Windows 11 Desktop icons rearrange and re-sort themselves

Problem finally resolved on my PC, Windows 10. After trying all the above, including resetting my computer to a previous date (which didn't work), I finally looked at my apps. There it was... a new microsoft app was installed in late September 2023... MICROSOFT 3D VIEWER. It was either automatically installed with an update, or I selected it as an optional app that I made the mistake of saying "install."

Anyway...i deleted it and now everything is back to normal on my desktop icons.

Hope this works for you guys.

I just installed Windows 11 a few days ago. I am frustrated that I cannot get the icons on my desktop to stay in the same position from one day to the next and from one hour to the next. I cannot find the icons I need.

I have many icons spread out over two monitors, so it is a real mess now. But in Windows 10 this worked very well for me.

New Icons that I put on the desktop completely disappear the next day.

It returns to the old icons that I used to have, but all mixed up.

I have tried many things suggested here in this thread. Nothing works.

I am shocked that Microsoft would allow such a useful item, icons on the desktop go completely unsupported.

What kind of people at Microsoft would not care and release such a defect?

My solution is to copy the pic & properties of the icons to a word document and then click on one as needed. What a primitive hack!

This will take less time than hunting for and rearranging icons every morning!

The desktop is rendered useless!

I know, you are going to suggest a third party software solution, but I cannot install any software on my government computer here at work.

Here is the simple answer you deserved rather than all the ridiculous MS support gymnastics:

Uncheck Allow themes to change desktop icons at the following location:

Settings (app)->Personalization->Themes->Desktop icon settings

THE ANSWER!!!

THANK YOU MOST KINDLY!!

No, this is unchecked and I still have the problem.

Problem finally resolved on my PC, Windows 10. After trying all the above, including resetting my computer to a previous date (which didn't work), I finally looked at my apps. There it was... a new microsoft app was installed in late September 2023... MICROSOFT 3D VIEWER. It was either automatically installed with an update, or I selected it as an optional app that I made the mistake of saying "install."

Anyway...i deleted it and now everything is back to normal on my desktop icons.

Hope this works for you guys.

Thanks for the reply, happy that worked for you.

However, I don't have Microsoft 3D Viewer installed, so the problem still remains...

just format your drive removing windows 11 completely & install windows 10.

windows 11 just has 1000's of issues and it's just not worth using at all in any capacity.

1.) deleing downloads randomly without warning.

2.) disabling antivirus/protections to prevent auto deleting files (not working)

3.) rearranging icons on desktop every time something is downloaded.

4.) cant open start and type anything without searching the web for something thats installed on my system that it should be launching.

5.) widgets are worthless, i still use gadgets they work perfectly & there is no security issues encountered in like 10yrs of using them. (microsoft lying to force people into something they don't need that is worse functionality & potentially forcing a pay wall on customers, all being done by leveraging social engineering towards low i.q. people [no offence people])

6.) cant use minecraft i paid for on the microsoft store for many years now to the point i gave up trying & just use a 3rd party minecraft client...

7.) why did they even put an editor in the file viewer? just put a link to open in paint/edit in paint....

8.) right-click context menu now adds and extra click to find options that used to be on right-click context reducing speed of multi-tasking.

9.) pictures in right-click context menu i cant tell most the time which is copy or paste??? i keep completely screwing myself over trying to use these "useless icons"

10.) changing custom image of a folder to a different system image doesn't apply the new folder icon after the first folder icon change.

11.) alot of programs that still don't support windows 11 that i need to use, so im constantly having to test them on windows 10 after trying on windows 11 (not working).

12.) i've gotten to the point i just cant use windows 11, i have to basically do everything on windows 10.

13.) had msi's a.i completely wreak havoc with windows 11 to the point i had to completely disable it to be able to multi-task.

14.) microsoft has started forcing people to pay for most of the functions in programs inside older operating systems that where usable as a completely free program. (get bent over, hope you brought lube!)

15.) not to mention the issues with the usb system mis-registering key inputs randomly, this also happens on bluetooth but less frequently, also inputs sometimes are just randomly not being seen sometimes when key's are being pressed (not just wrong key but litterally no input passthrough about 5-10% of the time)

16.) i could sit here all day continueing to give reasons... but i have better things todo with my time. like writting programs in java, working on a minecraft server, writting .gadget file to create a new windows 7 sidebar gadget for windows 7/8/8.1/10 (maby i should pull a microsoft and force windows 11 users to pay to use it? oh wait im not corrupt)

edit: all of these issues are out of the box brand new $1200 laptop with windows 11 home.... flaming pile of garbage bc of windows 11 operating system.