http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ How-To Geek Forums Topic: [solved] save and restore desktop icon positions? en Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:40:31 +0000 http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5904 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:25:09 +0000 jd2066 5904@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>The 255 is numeric. See the article at <a href='http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/hide-desktop-icon-text-on-windows-vista/' rel="nofollow">http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/hide-desktop-icon-text-on-windows-vista/</a> for more on the tip. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5903 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:19:26 +0000 Lighthouse 5903@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Yes, hold down th Alt key and tap in "255" on the numeric keypad. The next one you want to hide, do the same but Alt 255 twice. etc etc </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5901 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:16:24 +0000 whs 5901@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>PS: My RECUVA is the wife. She is the only one allowed to empty the recycle bin. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5900 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:15:14 +0000 whs 5900@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Thanks Lighthouse. And in ALT255 the "255" has to be numeric. Or not? </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5895 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 23:56:25 +0000 Lighthouse 5895@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>First, create an icon the same colour as your desktop<br /> Second, Change your desktop icon for the one you've just made<br /> Third, rename it ALT255<br /> Fourth, if you've just totally deleted something in error, use Recuva </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5893 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 23:48:12 +0000 whs 5893@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Lighthouse, you are the neatest of us neatos. How did you hide the one you have left.<br /> PS. I need that recycle bin as I told you the other day. Without it, I would have lost already have of my assets. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5890 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 23:41:35 +0000 Lighthouse 5890@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>I only have 1 icon on my desktop, and it,s invisible (it's not the Recycle bin) </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5887 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 23:35:59 +0000 whs 5887@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>I think there is a much easier solution. I stuck all the desktop icons into a folder on the desktop. Then I installed "App Launcher" on my sidebar (from: Get more gadgets online), drag all the shortcuts from the folder on the desktop into there (App Launcher has to know the path). Now I can start any of those with one click plus I have only 2 Icons on my desktop: The Icon folder and the Recycle Bin. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-5861 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:01:58 +0000 mondomx 5861@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>An old thread, but the additional registry entry doesn't work for right-clicking my desktop. Using Vista Home Premium. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-93 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 21:28:12 +0000 supermansghost 93@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Sweet! That solved my problem perfectly! You should really write an article about this. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-85 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:57:44 +0000 rbailin 85@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Works great! But I find it's not intuitive to associate it with the context menu for My Computer, My Network and the Recycle Bin. If you want to save the desktop icon positions, you should right-click the desktop! So add this to the layout.reg file:</p> <pre><code>[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\IconLayout] @=&quot;{19F500E0-9964-11cf-B63D-08002B317C03}&quot;</code></pre> <p>Suggested by:</p> <p><a href="http://www.merawindows.com/Forums/tabid/324/forumid/82/threadid/6661/scope/posts/Default.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.merawindows.com/Forums/tabid/324/forumid/82/threadid/6661/scope/posts/Default.aspx</a></p> <p>And please write the article. layout.dll is a very useful tool that's been around for years but pretty much forgotten.</p> <p>Bob </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-81 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:32:42 +0000 The Geek 81@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Here we go:</p> <p><a href="http://www.nthelp.com/50/save_desktop_layout.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.nthelp.com/50/save_desktop_layout.htm</a></p> <p>Basically, you just drop the dll in the system32 directory, and then you can save/restore the desktop icons anytime you want.</p> <p>You wouldn't believe the amount of times people ask about this... I think I might write an article about it. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-79 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:54:41 +0000 The Geek 79@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>The same thing also happens if you play games that change the resolution... or if you are a laptop user that connects to an external display.</p> <p>I have a solution for this... will look for it and post it shortly. </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-78 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:47:58 +0000 rbailin 78@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>I don't think that's his problem.</p> <p>Whenever I upgrade the driver for my Intel Graphics controller, as part of the upgrade process it temporarily switches to a lower resolution and then back to my original resolution. In the process, the desktop icons are reorganized to the top and left of the screen.</p> <p>Same thing happens if I boot Vista into safe mode and use my account instead of the administrator's account.</p> <p>Really frustrating to reorganize a couple of dozen icons back to where you think they were. It should be trivial to save that part of the registry that tracks these icon postions and restores them on demand.</p> <p>Bob </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-65 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:11:28 +0000 Scott 65@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Right click on your desktop, click view, make sure that 'Auto Arrange' is unchecked.</p> <p>Please report back if this solution worked for you.<br /> PS-make sure your icons are sorted the way you'd like-by either Name, Size, Type, Date Modified. </p> <p>Scott </p> http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/save-and-restore-desktop-icon-positions#post-62 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:56:17 +0000 supermansghost 62@http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/ <p>Is there any way that I can save the position of the icons, and then restore them? Mine keep getting screwed up and moving all over the place. </p>