Desktop Icons Randomly Arranged

Hey guys so recently I don't know why but my Desktop icons tends to rearrange themselves randomly !
I been using PC / Windows for a long time , never happen before till now.
So it feels like something is very wrong here.
Anyone know the solution or cause of this ??

The funny thing is , it will never fly to the right side , only always to the left side...

1) Auto Arrange / Arrange by XX its not turn on
2) Didn't install any new software / update Windows recently , matter of fact I didn't update Windows for quite a long time now.
3) PC boots up properly and shuts down properly ea time
4) Didn't mess around with Registry Keys.
5) Allow Window theme to change Desktop Icons is turn off
6) Didn't update GPU drivers recently either , can't remember did this happen on previous driver or current. ( Last Driver 13.20 , current 14.6 Beta )

I've uploaded both pictures before and after. Take a look. ( Right side is Before , Left is After )

The pictures are top and bottom.... which is before and after in that orientation?

If I remember from C627, W7 doesn't keep rearrangements like XP did.

anyone else ever mess with your computer? lol

I've had this happen when entering a game that changes the screen resolution and you kill the process abruptly and the game doesn't have a chance to change the res back.

Only time I've had this happen on 7 is what Blaylock just mentioned: game running low res.

as others said, it is because your resolution changed.

thid said:

If I remember from C627, W7 doesn't keep rearrangements like XP did.

Click to expand...

It does keep them, assuming your resolution doesn't change. Move things where you want them. Right click the background and hit 'refresh' and it locks them.

+1 to a changing of the res that will re-arrange your icons.

W7 does keep icon locations as well.

I changed my monitor from 1080p to 2160p and it changed em, and it rearranges them sometimes, still, even though I've been on the same monitor for a week or more now, lol. All that auto arrange nonsense is turned off.

thideras said:

If I remember from C627, W7 doesn't keep rearrangements like XP did.

Click to expand...

Under Windows 7/8, you can rearrange files/folders on the Desktop but nowhere else. This incredibly decision my Microsoft developers doesn't have anything to do with this problem, which can be resolved by a program that saves/restores your icon positions.
http://www.midiox.com/desktoprestore.htm

Desktop Icon Save and Restore 1.6.3


Double click on Setup.exe to install the program.


If right clicking on Desktop > Refresh option resets the icons, try:
Restore Desktop > move one icon a little bit in any direction > Refresh


In case of problems restoring icons: Right click > Vies > UNCHECK: Align icons to grid


To save current settings, go to

Start Menu > Run...
type
regedit

then go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JOConnell\DeskTop\
Click once on the screen resolution of Layaput you want to save the settings for,
then (on the menu) click on Registry > Export Registry File...
to save the current settings to a .reg file.

After installing Restore Desktop, double click on this file to reset the icon placement to the state
when .reg file was originally saved.


Go to Start menu > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings TAB (or Adjust resolution)
to see what you current screen area resolution is.

I'm glad I haven't had this happen to me, all three of my desktop icons would need to be put back

Program which can Save/Restore Desktop icons is one of the most important programs on my systems.

There was an old one which I used since Windows 9x but it only worked on 32-Bit Windows so, true story, I delayed switching to 64-Bit until Windows 8 came out and I found that other program I posted above which worked under 64-Bit Windows...


My mind is trained to go to a specific section of the screen to quickly launch what I need or get to where I need to get on my system in a flash.

I use ICU – Icon Configuration Utility.

Works like a charm to fix my icons.


Also, a reboot should fix them IIRC Windows kinda "remembers" the icon placement.

Thanks man, gonna have to test that. I've been looking for programs like that, they are hard to find.

EarthDog said:

The pictures are top and bottom.... which is before and after in that orientation?

Click to expand...

The picture on the left is after the " bug " kicks in. The one on the right it's the originally how it suppose to be

Basically most of my icons on top went to the left side of my screen.

wagex said:

anyone else ever mess with your computer? lol

Click to expand...

No , only me uses this PC. I guarantee it.

Blaylock said:

I've had this happen when entering a game that changes the screen resolution and you kill the process abruptly and the game doesn't have a chance to change the res back.

Click to expand...

ATMINSIDE said:

Only time I've had this happen on 7 is what Blaylock just mentioned: game running low res.

Click to expand...

Janus67 said:

as others said, it is because your resolution changed.

It does keep them, assuming your resolution doesn't change. Move things where you want them. Right click the background and hit 'refresh' and it locks them.

Click to expand...

But strange how , so when I enter game my games are always 1080p resolution and like I said , this only happens after ea time I start my PC , no matter how many times I enter and exit games even different ones it won't happen.
( You can surely tell I have loads just by the icons , these are only the active ones I have ton of games....)

c627627 said:

Under Windows 7/8, you can rearrange files/folders on the Desktop but nowhere else. This incredibly decision my Microsoft developers doesn't have anything to do with this problem, which can be resolved by a program that saves/restores your icon positions.
http://www.midiox.com/desktoprestore.htm

Desktop Icon Save and Restore 1.6.3


Double click on Setup.exe to install the program.


If right clicking on Desktop > Refresh option resets the icons, try:
Restore Desktop > move one icon a little bit in any direction > Refresh


In case of problems restoring icons: Right click > Vies > UNCHECK: Align icons to grid


To save current settings, go to

Start Menu > Run...
type
regedit

then go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JOConnell\DeskTop\
Click once on the screen resolution of Layaput you want to save the settings for,
then (on the menu) click on Registry > Export Registry File...
to save the current settings to a .reg file.

After installing Restore Desktop, double click on this file to reset the icon placement to the state
when .reg file was originally saved.


Go to Start menu > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings TAB (or Adjust resolution)
to see what you current screen area resolution is.

Click to expand...

So basically I have to use 3rd Party Software I wanted to avoid this...
Though Im very sure currently Im running on 1920X1080 , but maybe I will give your solution ago. Just got back home and now replying.

But still there's no clear answer what's causing this issue on my PC , is it even serious?? Like I said , I been using PC and Windows for sometime now well maybe 10 Years at least, Im no expert and all yeah but this is the first time Im experiencing such a thing ! I even used Windows 95 , 98 , XP , Vista and now Windows 7....

Another strangest thing is , it doesn't happen everytime , like maybe today I start my PC it happen , then maybe 2 - 5 days later then it only happens again. It's not constant , one time i didnt happen least for 1 whole week I thought it was fix but sadly it wasn't

The picture on the left is after the " bug " kicks in. The one on the right it's the originally how it suppose to be

Basically most of my icons on top went to the left side of my screen.

Click to expand...

As I said, and if you look at your post, the pictures are TOP and BOTTOM not left and right... its not until you said the second line I can extrapolate which is which.

Im betting you are changing the res somehow... be it a game or something that does it... that is the only way I know of that the icons will jump around the screen. But usually, it groups them all together if it was going down to a lower resolution...

EarthDog said:

As I said, and if you look at your post, the pictures are TOP and BOTTOM not left and right... its not until you said the second line I can extrapolate which is which...

Im betting you are changing the res somehow... be it a game or something that does it... that is the only way I know of that the icons will jump around the screen. But usually, it groups them all together if it was going down to a lower resolution...

Click to expand...

But Im seeing the picture position in a row / horizontal positioning not top and bottom / vertical lol , never mind about that.

Hmmm could not be game I think , cause if it is , should it happen when right after I exit the game ? But instead this only happens whenever I just boot up my PC. Could be something else but what in the world could it be
There's no trail to follow....and since I didnt even use any program to arrange my icons or something.

Maybe I will have to give c627627 solution a try.

c627627 said:

Under Windows 7/8, you can rearrange files/folders on the Desktop but nowhere else. This incredibly decision my Microsoft developers doesn't have anything to do with this problem, which can be resolved by a program that saves/restores your icon positions.
http://www.midiox.com/desktoprestore.htm

Desktop Icon Save and Restore 1.6.3


Double click on Setup.exe to install the program.


If right clicking on Desktop > Refresh option resets the icons, try:
Restore Desktop > move one icon a little bit in any direction > Refresh


In case of problems restoring icons: Right click > Vies > UNCHECK: Align icons to grid


To save current settings, go to

Start Menu > Run...
type
regedit

then go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JOConnell\DeskTop\
Click once on the screen resolution of Layaput you want to save the settings for,
then (on the menu) click on Registry > Export Registry File...
to save the current settings to a .reg file.

After installing Restore Desktop, double click on this file to reset the icon placement to the state
when .reg file was originally saved.


Go to Start menu > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings TAB (or Adjust resolution)
to see what you current screen area resolution is.

Click to expand...

So I've check out the program you mentioned on YouTube, but problem is it doesn't fix it permanently , if it happens ea time , I have to use the program to restore it back to it's location.

Is there like a permanent fix ?? But if you guys said it's caused by games, if the resolution does get lowered then I reset it back to higher resolution , even so the icons wont be at random places. It will still just cluster all together neatly , as you can see mine , it just flew all over the places !
And why doesn't it fill up the left side like it suppose to if it happens , look at my screenshot the very left side it's empty. Most the icons are like in the middle of the left side instead.

EarthDog said:

As I said, and if you look at your post, the pictures are TOP and BOTTOM not left and right... its not until you said the second line I can extrapolate which is which.

Im betting you are changing the res somehow... be it a game or something that does it... that is the only way I know of that the icons will jump around the screen. But usually, it groups them all together if it was going down to a lower resolution...

Click to expand...

Need a bigger monitor EarthDoge

I see left to right images here in college. Large monitors
The one with all the icons in the top centre is the "right" image

HAHAHA! My work monitor is 1680x1050... You tell me the extra 30 pixels moves those things side by side?!!!

EarthDog said:

HAHAHA! My work monitor is 1680x1050... You tell me the extra 30 pixels moves those things side by side?!!!

Click to expand...

Zoom out, it'll go left to right.

The image with the MSI Afterburner window shows up on the right for me.