Absolutely stop Windows XP from re-arranging my desktop icons?

(I have Auto Arrange turned off.)

I keep icons lined up on the right edge of my desktop so that they peak out around the various windows on my desktop, handy for drag-n-drop. The only problem is that after every time I lock/unlock my login (employer requirement), Explorer re-arranges these icons for me, even though I have "Auto Arrange" turned off.

How can I get Explorer to leave my icons alone. I like my "mess" exactly as I have it!

(Because Explorer spontaneously re-arranges my icons at other, less frequent times, I use Desktop Restore to put things back in order. But having to restore every time I return to my seat all day long is getting ridiculous.)

Chris Noe

Posted 2010-01-21T17:06:38.133

Reputation: 377

related question, mentions Desktop Restore and similar tools: http://superuser.com/questions/15747/is-there-a-save-desktop-icon-arrangement-option-in-windows

– quack quixote – 2010-01-21T17:16:27.083

Answers

Does your IT department use a Group Policy to override your anti-Auto Arrange setting? It may be that even though you have it turned off, it doesn't matter. If it turns out they do, and there's not really a good reason for it, maybe you can convince them (donuts? beer?) to remove that setting.

Other than that, hopefully someone has dealt with something similar and has a good answer. I've had to rearrange everything after the occasional Explorer.exe crash. Argh! Every time I briefly feel like the Sales guy from The Website is Down: Sales Guy vs Web Dude.

Whoa, whoa, no! I can't find anything! Oh man, I had everything exactly where I knew where it was.

JMD

Posted 2010-01-21T17:06:38.133

Reputation: 4 427

Auto Arrange is working as it does on any other computer, ie, partially. This problem seems to effect only the icons on the right edge, I suspect because the filenames wander beyond the right edge of the screen. – Chris Noe – 2010-01-21T17:27:45.683