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Windows 11 Desktop icons rearrange and re-sort themselves

Anonymous
2023-07-21T01:09:08+00:00

Lately, my Windows desktop icons have periodically and at random rearranged and re-sorted themselves.

It looks like at arbitrary times, This PC and the Recycle Bin, which are traditionally at the top left hand corner of the desktop now shift downwards. The icons re-sort themselves into alphabetical name order. It usually happens after a boot or reboot.

I also have icons spread out randomly over a two-screen desktop. At an arbitrary moment, again associated with a reboot, all icons suddenly snap to the left hand side of the left-hand screen.

There are many posts on the web about the "Autoarrange Icons" and "Align Icons" settings. Changing those settings do not resolve this problem.

This may have something with the ""Sort By" setting. If that is it, the setting does not stay that way for long.

I don't know if this is a new bug that has appeared in a recent build. I use Windows 11 Home, and the current Version is 22H2, and the Build is 22621.1992.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-10-19T14:39:30+00:00

    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

    200+ people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2023-07-27T14:56:52+00:00

    This is overkill for what would seem a simple problem to fix my desktop icons from rearranging themselves.

    70+ people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2023-07-21T13:04:06+00:00

    Marco,

    The suggestions you list are the same suggestions I have seen on multiple web searches. They do not resolve the problem.

    I have not installed any new software recently, so that rules out uninstalling "Problematic Software."

    The closest I have some to a resolution is Delete IconCach.db. But that's only temporary, putting a bandaid on the problem. After awhile, the problem reappears.

    That might point you to the problem in the operating system, that IconCache or whatever controls that is corrupted or faulty, or otherwise needs fixed.

    I will try your additonal "scannow" options this weekend and see if these do anything.

    Again, this is a NEW problem. Something has changed recently. I suggest that it came down as part of a Windows Update.

    30+ people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2024-03-13T15:27:51+00:00

    Really? You want me to do all of that just so that I can keep my desktop icons from moving? How about you fix it on your end. This has been going on for me for about 6 years, windows 10 and 11, different laptops. Fix your damn software!

    20+ people found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2023-07-23T03:27:33+00:00

    Deleting IconCache does not fix the problem. I deleted the Icon Cache yesterday. Earlier this evening, I shut off the computer, and later started it again.

    The problem returned, less than 24 hours after deleting the IconCache.

    20+ people found this answer helpful.
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