MS Office desktop icons move after I modify and save them.

Anonymous
2010-02-25T23:36:10+00:00

My MS word and excel documents that I have on the upper right hand area of my desktop move after I modify and save them.  If I open them and don't save them nothing happens, but if I modify and save them, they move to the far left aligned with other icons.  They do not appear to be temp or hidden files.  They just move to the far left arranged with other icons.  I want to modify and save them and the files to stay in the upper right hand area...  Help???

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Anonymous
2010-02-26T17:12:02+00:00

Turn off the “Auto Arrange” option for icons on the desktop, and then place icons on the desktop where you want them.

To turnoff the “Auto Arrange” feature,

For windows 7:

Right click a blank area on the desktop and select View and uncheck Auto arrange icons.

For Windows XP:

Right-click a blank area on the desktop, and then click Arrange Icons. Click the command that indicates how you want to arrange the icons (by Name, by Type, and so on), uncheck Auto Arrange.


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  1. Anonymous
    2011-04-11T18:05:03+00:00

    I have a work around for this irritating behaviour:

    • Create a short cut of the file on the desktop;
    • Move the file to another directory and leave the shortcut on the desktop;
    • From now on, just click the shortcut to work on the file.  The shortcut won't move.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-03-11T21:51:34+00:00

    Why is answer checked when it obviously isn't the answer?

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-03-11T21:48:56+00:00

    Here's what I don't get:

    1. It was not a problem with previous versions of Office or Windows,
    2. A lot of people on various boards have expressed frustration for well over a year,
    3. MS couldn't care less, apparently.

    OK, maybe that's not surprising, but it's still sad

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-12-28T23:01:16+00:00

    I am having the same problem (Windows 7 machine with Office 2002, I believe).  Office worked fine on my last computer running XP.  I've changed all the settings suggested (re: align to gird, etc.) and those options don't make a difference.  This is really irritating so I hope we get a suggestion soon.  I haven't seen a suggestion since Feb '10.

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