Arranging icons

  • Thread starter Thread starter Glen
  • Start date Start date
G

Glen

Hi

My office pc runs windowsxp pro on ntfs.
My problem is that the icons on the desktop do not remain where I set
them. Each time I boot the computer the icons are in different places.
Very frustrating.
I have made sure that 'align to grid' and 'auto arrange' are unchecked
but to no avail. Our IT branch are unable to help.
Can anyone offer a solution other than to switch to another OS. :-)

Thanks

Glen
 
Glen said:
Hi

My office pc runs windowsxp pro on ntfs.
My problem is that the icons on the desktop do not remain where I set them. Each
time I boot the computer the icons are in different places. Very frustrating.
I have made sure that 'align to grid' and 'auto arrange' are unchecked but to no
avail. Our IT branch are unable to help.
Can anyone offer a solution other than to switch to another OS. :-)

Thanks

Glen
Click to expand...

Open regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value called 'NoSaveSettings' and
set the value to '0'
Close regedit and Restart.

Value Name: NoSaveSettings
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

If this does not help, use Icon Restore to save your layout, then simply restore
when you start Windows:
http://users.rcn.com/taylotr/icon_restore.html
 
glee said:
Open regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value called 'NoSaveSettings' and
set the value to '0'
Close regedit and Restart.

Value Name: NoSaveSettings
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

If this does not help, use Icon Restore to save your layout, then simply restore
when you start Windows:
http://users.rcn.com/taylotr/icon_restore.html
Click to expand...


Thanks Glee. I will give it a try when I am back at work tomorrow.
My home computer show the data as 0000 01 00 00 00.
I take it I change the 01 to 00?

Many thanks for your time and help.

Regards

Glen
 
Glen said:
Thanks Glee. I will give it a try when I am back at work tomorrow.
My home computer show the data as 0000 01 00 00 00.
I take it I change the 01 to 00?

Many thanks for your time and help.
Click to expand...

There is no need to change it if there is no problem on the home machine. If the
icons are set as you want them *and they are staying there after a reboot* then
enabling NoSaveSettings (1) is supposed to prevent anyone from changing your saved
order afterwards. It's simple enough to try both ways and determine what
difference, if any, you see.

On the problem machine at the office, the setting may be enabled, preventing you
from saving changes to the icon layout after a reboot; or it may be disabled and for
some reason preventing you from keeping the changes. Again, try the setting both
ways with a reboot in between to see if either setting helps your problem.
 
glee said:
There is no need to change it if there is no problem on the home
machine. If the icons are set as you want them *and they are staying
there after a reboot* then enabling NoSaveSettings (1) is supposed to
prevent anyone from changing your saved order afterwards. It's simple
enough to try both ways and determine what difference, if any, you see.

On the problem machine at the office, the setting may be enabled,
preventing you from saving changes to the icon layout after a reboot; or
it may be disabled and for some reason preventing you from keeping the
changes. Again, try the setting both ways with a reboot in between to
see if either setting helps your problem.
Click to expand...

Hello again

There wasn't any NoSaveSettings value to start with so I created one and
set the data to 1. Rebooted but no joy. So then set the value to 0 and
rebooted ......same result.
Is there something |I am missing?

thanks for your help.

Regards

Glen
 
Glen said:
Hello again

There wasn't any NoSaveSettings value to start with so I created one and set the
data to 1. Rebooted but no joy. So then set the value to 0 and rebooted ......same
result.
Is there something |I am missing?
Click to expand...

Set NoSaveSettings to 0, close regedit, arrange your icons as you want them on the
desktop, then click once on a blank spot on the desktop and press F5. Now reboot
and see if the arrangement is saved.

If not, you may have something beyond my ken causing the problem, and I suggest you
use the Icon Restore utility I suggested earlier:
http://users.rcn.com/taylotr/icon_restore.html
 
glee said:
Set NoSaveSettings to 0, close regedit, arrange your icons as you want
them on the desktop, then click once on a blank spot on the desktop and
press F5. Now reboot and see if the arrangement is saved.

If not, you may have something beyond my ken causing the problem, and I
suggest you use the Icon Restore utility I suggested earlier:
http://users.rcn.com/taylotr/icon_restore.html
Click to expand...

I tried that today but still no joy. I have downloaded the icon utility
but for home use only. Unfortunately we are forbidden to install any
software on office computers!
Guess I'm stuck with the problem.
But thanks for all your time, help and advise. It was greatly appreciated.

Regards

Glen
 
Glen said:
I tried that today but still no joy. I have downloaded the icon utility but for
home use only. Unfortunately we are forbidden to install any software on office
computers!
Guess I'm stuck with the problem.
But thanks for all your time, help and advise. It was greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Well here's a workaround that is not installing any "software" on your computer:
http://www.puppypc.com/windows/tt/random_tt.htm

Scroll down to the second item: "Save and Restore the Position of Your Desktop
Icons"
Download the .zip file, unzip the two file in it, put the layout.dll file in the
Windows\System32 folder, then right-click the .reg file and click Merge on the menu
that appears, and OK to the confirmation.

You will then have Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon Layout items on
your recycle bin's context menu.
 
glee said:
Well here's a workaround that is not installing any "software" on your
computer:
http://www.puppypc.com/windows/tt/random_tt.htm

Scroll down to the second item: "Save and Restore the Position of Your
Desktop Icons"
Download the .zip file, unzip the two file in it, put the layout.dll
file in the Windows\System32 folder, then right-click the .reg file and
click Merge on the menu that appears, and OK to the confirmation.

You will then have Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon
Layout items on your recycle bin's context menu.
Click to expand...
Thanks Glee. That worked. Just hope the IT guys don't find out I put a
dll file in windows!
It certainly was a work around but has saved me loads of time
re-arranging ions.
Again many thanks.

Regards

Glen
 
Glen said:
Thanks Glee. That worked. Just hope the IT guys don't find out I put a dll file in
windows!
It certainly was a work around but has saved me loads of time re-arranging ions.
Click to expand...

YW. I won't tell them.
Didn't know you wanted to rearrange ions as well as icons.
For that I suggest an ionizer, or else just wear a tinfoil beanie on your head.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin-foil_hat
;-)
 
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