Restoring desktop icon arrangement

[Rich Pasco]

I have a laptop computer with a high-resolution LCD.

Occasionally I hook it to an external monitor or video projector with
lower-resolution capabilities. This causes all the desktop icons to be
rearranged into the upper-left corner of my desktop. I would like to
be able to save my preferred arrangement of the desktop icons prior to
connecting the externam monitor, so that I can restore them after I
disconenct it.

Can anyone suggest where the arrangement of the desktop icons is stored?

Note: the subdirectory
C:\Documents and Settings\pasco\Desktop
seems to contain the link files (shortcuts) themselves, but I can't find
anything in that folder that indicates how the icons are arranged on the
desktop.

- Rich

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Iconoid

I have a laptop computer with a high-resolution LCD.

Occasionally I hook it to an external monitor or video projector with
lower-resolution capabilities. This causes all the desktop icons to be
rearranged into the upper-left corner of my desktop. I would like to
be able to save my preferred arrangement of the desktop icons prior to
connecting the externam monitor, so that I can restore them after I
disconenct it.

Can anyone suggest where the arrangement of the desktop icons is stored?

Note: the subdirectory
C:\Documents and Settings\pasco\Desktop
seems to contain the link files (shortcuts) themselves, but I can't find
anything in that folder that indicates how the icons are arranged on the
desktop.

- Rich

 

[Rich Pasco]

Iconoid

I don't understand this? Can you answer in a complete sentence or two?

- Rich

 

[Gord Dibben]

Download and install IconRestore utility.

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

Puts save restore subs on your MyComputer right-click menu.


Gord

 

[smlunatick]

Locate and download Iconoid. It is a free utility which can be used to
control the icons within various Xp resolutions. Once option is to
"save" the desktop icon placements and be able to "retrieve" them
whenever you want.

 

[Rock]

I have a laptop computer with a high-resolution LCD.

Occasionally I hook it to an external monitor or video projector with
lower-resolution capabilities. This causes all the desktop icons to be
rearranged into the upper-left corner of my desktop. I would like to
be able to save my preferred arrangement of the desktop icons prior to
connecting the externam monitor, so that I can restore them after I
disconenct it.

Can anyone suggest where the arrangement of the desktop icons is stored?

Note: the subdirectory
C:\Documents and Settings\pasco\Desktop
seems to contain the link files (shortcuts) themselves, but I can't find
anything in that folder that indicates how the icons are arranged on the
desktop.

Run the edit on Kelly's site:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 188: Add Save & Restore Desktop Layout to Menu

See the top of the page for info on running the edit. This will create two
context menu entries that appear when right clicking on a blank area of the
desktop. First save the layout you want, then restore as needed.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

See also:

Softwarium: Restore Desktop for Windows:
http://www.softwarium.com/rdwin.html

PCWorld.com - Save My Desktop! v1.2:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22891,00.asp

Layout.dll review by PC Magazine:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1593475,00.asp
http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/desk_adv.html#save

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


I have a laptop computer with a high-resolution LCD.

Occasionally I hook it to an external monitor or video projector with
lower-resolution capabilities. This causes all the desktop icons to be
rearranged into the upper-left corner of my desktop. I would like to
be able to save my preferred arrangement of the desktop icons prior to
connecting the externam monitor, so that I can restore them after I
disconenct it.

Can anyone suggest where the arrangement of the desktop icons is stored?

Note: the subdirectory
C:\Documents and Settings\pasco\Desktop
seems to contain the link files (shortcuts) themselves, but I can't find
anything in that folder that indicates how the icons are arranged on the
desktop.

- Rich

 

[Rich Pasco]

Thank you. I found Iconoid here: http://www.sillysot.com/

- Rich

 

[Rich Pasco]

Thank-you to all:

Yves Leclerc for recommending Iconoid
http://www.sillysot.com/

Gord Dibbon for recommending IconRestore
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/iconrestore.html

Rock for recommending Kelly's IconLayout, line 188 of
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Ramesh for recommending
Softwarium: Restore Desktop for Windows:
http://www.softwarium.com/rdwin.html

PCWorld.com - Save My Desktop! v1.2:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22891,00.asp

Layout.dll review by PC Magazine:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1593475,00.asp
http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/desk_adv.html#save

Note that Kelly's IconLayout actually installs LAYOUT.DLL as
reviewed in the last item.

- Rich