How to Restore Desktop Layout

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G

Guest

I often have to connect a projector to my laptop. Windows XP will resize the
desktop to fit the projector resolution and this rearranges all my icons.

I'm looking for a method to restore the desktop layout after the projecter
has been disconnected and I have returned the display to its normal
resolution.

Thanks, Jay
 
Desktop Layout is saved here...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

If you export the above key before messing around with the Desktop
arrangement, when you want the original layout back just merge the exported
key back into the registry. You will have to kill explorer.exe and restart
it for the merged key to refresh the Desktop.

To kill explorer and restart it.

Open the Task Manager...
Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Click on the Processes tab | Locate and highlight
explorer.exe | Right click explorer.exe | Click End Process | Click
Yes to the Task Manager Warning that pops up | Click File on the Toolbar |
Click New Task (Run...) | Type in: explorer | Click OK

End Process on explorer.exe will make your Desktop, Taskbar and all programs
disappear. This can be startling. Restarting explorer will bring
everything back.

This can fix/restore/reinitialize/refresh a lot of things.

also...

[[Icons - Lock on Desktop
"In Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP you can lock down the position of the
Desktop icons using a couple of files from the MS Windows NT 4.0 Resource
Kit.]]
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_i.htm

[[Microsoft's Layout.dll (free) file, which is included in the Windows NT
Resource Kit, can be installed on Windows 2000 and XP systems. This adds the
Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon Layout options to the
pop-up menus associated with system icons like the Recycle Bin and My
Computer. It's a bare-bones solution that lacks the useful frills found in
EzDesk, but it gets the job done.]]
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1593475,00.asp

zipped layout.dll direct download..
http://www.nthelp.com/proggy/layout.zip

[[Make Desktop Icons Stay in Place
1. Download the zip file that comes from the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.
Don't worry! It'll work with your Windows XP machine.
2. Copy the files in the .zip file onto the desktop. Then place Layout.dll
in your WINDOWS\System32 directory.
3. After the layout.dll is in the right directory, double click on the
layout.reg file.
4. Right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. You should see two
new commands: Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon Layout.
Use them to save and restore your icon arrangement. ]]
http://www.wxpnews.com/index.cfm?id=52

EzDesk Shareware - Manage your Desktop Icons
http://home.comcast.net/~ezwaretech/

They have a free evaluation copy. And if it does want you want, it might be
worth 15 bucks.

About EzDesk Version 1.8
http://home.comcast.net/~ezwaretech/ezdesk_about.html

If you find EzDesk useful and use it regularly please consider registering
it. The registration cost is $15.00 (U.S. funds: cash, check, or money
order). The registration form can be found inside the EzDesk package.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Thanks, Gord, I've added Icon Restore to my post. ;-)

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Thanks Wes

Have used the utility for years.

I like the newest version that places the commands on My Computer>Properties.

Don't have to build shortuts to Save and Restore anymore.


Gord
 
Thanks very much. I tried the registry export/import and it worked great.
Thinking about trying EZDesk.

Jay


Wesley Vogel said:
Desktop Layout is saved here...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

If you export the above key before messing around with the Desktop
arrangement, when you want the original layout back just merge the exported
key back into the registry. You will have to kill explorer.exe and restart
it for the merged key to refresh the Desktop.

To kill explorer and restart it.

Open the Task Manager...
Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Click on the Processes tab | Locate and highlight
explorer.exe | Right click explorer.exe | Click End Process | Click
Yes to the Task Manager Warning that pops up | Click File on the Toolbar |
Click New Task (Run...) | Type in: explorer | Click OK

End Process on explorer.exe will make your Desktop, Taskbar and all programs
disappear. This can be startling. Restarting explorer will bring
everything back.

This can fix/restore/reinitialize/refresh a lot of things.

also...

[[Icons - Lock on Desktop
"In Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP you can lock down the position of the
Desktop icons using a couple of files from the MS Windows NT 4.0 Resource
Kit.]]
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_i.htm

[[Microsoft's Layout.dll (free) file, which is included in the Windows NT
Resource Kit, can be installed on Windows 2000 and XP systems. This adds the
Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon Layout options to the
pop-up menus associated with system icons like the Recycle Bin and My
Computer. It's a bare-bones solution that lacks the useful frills found in
EzDesk, but it gets the job done.]]
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1593475,00.asp

zipped layout.dll direct download..
http://www.nthelp.com/proggy/layout.zip

[[Make Desktop Icons Stay in Place
1. Download the zip file that comes from the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.
Don't worry! It'll work with your Windows XP machine.
2. Copy the files in the .zip file onto the desktop. Then place Layout.dll
in your WINDOWS\System32 directory.
3. After the layout.dll is in the right directory, double click on the
layout.reg file.
4. Right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. You should see two
new commands: Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon Layout.
Use them to save and restore your icon arrangement. ]]
http://www.wxpnews.com/index.cfm?id=52

EzDesk Shareware - Manage your Desktop Icons
http://home.comcast.net/~ezwaretech/

They have a free evaluation copy. And if it does want you want, it might be
worth 15 bucks.

About EzDesk Version 1.8
http://home.comcast.net/~ezwaretech/ezdesk_about.html

If you find EzDesk useful and use it regularly please consider registering
it. The registration cost is $15.00 (U.S. funds: cash, check, or money
order). The registration form can be found inside the EzDesk package.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Jay said:
I often have to connect a projector to my laptop. Windows XP will resize
the desktop to fit the projector resolution and this rearranges all my
icons.

I'm looking for a method to restore the desktop layout after the projecter
has been disconnected and I have returned the display to its normal
resolution.

Thanks, Jay
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Wesley said:
Desktop Layout is saved here...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

If you export the above key before messing around with the Desktop
arrangement, when you want the original layout back just merge the
exported key back into the registry. You will have to kill
explorer.exe and restart it for the merged key to refresh the Desktop.
Click to expand...
....

Wesley,

At the risk of hijacking this thread; would you have a resource available
where I can interpret that Bags?
Between the Bags and the MRU , all I see is lots of confusing stuff and
I'm really curious! <G>. Sumtin tells me there's sumtin interesting in
there!

Regards,

Pop`
 
Pop,

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam
has to do with folder settings.

http://groups.google.com/groups?q="...&as_maxd=23&as_maxm=11&as_maxy=2006&safe=off&

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

I do not know all of the specifics, but you have the Col & ColInfo which I
assume has to do with how many columns there are on the Desktop. Mine 11
rows and 7 columns. Which has to do with my screen resolution (800 by 600
pixels) and Icon Size, Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical)
all from Display Properties | Advanced button

I found this...
<quote>
After some more testing, I found out some values to use with FFlags and
Sort:

Auto Arrange off, Align to Grid off:
"FFlags"=dword:00000220

Auto Arrange on:
"FFlags"=dword:00000221

Auto Arrange off - align to Grid On:
"FFlags"=dword:00000224

Auto Arrange on, Align to Grid on:
"FFlags"=dword:00000225

Hide Desktop Icons:
"FFlags"=dword:00001220

Sort by name:
"Sort"=dword:00000000

Sort by size:
"Sort"=dword:00000001

Sort by type:
"Sort"=dword:00000002

Sort by Modified:
"Sort"=dword:00000003

For example, if you wanted to enable auto arrange and sort by type:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop
"FFlags"=dword:00000221
"Sort"=dword:00000002
<quote>
from...
http://msfn.org/board/index.php?act=ST&f=70&t=22555

Double-click: ItemPos640x480(1) & ItemPos800x600(1) and I can make out the
names of items on my Desktop. All of the shortcuts, actual files and
folders.

Mode, no idea.

ScrollPos640x480(1).x, ScrollPos640x480(1).y, ScrollPos800x600(1).x and
ScrollPos800x600(1).y I assume relate to x and y coordinates (rows and
columns) in 640x480 (Safe Mode screen resolution) and 800x600, my normal
screen resolution. Or maybe where the lower left hand corner of the screen
is. <shrug>

Sort & SortDir I assume relates to Right click Desktop | Arrange icons by
and what settings are selected.


http://groups.google.com/groups?as_...1&as_maxd=23&as_maxm=11&as_maxy=2006&safe=off

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! This is just what I was looking for. I
think this should become a "power toys" item.

njmeatball 20070618
 
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