me as I had the same annoying behavior.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-12-01T17:09:30+00:00

    I had the same problem. Whenever I copy-pasted to the desktop, the icon orders would change and the recycle bin at the top would slide down.

    Uninstalling the "Hpsmart" application that comes with Windows 11 solved my problem.

    A problem with the Snipping Tool was similarly caused by Windows 11's default applications. ( https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-11-snipping-tool-not-showing-up-after/2ac89370-ec4b-43a9-8fed-634e27e7c2f3?page=4 )

    It seems that associating some applications that come with Windows 11 as default applications is causing problems.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-12-01T17:17:49+00:00

    I did have HP installed until recently when I replaced my HP printer with a Canon.

    I haven't seen an icon rearrange lately, but I also rebuilt my OS two weeks ago (for an unrelated reason). That may have also fixed this problem.

    I'll keep watching.

    Thanks for info on the HP software!

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-12-03T13:09:07+00:00

    Thank you verymuch. It is solved now. :)

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