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

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-27T22:38:26+00:00

    I am running Windows 11 and have been seeing this issue on and off for years now. With the latest update (KB5036980), I am seeing the re-arrangement about every third power-up. The IconCache deletion / restart workaround has a 100% success rate restoring the original arrangement.

    If anyone is interested, I have saved two IconCache.db files: one that existed after observing the re-arrangement, and one created after the delete/restart workaround.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-05-21T19:28:56+00:00

    Unfortunately, I don't have Microsoft 3D viewer. Nothing has been installed except Microsoft updates since I got this laptop in June. It's done it since day one.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-05-21T19:30:28+00:00

    Ooh, I'm going to try this. That would make sense, even though I've never changed my theme.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-06-01T16:59:02+00:00

    Here is the simple answer you deserved rather than all the ridiculous MS support gymnastics:

    Uncheck Allow themes to change desktop icons at the following location:

    Settings (app)->Personalization->Themes->Desktop icon settings

    THE ANSWER!!!

    THANK YOU MOST KINDLY!!

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-06-01T17:56:16+00:00

    Here is the simple answer you deserved rather than all the ridiculous MS support gymnastics:

    Uncheck Allow themes to change desktop icons at the following location:

    Settings (app)->Personalization->Themes->Desktop icon settings

    THE ANSWER!!!

    THANK YOU MOST KINDLY!!

    No, this is unchecked and I still have the problem.

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    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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