All Microsoft programs create a desktop icon - don't want it!

[Guest]

I am using Windows XP Pro and just getting familiar with some of the
differences between Pro and Home. Having trouble figuring out why I have
file and folder icons filling up my desktop. I absolutely hate them and
cannot find a way to make it stop.

Everytime I create a new file folder, or file in a Microsoft product or
Nero, an icon for that folder or document appears on my desktop. I have my
folder defaults set up differently but it keeps putting everything on
desktop. Is driving me crazy!

If I try to move or delete the icon, the file or folder itself is deleted.

What am I missing?

Thank you.

 

[HeyBub]

I am using Windows XP Pro and just getting familiar with some of the
differences between Pro and Home. Having trouble figuring out why I
have file and folder icons filling up my desktop. I absolutely hate
them and cannot find a way to make it stop.

Everytime I create a new file folder, or file in a Microsoft product
or Nero, an icon for that folder or document appears on my desktop.
I have my folder defaults set up differently but it keeps putting
everything on desktop. Is driving me crazy!

If I try to move or delete the icon, the file or folder itself is
deleted.

You're creating files "on the desktop."

Look for the little arrow in the lower-left corner of the icon. If it's not
there, you don't have a shortcut, you have a file or folder.

 

[Guest]

Yes, I am creating files on the desktop but not on purpose! The icons are
not shortcuts, they are actually files and folders with icons on the desktop.
Problem is, is that I do not want them on my desktop. Even when I save my
file within Word, for example, as E:\docs\test.doc a stupid icon for it
appears on the desktop. What setting can I change that will stop this?

 

[Stephen]

What is your drive E: ? Is this an internal hard drive, or something
removable? If the latter, you should NEVER open files from, or save files
to, removable media. You should copy from removable media to an internal
hard drive and open from there. Then you should save to an internal hard
drive and copy from there back to the removable media. Applications (such as
Word and Excel) create temporary files whilst working. When using a hard
drive, this is in the same directory as you open from or save to. But for
removable media the situation may be different - indeed, it has to be for
some media (for instance, a one-time write CD). This may be why you are
finding files deposited on your desktop.

BTW, if you open a file direct from removable media and then disconnect that
media (deliberately or by accident) before closing the file, it can crash
and corrupt the file so as to make it unusable!

Stephen

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info. folks but I still have the problem. E is an internal
hard drive. And the icons are indeed files/folders, not shortcuts.

Just to verify that I was seeing things correctly I did the following:
1-Opened Word & verified (through Tools, Options, File Locations) that my
default data and auto recovery location is the E drive.
2-created a quick document in Word and saved as "test". My default file
location did not show up - I had to monkey around and set it. In the
sidebar, although desktop is at the bottom of my list, it is the file to
default! This is the first clue that something is wrong. In my former Home
version of XP I did not have to go through those steps - the file would
automatically be written to E.
3-exited program.
4-My file is in the E drive, but there is also an icon for the file on my
desktop.

There must be a switch that is set to override everything to the desktop but
I cannot find that switch. Any other ideas?

Thanks again

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Yes, I am creating files on the desktop but not on purpose! The icons are
not shortcuts, they are actually files and folders with icons on the desktop.
Problem is, is that I do not want them on my desktop. Even when I save my
file within Word, for example, as E:\docs\test.doc a stupid icon for it
appears on the desktop. What setting can I change that will stop this?

Go to the file on the desktop. right click on it and choose
Properties. What does it show there? Is there a Shortcut tab? What
does it say?

 

[Guest]

The properties all look like a standard file. There is no short cut tab. I
do not see anything on the various tabs that show any switches for desktop.
Totally weird.

 

[Poprivet]

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