How can I prevent applications from trespassing on my precious desktop space?

I like to keep my desktop clean. I have a single icon one my desktop: the recycle bin. Any other icon that shows up on the desktop quickly will end up in the recycle bin.

When you install sensible programs, they'll have a checkbox asking if you want an icon on the desktop, initially unchecked.

But the majority of programs that I have installed have been irritatingly presumptuous and think they should have an esteemed spot on the desktop.

I'm sick of having to deal with this madness. How can I set up some sort of automatic process that detects desktop trespassers and clobbers them into oblivion when they are found?

(I'm using Windows 7, by the way, if that matters)

Peter Olson

Posted 2011-12-07T15:52:40.397

Reputation: 360

I have the same sentiments. I am particularly irritated by the applications that think they are important enough to install 4 or 5 desktop icons without permission, such as Quicken. – xpda – 2011-12-07T19:54:30.127

Answers

How about right clicking the desktop and unchecking Show Desktop Icons?

Since that wasn't accepted, creating a scheduled task to delete all files on the desktop to run every so often. Run DEL %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\*.* /F /S /Q for the task

Finally what you can try is setting your desktop folder and the hidden Public Desktop folder to read access only for Administrators and your user

Canadian Luke

Posted 2011-12-07T15:52:40.397

Reputation: 22 162

Then the recycle bin is invisible, too. Besides, this only treats the symptom, not the underlying problem. – Peter Olson – 2011-12-07T15:58:25.943

Ok how bout making the desktop folder read only for admins and you? Both your personal desktop and te Public desktop? – Canadian Luke – 2011-12-07T16:07:51.997

@Luke - Couldn't that cause the installation to fail? – SaintWacko – 2011-12-07T16:37:07.700

1@SaintWacko If an installation would fail because it can't write a shortcut, then we're all in a world of hate. That's the best I can think of, short of a scheduled task to delete all .lnk and .url files on the desktop – Canadian Luke – 2011-12-07T17:46:19.453

@Luke - Alright, I wasn't sure. Just wanted to point out a possible problem. – SaintWacko – 2011-12-07T17:48:06.073

@SaintWacko I agree that we should find problems that may arise from solutions, but even you would have to agree this is an extenuating circumstance and scenario. Peter, if you try to lock the Desktop folders to read only, can you report if you can install programs still or not? – Canadian Luke – 2011-12-07T18:05:43.840

@Luke Simply changing the permissions on the folder worked for me. If you include that in the answer, I might accept it. – Peter Olson – 2011-12-08T02:58:52.073

@PeterOlson done – Canadian Luke – 2011-12-08T03:07:47.620

How about a Scheduled Task?

You could run a scheduled task every few minutes that did

del %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\*.*

(system folders such as recycle are not in the Desktop folder so this won't cause problems with these)

You could even enable auditing on the Desktop folder, then trigger the task based on an event. Enable auditing on your Desktop folder (add files) for Everyone, then create a file on the desktop.

Check the security eventlog to see what event ID was generated, then use this in the Triggers tab of the Scheduled Task

Paul

Posted 2011-12-07T15:52:40.397

Reputation: 52 173

I mentioned the Scheduled Task :( – Canadian Luke – 2011-12-08T00:22:41.357