# Windows, Leave My Icons Alone! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944 "2011-09-28T23:32:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/1 "2011-09-28T23:32:19Z")
How do I stop Windows from rearranging my icons every time I boot up? I’ve tried everything…even locking my icons to a “grid”. I think it happens because at work I extend Windows from my primary PC (a laptop) to a 2nd monitor, but at home, I just have the laptop. Thanks, MS, for allowing Windows to dictate how Windows wants my icons, but I think I should be in charge! Humph! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/2 "2011-09-29T00:39:45Z")
Been there and have the T-shirt. No matter what setting I try. Once every few months Windows trashes my Icons. I have to rearrange everything back the way I organize them. Yes auto arrange is unchecked. Yes Algin to grid is checked. Windows still does it’s own thing every few months. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/3 "2011-09-29T01:01:55Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I think it happens because at work I extend Windows from my primary PC (a laptop) to a 2nd monitor, but at home, I just have the laptop. I suspect you’re right. I seem to recall (sorry - I don’t want to test it and screw up all **my** icons) that changing the resolution causes Windows to reposition the icons, and going from two monitors to one probably has a similar effect because you are changing the width of the “screen”. ---
**Author:** ![Spectralist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spectralist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectralist)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/4 "2011-09-29T06:20:29Z")
Do you set the secondary monitor as Window’s primary or main display? That is to say does the taskbar move onto it? Desktop icons store their position relative to the primary monitor. So if the primary monitor changes often, or changes resolution, things are shuffled around to ensure you can still see them. Or at least they’re supposed to be, it doesn’t always work properly. If you make sure your laptop’s built in screen is always considered the primary display and you never move icons onto the secondary monitor what you are describing shouldn’t happen to the best of my understanding. To ensure the laptop’s built in screen is the main display have the secondary monitor hooked up and: In Windows XP: right click anywhere on the desktop and go Properties then hit the Settings tab on the window that pops up. Select the laptop’s monitor (push the Identify button if you don’t know which is which) and check “Use this device as the primary monitor.” In Windows 7: right click anywhere on the desktop and select Screen Resolution. Select your laptop’s built in display and check “Make this my main display.” if it is present. If it isn’t the line “This is currently your main display.” should be; meaning it’s already set correctly. In Vista it’s probably half the XP instructions half the Windows 7 instructions if I recall correctly. But I don’t have it in front of me to double check. If your laptop’s display is always the main display and this is still happening I don’t know what’s wrong. Make sure you keep all icons on your laptop’s display since they will be pushed onto it when the other monitor is unplugged, possibly shuffling around icons that are on your main display to make room. You could also try to make sure that the computer is still running when you hook up and unhook the second monitor. That might help. The desktop icon location information is stored in your registry at the location: HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop This is probably of no actual use to you but I figured I’d include it for completions sake. It’s theoretically possible fiddling around in there could help but I’d highly doubt it and wouldn’t really recommend bothering. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/5 "2011-09-29T07:39:24Z")
Your entire philosophical approach to the desktop is wrong. Keep it clean. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/6 "2011-09-29T15:49:27Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > Your entire philosophical approach to the desktop is wrong. Keep it clean. To each his own. ---
**Author:** ![FeAudrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FeAudrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeAudrey)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/7 "2011-09-29T21:05:05Z")
Small, customizable, freeware app to save and restore your icon layout: [http://www.desksave.de/](http://www.desksave.de/) No more everything getting scrambled when Daylight Savings Time starts and stops! ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-leave-my-icons-alone/597944/8 "2011-09-29T21:23:37Z")
Like everything else MS does, they take the wrong approach regarding a two monitor set-up. There’s no reason the PC can’t understand each monitor (1 and 2) are independent of each other. Thus, the resolution of one should have nothing to do with the resolution of the other. If MS understood this, the damn icons could stay still! I mean, my laptop screen has the SAME dimensions whether there’s a second monitor, or not! Hence, the resolution of the laptop IS the resolution of the laptop whether there’s a cow in the room, or not!