Desktop icons location changes

greatchap · 22 May 2019

Hello everyone,
I have a PC running Windows 10 Professional. Since the last 2-3 days I have observed that my desktop icons arrangement changes after I either reboot my PC or take my PC on remote support.

I use teamviewer on my PC and frequently access my PC from home. I have been doing this for a long time and never had problems. A few days ago when I took my PC on remote support I saw desktop icons jumbled up (means one row has only 5 icons next has 10 next has 4 and so on). I thought it must have just happened.

So when I used my pc physically (not through remote support), I arranged the icons and rebooted. After reboot the icons would again jumble up. So I did some google search and tried the following :

1) Deleted iconcache file
2) Unchecked auto arrange icons
3) unchecked allow themes to change desktop icons
4) My screen resolution is OK 1920x1080
5) Did a scan sfc /scannow - windows found some issues and fixed it. But this problem was not solved

What should I do ?

Regards,
GR

dalchina · 22 May 2019

Hi,once this starts happening - and it has affected many versions of Windows- the only direct solution is to use a 3rd party program such as DesktopOK

Do a little research on the forum and you will find an enormous thread with other suggestions.

I don't know if this is fixed when a feature update (upgrade) occurs.

greatchap · 22 May 2019

Thanks for your reply but this is not a solution. Million of people use Windows 10. I have been using it for years but this problem has come suddenly. There must be a fix. Is there anything I did not try yet.

dalchina · 22 May 2019

I know. There isn't one known- hence the huge thread. That's why there's a range of 3rd party tools that 'fix' this- as a workaround. Hope that makes it clear. Look at the number of posts..

Desktop icons keep rearranging
222 in this thread alone..

Desktop icons location changes-snap-2019-05-22-20.45.13.png

In your case you might try System Restore- use a restore point- you may be lucky and find restoring completes sucessfully.

greatchap · 22 May 2019

System restore is turned off on my pc. However I do not remember installing anything new.

This is a strange behavior. If I take my pc on remote support the also icons location changes.

bro67 · 22 May 2019

Icons will move around if you hide the taskbar, change the resolution.

Ztruker · 22 May 2019

I've always had that problem once the Desktop gets a certain number of icons or they are placed in certain areas (neither number or location of which I can specify unfortunately), which is why I've been using DesktopOK for many years. It resolves the problem completely.

You set things up the way you want, tell DesktopOK to remember it then if they ever get re-arranged, you right click on the DesktopOK icon in the System Tray and select the Resolution name of the saved Icon set and poof, everything is back where it belongs.

I have it setup so it starts at boot. Any time I make a change to my icon layout I tell DesktopOK to remember it.

It doesn't fix the underlying problem but it does fix the scrambled icon problem.

greatchap · 22 May 2019

Desktop OK is one solution but that does not solve the real problem behind this issue.

I do not hide taskbar or change resolution. Still this is happening. Just wondering whats going on...

bro67 · 23 May 2019

Nope. It is a quirk with all OS GUI desktops.

Lugh · 23 May 2019

Anyone know if Stardock's Fences—which I use—fixes this problem also?

Fences has a Snapshot & Restore function like that described above for DesktopOK, so it should work.

Costs $10, $5 in occasional sale, and has other nifty functions.

Desktop icons location changes

Desktop icons location changes

Help