Hello. I just joined. I am having a problem with the Desktop Icon Saver program for Vista.

I downloaded this program from this site: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto.....ows-vista/
and selected the Download Install (near the bottom of the page) where underneath that it says 'Download Layout.zip and follow the instructions above. Note that this version does not work for 64bit.'

That is the download I made for my 32bit system. I run Vista Ultimate on my HP Pavilion dv9810us Notebook laptop.

After that, I put it through Winzip and when I got to the Merge part (where I take it that it merges into the registry), I get a box that says that some programs like this may harm your computer...yadda, yadda, yes, I know. I proceeded on.

The next box I get after that warning is after I tried to write it into the registry by doing the merge button. This Registry Editor heading box says:

"Cannot import C:\Users\Mark\AppData\Local\Temp\LAYOUT>REG: Not all data was successfully written to the registry. Some keys are open by the system or other processes."

According to the website, I should be up and running with the desktop icon saver now. Instead, I am not. The program apparently did not load into the registry successfully (if at all) and is not yet working. The website has a show and tell on what to see and try in order to see if things are working.

Does anyone know what I should try to do next to get this to work? What keys are open or other processes going on? Is this the root of the problem? If so, how do I know them, find them, and close them? Just what is this message trying to tell me and how do I understand it?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Hi and thanks for the reply. No, I did not. But today, on someone elses advice, just before writing back to you, I did try that. No effect. Perhaps I have done something out of sequence, maybe? I tried several attempts and different ways of going about following the procedures outlined in the website and also tried closing out open files, for instance, but still the same bad results as I describe in my first post. I am still not sure what to think as to why it won't work.

Winzip does give me some error messages about how it cannot extract to some location or how its path is "interrupted" but this seems to be happening because I am doing the procedure the second time around, I don't seem to get these messages the first attempt using the Winzip (at least on concerning the "interrupted" aspect). If you like, I can try and replicate some of these error messages for you if you think it might help diagnose problems. I am using an older version of Winzip (version 8.1). Could that matter? Also, I have never been too familiar with how to use Winzip in the first place although I feel I am doing it right.

Hope you can help. Thanks.

Hi again and thanks for trying to help. I am short on time mostly and I haven't had enough time to fully do what you want me to try. But I have tried some of it and I want to let you know of my progress.

I installed the Universal Extractor 1.6 (UE1.6) and tried to download desktop icon saver again. This time it went into UE1.6 instead on into Winzip and I carried on. I hit the OK button several times until I finally got the Command Prompt black box to stay on the screen and I read it. It said something about extract Yes or No. I typed y for yes and then the message came up:

Universal Extractor 1.6

C;\Users\Mark\AppData\Local\Temp\layout.zip could not be extracted. It appears to be a(n) ZIP archive, which is supported, but extraction failed. Please see the log file,
C:\Users\Mark\AppData\Local\Temp\uniextract.txt for more information.
Click OK to view the log file now, or Cancel to exit.

Do you want that log file sent to you as well?

I can tell you that I suspect the 'error' (Error here may have been a bad choice of words. There was no 'official' error, I don't recall) messages you want me to provide you with stem from the Extract function in Winzip as well. I have not yet had time to go through it again for you.

I am also now having another related problem. I cannot retain my desktop icon appearance. The icons keep reverting to the blue Internet Explorer 'e' instead of their original website logo emblem appearance. Can you help me with this problem as well?

Thanks and let me know again what exactly you need to see and I'll try to get it for you this weekend.

Hello again. I just tried to access the Winzip and I am not sure how to do that now that I have added the Universal Extractor to my desktop. It seems to have taken over. I had wanted to be able to switch back and forth from Winzip to Universal Extractor but UE seems to be the ruler of the desktop now. So, unless I delete it, I am not sure how to get back to Winzip. Do you know of a way to make them coexist together?

I did run the layout.dll through the Universal Extractor and a message came saying 'nothing found'. Right clicking the layout file (no file extension here-just layout) does not give an option for extracting.

I'm not sure what all this means but I tend to agree with you. There might be something wrong with the file itself and that may be why I can't get anywhere with it. Are there any other Desktop Icon Saver programs out there for Vista that you would recommend? I have used these programs in the past with no problems but this time I wanted a program that was compatible with Vista Ultimate rather than just picking one arbitrarily. Besides, I don't remember the program I choose so long ago.

Thanks. I will be creating a new topic for the newest problem.

Thanks. I looked at the site and you are right. This is getting deep. I need to backup.

All I have been told about .dll files is that they are essential to you computer and that they don't need to be messed with. So my question is, what would Extracting a .dll file accomplish? I need to backup again.....what exactly does Extracting do anyway if I may ask?

When you ask do I zip files I must confess I don't understand all I should about Winzip or zipping. Perhaps I need a tutorial in this. But I can try this website and see what happens if you think it is worth a try.

Thanks again.

Thanks once again. I'm learning. I give up on trying to get this program to work. I wonder if it has something to do with the unzipping. The reason I say that is because I just went and found another Desktop Restore program (http://www.midiox.com/desktoprestore.htm) by Jamie O'Connell and it did not have to go through any unzipping. It merely presented me with a Run box and downloaded and installed with something called Windows Installer. I'm not sure if that sounds like I know what I'm talking about but I just saw these things as I installed it. Maybe this version will be compatible with my system.

I downloaded the version DeskInstU.msi. It says it works for Win 2000, XP, Vista.

I tested it by moving a desktop icon out of place and then right clicked and selected Restore Desktop and the icon moved back to where is was supposed to go.

So, with that now done, I am ready to close this thread unless you have something more to add. Thanks for all the help.

Does now :)
Sorry I could not have been of more help :(