Removing Desktop Icons (My computer & Network Neighborhood)

[KerryrreK]

I've gotten rid of all my icons except My Computer and Network Neighborhood in Win98SE. anyone know how to get rid of these last two?

Kerry

[Daemonfly]

Most of the Windows "tweak programs" should be able to do this. I'm not sure which ones work for Win98 though, as I haven't used it in quite a while.

[looktall]

i think tweakUI might be able to remove those icons.

[su root]

you can always turn on Active Desktop and set "Remove all Desktop icons when using Active Desktop. However, Active Desktop makes your system take a performance hit.. it sucks resources sometimes :(

[Audioaficionado]

TweakUI won't hide the My Computer icon.

Google/get freeware 'Iconiod' and you can do a lot of cool things with your desktop icons. It doesn't slow my old box down so it shouldn't bother yours.

Transparent icon text blocks
Icon text color is selectable
It can restore your icon arrangment after changing desktop res.
It can hide all your icons and only have them appear with the mouse over curser.
Etc.

[KerryrreK]

wow, thanks guys, I had tweakUI but forgot to check it, with it I got rid of my Network Neighborhood, and with that Iconoid program I hid My Computer. Now my desktop is wonderfully and mysteriously blank! I like it! I had found a way to get rid of the desktop entirely, but then you couldn't have a backround picture, gag. I like this way much better.

Thanks again,

Kerry

[looktall]

Originally posted by Audioaficionado
TweakUI won't hide the My Computer icon.

i'll remember that. :D

it's been a while since i used tweakUI (i use tweakUI for XP) so i wasn't sure if the option was there or not.
in tweakUI for XP you can remove the my computer icon.
well actually, in XP my computer is not on the desktop by default anyway. :p

[MajinSSJVegetto]

Doesn't hiding Network Neighboorhood with TweakUI cause undesirable network effects, like loss of file sharing??!
It always warns me it will cause problems, and after I make it go away, my network messes up.

Or am I the victim of insantiy?

[redduc900]

You can also hide all items on the desktop by installing and running the System Policy Editor (poledit.exe)...it's located in the \tools\reskit\netadmin\poledit folder of the Win98 CD | Select "Open Registry" from the "File" menu | Double-click on the "Local User" icon | Open "Local_User\ Shell\ Restrictions" | Check "Hide all items on the desktop" | Click OK, and select "Save" from the "File" menu | Click on the desktop, and press F5 to refresh the desktop so that this change will take effect. ;)

[KerryrreK]

supposedly hiding the network icon causes direct connections to mess up, like in the case of a LAN network at your house or something, you wouldn' be allowed to share info with this computer, but my internet is working fine, I havn't tried any of my file sharing progs yet, we'll see what happens.

Kerry

[su root]

if you use the "Hide desktop icons while using Active Desktop" or the Policy editing solution that redduc900 suggested wouldn't have any awkward effects like that.

[KerryrreK]

Kazaa works fine, but mIRC cant connect and neither can Gnucleus. I dunno, I only use Kazaa really so the others dont matter too much for now. I could just hide them like you said, but I was hoping to see a slight boot time increase, which I guess I did by getting rid of them entirely (except My Computer which shows at startup for a second until Iconoid loads).

Kerry

[su root]

well, it still has to load all of the desktop icons, and then it has to load a program to hide them, and then it has to refresh the desktop. it won't speed up your loading

[Scarface01]

Can't you just right click on your desktop go to Arrange Icons By > and then uncheck Show Desktop Icons?

[KerryrreK]

I'm on win98se and I dont see that option. What OS are you on?

Kerry