Desktop Icons- Re-aligned for no reason

[Guest]

For the second time in about as many days, all of my icons--all one hundred and fifteen (115) of them--automatically re-aligned themselves in a grid.

What in the #$T^$@%^$#@^% is going on??

For a while, this was a problem with WinNT, but service pack or something fixed the problem.

Now it is showing up in WinXP (and I have NO idea what is causing it). Until a few days ago, I had not seen this happen on WinXP.

Tonight, I was browsing this very forum (because WinXP keeps trashing my folder views) and, when I looked at my desktop, all of my icons were screwed up.

Sometimes, simply "cold booting" the computer (to keep Explorer from writing things out) saves them...but this time, it didn't.

I now have 115 icons to arrange so I can find things. No small feat.

I really have to wonder if the same bug that is corrupting the "folder view" settings is screwing up my desktop alignment....

In reference to another (similar) post, someone posted a link to a WinNT resource kit file (layout.reg) on ZDNet that looked promising (for locking down the desktop icons), but I couldn't get the link to work...

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Rob;

What on earth do you have 115 icons on your Desktop for?

Right click the Desktop | Arrange icons by |
UNCheck: Align to grid

 

[Guest]

UNcheck Align to grid"
I'm not that dumb (I'm an IT professional for 18+ years--although I do occasionally do stupid things).

I never had "Align to grid" checked--as I clearly stated, WinXP just decided to align all my icons with no provocation whatsoever.

As for 115 icons, I find it very convenient to have icons layed out where I can quickly click on what I want (rather than searching through menus for them). MS created a desktop to hold icons...and I make use of that. And get very upset when the OS sorts them (because I certainly can't find what I'm looking for when things get sorted).

 

[noone]

yeah, it's a PITA when it does that. There is a tool called Icon Layout
that adds two items to the My Computer right-click menu, Save Icon Layout
and Restore Icon Layout. Insatll it, put your desktop icon where you like
them, then choose Save Layout. Then when/if XP decides to rearrainge then
just choose Restore Layout and voila, they're back in their place.

http://users.rcn.com/taylotr/icon_restore.html

there are other variations on this util too, google for "icon layout".

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Rob;

I do stupid things all the time. I reread your OP seven times.
"I never had "Align to grid" checked--as I clearly stated..."
Read your post again. Not stated at all.

This link worked for me. )

MS Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit [5 KB, free, unsupported].
http://www.pcnineoneone.com/tweaks/layout.zip

Check:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explore
r
NoSaveSettings REG_DWORD 0x00000000 (0)
0 = Disabled
1 = Enabled

===================
Since I reread your OP, you might find this useful. ;o)

Courtesy of http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp.htm

[[Why doesn't Windows keep my folder settings?

Run this edit, then reset your preferred folder options:

Windows remembers 400 folder settings. When that number is reached some
settings aren't retained any longer. You can change this to 8000 by adding
this edit to the registry.

Increase Folder View Options Limit: (Line 2)
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.]]

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the additional info.

Well, I'll admit it wasn't stated too clearly...but stating that they "automatically re-aligned themselves in a grid" was intended to convey that they weren't normally aligning themselves and something caused them to do so with no provocation. Had "Align to grid" been checked, they would have been that way all the time...and if they changed when I checked it, the action would not have been "automatic".

Having dealt with folks who are lucky to find the power switch, I kinda understand the desire to throw out the really basic stuff first.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Rob;

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however
improbable, must be the truth."
(Sherlock Holmes) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

When you troubleshoot anything, you have to start at
one end or the other and keep going in that same direction. )