Desktop display changed-- How to change back?

[Guest]

In Windows XP Pro, was until recently like all of other users on my computer [I'm the computer owner and "administrator"]-- a typical Windows XP layout: the background photo with icons overlaid. I could group and arrange the icons to suit myself . . . everything worked as it should.

Then suddenly and mysteriously, my desktop took on the appearance and configuration of a folder-- with the broad blue-background inset field at the left side (containing "folder tasks"). The icons are no longer manually 'arrange-able' (just as it would be impossible to arrange the icons within a folder); I previously had them arranged into 3 groups, but now they're all together in an alphbetical listing.

I have tried and tried (for hours!) to reset my Desktop by using the Control Panel > Display commands. I have also tried resetting my folder characteristics under Control Panel > Folders. But NOTHING works! Meanwhile, the other users on my computer still have their attractive, functional Windows XP Desktop displays, but I can't get (back) what they have! I have even tried to copy and paste their Display
"*.theme" file into my Applications (but when I do that, my background picture changes to the same picture the other user has, but I still keep the wide "inset field" on the left side of my desktop that has three "command" boxes, "Folder Tasks", "Other Tasks", and "Details").

I hope someone can please help me!

 

[Guest]

ya got me, but you could try a system restore. Go back to the day before this happened. Who knows? It might work, of course even if it does, it won't solve the mystery as to why it happened.

 

[mike_h]

Bear677176 wrote:
|| In Windows XP Pro, was until recently like all of other users on my
|| computer [I'm the computer owner and "administrator"]-- a typical
|| Windows XP layout: the background photo with icons overlaid. I
|| could group and arrange the icons to suit myself . . . everything
|| worked as it should.
||
|| Then suddenly and mysteriously, my desktop took on the appearance
|| and configuration of a folder-- with the broad blue-background inset
|| field at the left side (containing "folder tasks"). The icons are
|| no longer manually 'arrange-able' (just as it would be impossible to
|| arrange the icons within a folder); I previously had them arranged
|| into 3 groups, but now they're all together in an alphbetical
|| listing.
||
|| I have tried and tried (for hours!) to reset my Desktop by using the
|| Control Panel > Display commands. I have also tried resetting my
|| folder characteristics under Control Panel > Folders. But NOTHING
|| works! Meanwhile, the other users on my computer still have their
|| attractive, functional Windows XP Desktop displays, but I can't get
|| (back) what they have! I have even tried to copy and paste their
|| Display "*.theme" file into my Applications (but when I do that, my
|| background picture changes to the same picture the other user has,
|| but I still keep the wide "inset field" on the left side of my
|| desktop that has three "command" boxes, "Folder Tasks", "Other
|| Tasks", and "Details").
||
|| I hope someone can please help me!

Right click on the desktop and select Arrange Icons By, remove the
tick against whichever setting is selected.

hope this helps
Michael