How can I recover my desktop icon layout using data from "C:\System Volume..."?

[Jason Taylor]

Greetings.

Windows XP (SP1) scambled my icon layout on my desktop again. I know
there are
a dozen or so icon layout recovery programs, but they only seem to be
preventative, so they would not help me right now. Normally when this
happens, I just do a system restore, but I did some key upgrades since
my last recovery snapshot was taken and would rather just restore my
desktop icon layout (where icons were located). What steps do I need
to perform to restore just my old desktop icon layout manually using
data in the "C:\System Volume Information" directory? I am guessing
that it is in a file like Desktop.ini,
though the files are renamed and for all I know this is stored in the
registry. Do I need to do a text search for icon names?

P.S. As a tiny token of thanks, I'll PayPal $2 to the poster who
answers this question. Note: there is a huge delay with usenet, so
if the money is the factor for you helping me, check
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=360124 before
replying. (If that link is no longer active, it means the answer is
in the process of being posted here.)

Sincerely,
Jason Taylor

 

[Chad Harris]

Jason--

Have you tried these free apps? I also know you know you can right click
the desktop and get configuration of icons according to MSFT's grid but that
might not be what you want.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/iconrestore.html

http://www.pcnineoneone.com/tweaks/tweekz1k.html

You can also get info on spacing them here under A to Z I for Icons/Icons
Keep in Place After Reboot:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm

Also Kelly notes you can lock down your icons using a resource file from the
Windows NT 4,0 Resource Kit:
ftp://ftp.zdnet.com/wsources/0598/layout.zip

After your icons are where you want, run this edit from Kelly:
Save Settings on Exit (Line 54)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
To use the Regedit: Save the REG File to your hard disk. Double click it and
answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be viewed in Notepad by right
clicking on the file and selecting Edit.

Chad Harris

_______________________

 

[Chad Harris]

http://tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/pid/779/qid/851020

Chad Harris


_____________________________________________________________________________

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

You'd have great difficulty extracting a single, correct, file from a System Restore point, and the entry in question would be in the registry, not Desktop.ini.

 

[Jason Taylor]

Jason--

Have you tried these free apps? I also know you know you can right click

Thanks for your post Chad. Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems
these apps are like seatbelts for crash victims or vaccines for
fevers.
Like I said, that wasn't actually what I was looking for, but thanks
anyway. Doug, thanks for telling me icon layout is in the
registry. Now the Q would be where is it in the registry and which
file
of the 5 or so reg files is it in?

In the meantime, I think I came up with an imperfect solution to the
problem as follows:

1) Create a fresh restore point.
2) Restore to a point where the icons are ok.
3) Run any of the myriad programs that save icon layouts to a file.
4) Undo the restore.
5) Reinstall and rerun the icon layout program.
6) Use the layout recovery program to restore icon layout.

Unfortunately, system restore didn't work for me. It says "Your
computer
cannot be restored to (date & time).
No changes were made to your computer." System Restore seems like a
solar-powered umbrella to me. Oh well. I'll just reconstruct the
layout from memory. Thanks again Chad and Doug.

Jason Taylor