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Every few days, all the icons on my Win7 desktop rearrange themselves. Usually they move to the left edge of the screen. I laboriously move all the icons back to where I like them, and 3-10 days later, they all shift left again. I've found no pattern or event that might cause this -- but it's very annoying!
I've got Win7 build 7100 running on a Dell Latitude D830 laptop. Totally standard hardware and very little non-Microsoft software. In short, it's a pretty clean system.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Answer accepted by question author
To supplement Reyas.M.I.'s answer, Under View is the option to select the icon size, Auto arrange icons and Align icons to grid. The Sort by option includes Name, Size, Item type and Date modified. I suggest you check both View and Sort by.
Corrine, Microsoft MVP (Consumer Security). This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty, and confers no rights.
Answer accepted by question author
Check whether "Auto Arrange" checked. To check this, right click on desktop and select "Arrange icons by".
I hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards, Reyas...
I Have the same issue, looks like it is adjusting to a lower resolution when I close the lid. I started having those problems recently, but I ALWAYS had my laptop on 'never sleep' option.
I noticed it after I tried changing video configurations to use HDMI on a sony TV. Maybe this info could help. But as your post is from two years ago, maybe you already have a new laptop LOL.
Does it have anything to do with the screensaver/power manager turning off the monitor? I had a problem (still do actually) with all of the windows moving to the upper left whenever my power manager sleeps the monitor; when I wake it, all the windows are moved to the upper left as if they had to adjust to a lower/smaller screen resolution. I've also had some icons move around, but not as consistently or as often, so I haven't tracked down that problem yet. I'm working around my problem by switching my power manager to "never" sleep the monitor; it's not actually a fix, but I'm using a desktop computer so sleeping the monitor isn't as critical as it might be for a laptop running on battery.
Check your power management and the monitor sleep, maybe it's the culprit. Good luck.
Thanks for the tips, but no help.
View/Auto Arrange is not checked.
Sort by has no options checked.
No unusual applications or widgets have been installed; it's entirely mainstream software (Office, IE8, Adobe 8 Standard, AVG 9 Free, Google Earth).
My desktop icons still occassionally rearrange themselves, migrating to the upper-left corner of the screen. I move them all where I want, and then 2-3 days later a handful of them move up to that corner. Some stay in place; I haven't seen any pattern to which ones move or why.
Oh, and I've upgraded from Win7 RC1 to RTM, so it's even an entirely new operating system install and new video drivers, but still with the same problem.
