Windows 10: Desktop icons keep rearranging

15 down vote The following way has worked since Vista; It requires an Explorer restart, but no reboot.
Short version: Stop all Explorer.exe instances, delete the user's hidden IconCache.db file, and restart Explorer.
Long Version (there are other ways as well):

• Close all Explorer windows that are currently open.
  
• Launch Task Manager using the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence, or by running taskmgr.exe.
  
• In the Process tab, right-click on the Explorer.exe process and select End Process.
  
• Click the End process button when asked for confirmation.
  
• From the File menu of Task Manager, select New Task (Run…)
  
• Type CMD.EXE, and click OK
  
• In the Command Prompt window, type the commands one by one and press ENTER after each command:
  CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local
  DEL IconCache.db /a
  EXIT
  
• In Task Manager, click File, select New Task (Run…)
  
• Type EXPLORER.EXE, and click OK.

instruction steps source

Refresh Icon Cache Without Rebooting - Super User

Try the above.

 

Thank you for your input Gary, unfortunately this method didn't work for me

 

today after a month after installation, it appeared to me the same problem also no longer stores customizations in folders as icons size , sorting etc ...

 

I ended up using a desktop icon saving tool utility. I know it really sucks, when they don't even make it so it doesn't screw those up. You would think that feature would just be there.

 

Yeap, same situation. At the beginning it was working properly, then at some point not.

Not sure what triggers this though.

 

I had this issue but for me it was because I used a cheap HDMI cable.
My Vizio 4k wasn't syncing with my GTX 660 and it made the screen jump around and every time it did the Icons would left justify on the screen.
As soon as I replaced the cable with something rated for 10gb+, 7.1 ect.. everything is 100% stable.
Now I use my system at 100% 4k@60hz and there is no lag, no nothing. Just like using it at 1080p or below.
All games, all emulators and all software work perfectly as I never upgraded.

If anything, a lot is fixed that broke when I went from 8 to 8.1

This might not be your problem but it worked for me.

 

Iconoid works really well in my W10 64 bit. it's much tidier than windows attempts anyway. You can export the settings in case you think they might be lost. They do a 64 bit version too.

Iconoid - Hide and show desktop icons, maketransparent backgrounds

 

I too am having this issue and it appears a lot of people are. I'm trying to start a comprehensive thread on Microsoft's Answers page - if any of you could contribute it would be fantastic!

Windows 10 Desktop Icons Auto Arrange - PROBLEM - Microsoft Community

 

I'm starting to hate Windows 10 because of this.

 

This guy claims to have solved both desktop icons rearranging and explorer view settings changing unexpectedly:
Windows 7 X64 Auto Arrange Desktop Problem Solved
by removing a reg entry..

There's at least one other big thread on this forum on this- if this works, they'd be interested. (I don't have the problem myself, thankfully!)

 

We are having problem with WINDOWS 10

I need to get this fixed ASAP driving me nutz

 

Hello Dalmo, As you will be aware, the registry structure has remained essentially unchanged through generations of Windows. This is both a strength (legacy) and a weakness (vulnerability) - probably leading to the sort of problem we are discussing here. So here is the logic and why I posted that.

Thus fixes people have found for previous generations of Windows may sometimes be applicable to newer ones. We all know this problem (desktop icons suddenly re-arranging + explorer folder view settings not staying as set) is an old one. For example. AskVG posted a solution previously found which was also claimed to apply to Windows 10. A further exmple would be that I had a problem in Win 10 resolved by a tutorial Brink posted for Win 8.

Therefore it is worth considering what people have found before in appropriate situations and with due caution.

However, it is becoming clear that the 3 or so registry 'fixes' for this problem people have found before only solve the problem for some people, and perhaps there is no permanent universal solution- so many people have tried.

Now, moving on.

A simple test I've done shows that the control of both the desktop icon auto-arrangement and explorer's folder view settings are held in a common registry location. That observation would seem to establish why problems in both are observed together.

HKU\S-1-5-21-1874168061-3408090847-1495916866-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{CEBFF5CD-ACE2-4F4F-9178-9926F41749EA}\Count\Q:\Ertvfgel Gbbyf\Ertfubg\Ertfubg 1-9 Havpbqr\Ertfubg-k86-Havpbqr.rkr:

This one also changes when the auto-arrange setting is changed.
HKU\S-1-5-21-1874168061-3408090847-1495916866-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{CEBFF5CD-ACE2-4F4F-9178-9926F41749EA}\Count\HRZR_PGYFRFFVBA:

(The string S-1-5-21-1874168061-3408090847-1495916866-1001 may well be different on a different PC).

Now, if someone who is experiencing both problems would export these keys and upload them, I may be able to see if merging these recreates the problem (which I don't have). Because it's been such a persistent problem, I'm curious..*Smile

Obviously I would take due precautions - disk image, registry backup...

Now this has a very obvious limitation. Even if such an experiment meant that I then experienced the symptoms, the question of cause and effect remains.

Some people attribute this to the installation of certain programs from itunes to ESET AV, and even MS updates.
Maybe there are multiple causes. This seems unknown despite the great many people who have experienced this.

Hope that's of interest.

 

i updated the DX files and it's working for me, no harm done
try this link: Download DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from Official Microsoft Download Center

 

same thing here... confused!!

 

My DirectX has always been the latest version since June 2010.
Using the Web Installer, it will not detect any updates for DirectX.