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Found another one: Windows 7 deletes links from desktop by default

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c627627

c(n*199780) Senior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2002
I know the old versions of Windows had some kind of a "desktop cleanup" annoyance where it deleted stuff off the desktop by default but I can't find anything like that to turn off on Windows 7. Win7 deletes links to the card readers, floppy, USB drives. It deletes links to some Control Panel items also. By default and all on its own. It leaves my other desktop links alone. All links are in one Administrator's desktop folder.


I obviously need to find a way to turn that off. Help appreciated.



EDIT:

*ding * ding * ding*


C:\Windows\System32\sdiagnhost.exe


Here it is:

Windows 7 Start Menu > Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler >

(upper left corner) Task Scheduler (Local) > Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Diagnosis >


(right pane)
Name: Scheduled
Location: \Microsoft\Windows\Diagnosis




Right click on Scheduled > Disabled.



 
Last edited:
It did it again. This thread is only a couple of days old. I would imagine any auto erase function to take be longer than that.

It always erases the same seven icons from my desktop.
 
What exactly is happening? You are placing shortcuts to items on your desktop and they are mysteriously disapearing?

For your removable media does it delete the shortcut when you remove the media?
 
Link to my DVD Drive, Floppy, Programs and Features (aka Add/Remove Programs) SD Card link, Windows Switcher link, one more Control Panel link you wouldn't have and a lik to my external USB hard drive.

*Always* and *only* those seven get deleted, so it's either links themselves or there's an auto-delete feature somewhere.


I'm trying to think what they have in common? Links to non-internal hard drives? Hard drive links are still there.


Control Panel items?



I'll put some more non internal HD links and more Control Panel links on desktop to see if they get executed by Windows 7 too.
 
I am having this same issue while testing out Windows 7 at work. It appears to be an issue where it can no longer access the destination file or drive so it deletes the shortcut. This is very frustrating because I have many shortcuts to network files & drives.

It only does this when it can't access the file for an extended period of time (when I have the laptop home on the weekends and not connected through VPN).

I will update if I find a fix for this.
 
I concur about having no issues with desktop icons on W7. However, I will attempt some network shortcut creation and see if I can make them pull a vanishing act.
 
I put a selection of control panel and network shortcuts on my desktop and they've survived 2 days. My network connections are never broken for more than a couple hours at a time.
 
I'll try adding a couple at lunch. c627627, are you running RTM or RC (I think it's the former but can't remember for sure)?
 
BBergeson,

Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check the threads available there for additional assitance and feedback.

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team
 
I see this with shortcuts to disonnected Network Locations. It makes sense (somewhat) to remove any "broken" shortcuts - as in a shortcut to a non-existant Network Location, a removed USB Drive, or a Disc that has been ejected. Seems to be a case of Windows leaning towards Apple's "We know better than the user" attitude ;)

This can be annoying as I usually have a shortcut to my Laptop and NAS on my Desktop, but neither are powered on 24/7, and the links remove themselves.

:cool:
 
I see this with shortcuts to disonnected Network Locations. It makes sense (somewhat) to remove any "broken" shortcuts - as in a shortcut to a non-existant Network Location

I respectfully disagree. :D

Altho, I do see where you're coming from, I have a MCE box which depends on shortcuts over a network location. In your world, I would have to recreate these shortcuts whenever my net media was offline for extended periods of time?! I would be irate if this was the case!:mad:
 
Obviously it's the old Microsoft "by default" problem. Another option which shouldn't have been turned on by default.

Numerous threads on the internet about this, nobody knows which feature is doing this or how to turn it off.
 
Design a test case and find a consistency. Create a shortcut to a network resource with a static ip. Change that network resources static ip, then observe the time it takes for the shortcut to be auto-deleted.

Google the behavior, including that timeframe (36 hrs, whatever) in the query, and your likely to find someone else whose seen it and is well-informed.

If it doesn't lead you to an answer, you'll at least know more about the problems behavior. You could also check the registry for relevant cleanup features - possibly in the same area, or a similar area, to the old desktop cleanup settings. If I used windows 7 for enough time, I'd try it myself... But I couldn't tolerate all the crap your finding c6.
 
I respectfully disagree. :D

Altho, I do see where you're coming from, I have a MCE box which depends on shortcuts over a network location. In your world, I would have to recreate these shortcuts whenever my net media was offline for extended periods of time?! I would be irate if this was the case!:mad:

LOL:

This can be annoying as I usually have a shortcut to my Laptop and NAS on my Desktop, but neither are powered on 24/7, and the links remove themselves.

I'm not "for" it, I was just pointing out that I can see MS's motivation for this with regard to "Average Joe's" which are basically clueless, and constitute 95% of W7's target audience ;) (We are the minority, believe me!). This echoes Mac's "We know better than the user" mentality, and I'm not for it (at least give us the ability to choose the desired behavior)

:cool:
 
I'm observing that my recently created NAS Network Shortcut is still present on my W7 Desktop even though the NAS has been powered off for almost a day. Odd.

I do know I've seen other network shortcuts disappear from my W7 desktop. I just rebooted my Router to see if resetting the DHCP table and resetting the LAN connection had any effect (the NAS is still powered off), and the NAS Shortcut still exists on my W7 Desktop. Now, I tried rebooting the W7 PC while the NAS is powered off, and the NAS shortcut it still there.

This seems to be one of those hard to duplicate issues. I'll keep playing around and report back if I can recreate the disappearing shortcuts on my end - but I know I've experienced the issue. Strange :screwy:
 
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