Windows 10: Desktop Icons won't stay where I put them

I like to position all my desktop icons in a custom order, but since I took my PC into the Geeks to remove a suspected virus, my desktop icons keep returning to default positions upon restart or refresh. I've experimented with unchecking grid and align options, and even followed instructions found online that instructed me how to modify the registry, yet no success. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

:)

 

Windows 10 desktop icons won't stay where I put them!

I understand where you are coming from.

I use a Surface Pro 4 and when I get to work I dock it to 3 external monitors but whenever I undock to work from another office or site then my desktop icons are all screwed up.

I would like to find out if anyone out there has a solution or an idea when this may be fixed?

I have all updated and firmware installed but this is just getting annoying.

 

Windows 10 desktop icons won't stay where I put them!

Every time I shut down my new Dell laptop with Win 10 the desktop icons return to the same mixed up positions. I like to put the icons in topical groups, like word/text editors, programming tools, CAD programs, etc. All previous versions of Windows allowed
one to drag desktop icons to a location and they would stay there, why not Win 10?

 

Unchecking the align to grid box is only a partial solution for Win 10 (or other versions).

The fix is at this link to stop the Desktop Themes from changing the icon locations -
www.winhelponline.com/blog/prevent-themes-from-changing-desktop-icons-in-windows-7/

If link not working, that content:
a) Right-click on the Desktop and choose Personalize
b) click on Themes
c) click on Desktop icon settings
d) in this next box, "uncheck the box" for "Allow themes to change desktop icons"
e) click "apply" OR "ok" and you're done

What microsoft has done, is make the themes take control of the icons automatically from the beginning.
INSTEAD, WE should have been given the choice whether to allow the themes to take control of the icons.

I say that because many people are not aware of where to even begin to solve this problem and t becomes FRACKIN' IRRITATING & ANNOYING in finding the solution (look at all the folks just on this site alone).

 

After all my trips to the Geeks and their claiming it was my video drivers, YOU solved it for me. Thanks!

 

Good deal, glad it worked for you.

Unfortunately, it is not working for me.
I discovered that when I close my lid and re-open, the icons shift on me.
And I have full admin rights to my desktop...
This is even with that themes box unchecked and even when I set the power options for closing the lid to "do nothing" - the icons still flip back.

Even after logging off and restarting, the settings are not saving for me.
So, more research for me on this for my own PC.

 

There is a bug where the icons are reset if your desktop scaling isn't 100% (you can right click on desktop, select "display settings" and have a look).

There isn't a fix as far as I know at the moment - they will reset to default (i.e. jump to the top left).

 

VERY GOOD CATCH lx07!!!! Thx

Very good - I have been in computers a long time doing various things but I did not think that was causing the problem.
I did try it and smack me silly if the icons stayed in place when I did my close lid routine. Dang!!!!

That is a definite bug and something micro$oft should have caught on their own. It should not matter what the display scaling is set at, the icons should still resolve and stay in place

Da_n - as I sit here scratching my head at how this got past the QA folks at micro$oft.

 

I have desktop scaling set at 125% and the icons only shift if I switch between user accounts. It's fine if you log off an account before logging in to another one. This appears to be yet another obvious bug which Microsoft should fix. How did it ever pass software QA testing?

 

Did MS ever sort this out? I am having the same problems when my laptop is connected to a port replicator for use with a projector but can't find anything under display settings.

I can position the icons on the desktop wherever I want but but as soon as I connect to a port replicator and the screen changes to Duplicate mode, the icons lose their place and revert to "left" positioning. They do NOT revert back when the laptop is unhooked from the port replicator.

 

Nice to know that scaling at 100% does the trick.

Thank you.

 

I just updated my desktop PC from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. I use 125% display scaling and I'm very disappointed to find this bug remains. When I use Switch User to move between accounts, all the icons align to the left of the screen when I log back in to the original account. The icons are fine if I log out of an account before going to another account. Moving between accounts using Switch User worked fine in Windows 8.1 so why is this obvious bug still present in Windows 10 after nearly a year since release?

 

WE were the real QA! And they did everything EXCEPT listen to us! I have been testing since Vista Black (which, I think, became Vista Ultimate), and have made numerous suggestions based on my observations, and the only thing I have seen is that NOTHING I said was important. The customer "Thank you for your feedback" BS, and they moved on!

 

I just updated to the Win 10 Creators Update (1703). Now when if move one of the icons on the bottom row, or move icon anywhere on the desktop, others on the bottom row move over to the right (I have four or five columns of icons on the left). This was not a problem before I updated. I think if I don't keep any icons on that bottom row nothing moves on it's own.

Desktop scaling is at 100%, and unticking "Allow themes to change desktop icons" on Desktop icon settings also makes no difference.

Any other ideas or solutions?

 

I use a projector a lot in my job, and I have this problem most of the time that I plug my laptop into a projector.