Windows 10 - Icons WILL NOT stay in place on the desktop

OK, basically the same thing I've been doing since about 3 minutes after I put Windows 10 on the first time. I've always used Classic Shell and a couple other little things to make the whole Start component usable, more efficient and more productive.

I was HOPING to use the standard Windows 10 this time. Clearly, not if I want to get any work done! And it's gonna get worse with Windows 11. I've go that on the laptop and it looks like something for pre-schoolers where you don't want to overtax 'em by providing too many choices or options for configuration. Looks like I'll have to use add-ons there too.

- - - Updated - - -

I installed DesktopOK on the system, rearranged everything manually with Auto Arrange and Align icons ON. Then I did a SAVE in DesktopOK.

System has been rebooted several times and the icons stayed where they were SUPPOSED to be.

Unfortunately, because an Adobe product doesn't want to work with the CURRENT driver, I had to revert the display driver.

Which, of course, totally screwed up the icons again.

Tried DesktopOK and it did NOTHING until I turned off both Auto Arrange and Align Icons. THEN it ALMOST restored them... The whole set of icons is mashed against the far left edge of the screen AND everything is in order except the icon that belongs in the top left corner. It's BEHIND another icon. So I DRAGGED it to the top left corner and the whole set of icons moved to the right and they're not randomized, but they're NOT correct.

Finally, after a LOT of trial and error I figured out if I drag the icon that's in the wrong place to the top left corner and leave it, then restore again, then move around what's been shifted again, it'll get close enough (or tired of screwing with me) that I end up with ALL the icons in place EXCEPT the top left corner, which IS in the right hole, but not aligned with the OTHER icons. Turned on Auto Align to grid but left OFF Auto Arrange, and they're correct again.

Overall, it's faster than manually reorganizing 50+ icons, but it's still a PITA...

I am having this same icon rearranging situation on my Victus 16 running W10. I use a 32" HD monitor as my main and the laptop monitor as the secondary. Auto arrange and align to grid are always off on my machine.

After trying all the steps listed here and from other sources to no avail, I decided to test the problem with my 32" monitor unplugged from the HDMI port. The rearranging situation was gone. I could put the icons anywhere I wanted and they would stay. No toggling this or that switch first, and toggling it off when finished. No problems whatsoever. It was working normally.

Then I plugged the 32" back in and set the multiple display setting to "duplicate these displays". No problem at all. But when I switched the display setting back to "extend" the problem returned immediately. The icons all went back to where they had been before I unplugged the 32" monitor and started my test.

I did finally figure out how to alleviate the problem, and it might not be something the super-users will be comfortable doing, but for me it works fine.

Right click desktop - display settings - scroll to bottom of page, click "advanced display settings" and I changed the refresh rate of the built in laptop monitor from 144.005Hz to 60.031Hz. I left the 32" monitor refresh rate unchanged at 60.000.

Problem solved........for me. Apparently having two different refresh rates on the respective monitors was causing this situation....somehow. I'm not sure if this will work for everyone, but it's worth a shot. I will go to any lengths to make the system work the way it's supposed to work, without installing any 3rd party programs/apps...or whatever we're calling them these days. This one would have been easy to just install the 3rd party, but I'm very happy to have figured it out without it.

Hope this helps. Thanks for all the suggestions. Thanks for reading.

GracieAllen said:

This HAS to be something stupid...

I took look at the thread and got kind of exhausted so I don't know whether you have found a fix? Or whether the suggestion below has already been offered. But I like a sparse system and absolutely hate the idea of having to install additional software to manage this problem. From the start I turned off any allowance for 3rd parties to fiddle with themes, set Size to Small, ticked Auto-Arrange. Nothing more. DEFINITELY no other software. Still occasionally got these excruciating re-orderings. So:
** After setting the icons as you wish, Log Out, then immediately Log back In. (Not a Re-start.) **
Hey presto. No more problems.
Note1: BleachBit alomng with its other scrubbing, always changes the icon Size, turns Off Auto-Arrange and you end up with alphabetically ordered gigantic icons that you can position anywhere. Re-set as above, then do the Log Out Log In thing, and you are back to a stable Desktop. Yours.
Note2: not that BleachBit is an essential component to this "cure". But, incidentally, I quite like it and use it often. In this case it would ensure a Ground Zero foundation from which to try to achieve your objective. And I've never known it fiddle with anything important, e.g. screw impossibly with the Registry.
That's my experience anyway. Sorry if late, repetitive, redundant, or unhelpful for you.