Desktop Icons Rearranging by themselves

[learning]

On Windows XP everytime someone log offs and logs back in next time the desktop icons get reaaranged by themselves. The icons are rearranged to personal preference but next time Windows rearranges it randomly on desktop

Currently "Align to grid" and "Auto arrange" options are both unchecked when right clicking desktop >Arrange icons.

Is there something to stop windows from re arranging the icons itself ?

[Zippity]

Place icons where you want them to appear and right click 'align to grid'

[learning]

Place icons where you want them to appear and right click 'align to grid'

You do that and then next time you login again to PC, everything is rearranged again

[Zippity]

You do that and then next time you login again to PC, everything is rearranged again

Make sure 'auto arrange' is unticked.

'Show Desktop Icons' is also ticked - nothing else

[learning]

Make sure 'auto arrange' is unticked.

'Show Desktop Icons' is also ticked - nothing else

Auto arrange is unticked and Show desktop icons is ticked

I am not sure if this is just checking unchecking issue

[Zippity]

Maybe there are other settings that come into play

I'll leave it to the experts to advise you.

[pctek]

Download TweakUI


You need to set the maximum number of folders that Windows can remember to a higher value. TweakUI has that listed under > Explorer > Customizations. Default is 400, most people increase it to 4000 or 8000.

If you want to do the job without the help of TweakUI:

Windows XP
Delete the following registry subkeys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell \Bags
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell \BagMRU
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam\BagMRU
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam\Bags
Re-create the following registry subkeys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam
Create and then set the BagMRU Size registry value to 5000 in the registry subkeys that you created in Step 2.

[learning]

Download TweakUI


You need to set the maximum number of folders that Windows can remember to a higher value. TweakUI has that listed under > Explorer > Customizations. Default is 400, most people increase it to 4000 or 8000.

If you want to do the job without the help of TweakUI:

Windows XP
Delete the following registry subkeys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell \Bags
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell \BagMRU
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam\BagMRU
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam\Bags
Re-create the following registry subkeys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell NoRoam
Create and then set the BagMRU Size registry value to 5000 in the registry subkeys that you created in Step 2.

Thanks pctek

I will try that and see if that works