scrambled desktop icons

  • Thread starter Thread starter knowles
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knowles

Does anyone know how I can prevent XP from scrambling my
desktop icons?

Why doesn't XP remember where I placed the icons?

It seems to me that it would be so logical and easy to
create and maintain a file, which the system could refer
to, so that it could put the icons back where I had them
instead of rearranging them according to some other
organizational scheme.

Even if they don't want the operating system to be that
smart, they could provide a 'button' which run a utility
that would reference a desktop layout file, and put them
back as they were.
 
-----Original Message-----
Does anyone know how I can prevent XP from scrambling my
desktop icons?

Why doesn't XP remember where I placed the icons?
.
Click to expand...
Right click on desktop. Point to arrange icons, click
auto arrange.
 
knowles said:
-----Original Message-----
Does anyone know how I can prevent XP from scrambling my
desktop icons?

Why doesn't XP remember where I placed the icons?

It seems to me that it would be so logical and easy to
create and maintain a file, which the system could refer
to, so that it could put the icons back where I had them
instead of rearranging them according to some other
organizational scheme.

Even if they don't want the operating system to be that
smart, they could provide a 'button' which run a utility
that would reference a desktop layout file, and put them
back as they were.
.
Click to expand...
ANSWER:
Something I know about and can finally answer.

Control Panel
->Display
-->Desktop tab
--->Customize desktop button
---->Web tab
----->[x]Lock Desktop items
Apply button
Ok
 
-----Original Message-----
Does anyone know how I can prevent XP from scrambling my
desktop icons?

Why doesn't XP remember where I placed the icons?

It seems to me that it would be so logical and easy to
create and maintain a file, which the system could refer
to, so that it could put the icons back where I had them
instead of rearranging them according to some other
organizational scheme.

Even if they don't want the operating system to be that
smart, they could provide a 'button' which run a utility
that would reference a desktop layout file, and put them
back as they were.
.
After you have your desktop arranged the way you want it,
Click to expand...
right ckick on desktop, go to arrange items on desktop,
scroll down to lock web items on desktop, and click on
that make sure it is checked before leaving this item.
Should hold them all on desktop the way you have them
placed next time you boot or come back to it.
 
ANSWER:
Something I know about and can finally answer.

Control Panel
->Display
-->Desktop tab
--->Customize desktop button
---->Web tab
----->[x]Lock Desktop items
Apply button
Ok

.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I followed your map (above). That
seems to have to do with placing web-active objects
within a desktop / theme. (There was a link to a MS page
which offered a stock ticker, weather map, and satelite
tracker.) So, I learned something new. I didn't know we
could do that! However, I'm not sure that will apply to
my desktop which is just composed of icons of folders,
files, and shortcuts to programs, searches, files,
folders, etc.

I'm going to try Dan's idea (though I think I already did
it his way, and somehow the setting was canceled). Then
I'm going to try your method.

This scrambling happens a lot on my computer. And it's a
real p-i-t-a.

I came up with a makeshift way to 'remember' how the
desktop looked, but then I have to move all the icons
back into place.

CTRL-Print Scr, then paste into Wordpad, save it with the
date as part of the filename, and save it into a folder
created just for these 'Desktop Screen Saves'. That
gives me a 'snapshot' from which I can reconstruct the
desktop layout as it was before being scrambled.

So any way that I can avoid all that bother, will be a
pleasant experience for me.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered a solution. You guys
are great!

knowles
 
it,
right ckick on desktop, go to arrange items on desktop,
scroll down to lock web items on desktop, and click on
that make sure it is checked before leaving this item.
Should hold them all on desktop the way you have them
placed next time you boot or come back to it.
.
Click to expand...
Hi Dan,

Thanks for your response. What you suggest seems like it
should be the answer to my problem. (I mentioned this in
my reply to one of the other responses to my subject...)

I'm pretty sure I stumbled across your solution
previously, and used it. I have a vague memory that it
worked for a time. But, then something happens and my
desktop gets rebuilt the way Bill Gates, or one of his
beagle-boy programmers wants it to be. And... I have to
go to my 'Desktop Screen Save' folder, lookup my most
recent save - and start moving icons to where I want them.

Any way, I'm going to do it your way, and pay closer
attention to the results. Thanks again, for the quick
response.

knowles
 
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