# How many icons on YOUR desktop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951 "2003-12-19T12:49:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/1 "2003-12-19T12:49:35Z")
So I turn on my computer at work this morning, same as any other morning, and it hit me - my desktop is a freaking mess. 130 icons. Top that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/2 "2003-12-19T12:52:33Z")
1. But many of those are folders with more shortcuts. ---
**Author:** ![grey\_ideas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@grey\_ideas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grey_ideas)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/3 "2003-12-19T13:04:08Z")
5…I think I must be a bit of a desktop neat freak! ---
**Author:** ![chattywine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@chattywine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chattywine)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/4 "2003-12-19T13:28:54Z")
Just one, the harddisk icon unless I’m working on something, then whatever files are created during the session, once finished I park them in whichever folder they need to be in and am back to the clean desktop. Oddly enough, the desktop is the only place (in my life) I’m a neat freak. ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/5 "2003-12-19T13:36:38Z")
2 in Win32 running a blackbox GUI, 1 in Linux for my favourite terminal ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/6 "2003-12-19T13:52:55Z")
I only have 15. … Damn, 130? ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/7 "2003-12-19T14:10:49Z")
18 including the Recycle bin. I delete unused icons with glee. If you’ve got 130 desktop icons, what kind of junk lives in the toolbar? ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/8 "2003-12-19T14:44:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > \*\*I only have 15. > … > > Damn, 130? \*\* LOL They’re almost all files and folders with other files that I store on my desktop. When in a rush, I work on something and just save to desktop for quick reference, before putting on my server. Of course, I just never get rid of them. I think I only have about 10 actual program icons ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/9 "2003-12-19T14:53:02Z")
at work 45, mostly stuff I’m currently working on with a few old reports that I’ll replace with the new reports when I generate them. At home 1, a baking skill guide from EQ Traders. ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/10 "2003-12-19T14:53:20Z")
Well… just one. The recycling bin. I also auto-hide the taskbar. Everything else is in the start menu, categorized by type: Audio Tools Image Tools System Tools Games Like that. You wouldn’t think I was such a neat freak if you saw my actual desk, mind you. I just can’t stand the clutter on the desktop. At work, there are 7 icons locked on the desktop. Drives me buggy. ---
**Author:** ![green\_dragon\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/13edae/32.png) [@green\_dragon\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_dragon_1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/11 "2003-12-19T14:57:27Z")
I have 4, including a folder called “Desktop” which has all my clutter in it. How do you get rid of the recycle bin from the desktop?! ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/12 "2003-12-19T15:18:13Z")
One, just the recycle bin. That is the same on both my computers. I put all shortcuts I use often on my Quick Launch bar (7 on my desktop, 4 on my laptop). I figure I can get to all the other stuff quickly through the start menu, why clutter stuff up? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/13 "2003-12-19T15:26:19Z")
52 on my G4, 88 on my PC. 2 on the G5, but I’m just setting it up. Yes, _I am_ basking in the glow of three monitors. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/14 "2003-12-19T16:02:10Z")
Seven on desktop, four (some repeated) on quick launch. How in the world do you fit over a hundred icons on the screen? ---
**Author:** ![RCracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@RCracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RCracer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/15 "2003-12-19T16:02:20Z")
Oh…only 10. How the heck can anyone have 130 on their desktop? ---
**Author:** ![MarkofT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MarkofT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkofT)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/16 "2003-12-19T16:11:12Z")
15 at work and 0 at home. I used TweakXP to clear off the system icons and have them as folders along with the quicklaunch in a menubar on autohide on the top of the screen. ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/17 "2003-12-19T16:15:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RCracer \* > \*\*Oh…only 10. How the heck can anyone have 130 on their desktop? \*\* Big monitor, high resolution, small icons. No problem. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/18 "2003-12-19T16:18:48Z")
I’ve got like 5 on my XP desktop. And like **Gravity** , my Start Menu is sorted very neatly: Internet Music Programs Startup And that’s about it. I have like 50+ programs installed, but you’d never know it because things are organized so neatly. Drives me nuts everytime I have to fix my fathers PC, there are like 50+ icons on his desktop. I cannot stand it when I see people saving downloads directly to their desktop, and keep them there indefinately. Same with my C Drive. My root directory has about 7 folders. Anything more is just useless. \*I’m a dork. ---
**Author:** ![darksight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@darksight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/darksight)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/19 "2003-12-19T16:21:42Z")
Zero I removed them all I am Icon free I’m out there and I’m lovin every minuet of it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951/20 "2003-12-19T16:22:05Z")
> [@](#): > > How in the world do you fit over a hundred icons on the screen? I easily have room for another hundred in addition to the eighty there now. 21" monitor @ 1600x1200 res. > [@](#): > > How the heck can anyone have 130 on their desktop? Lotsa frequently used documents, shortcuts to a bunch of mapped drives, Internet URLs, and a half-dozen printers. Pisses me of to no end when Windows fucks up and rearranges the damned things. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-icons-on-your-desktop/219951.md?page=2)