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  3. s aDesktop Icons.... Grrrr..

s aDesktop Icons.... Grrrr..

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  • R Offline
    R Offline
    Rocky Moore
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I usually have 75-100 desktop icons scattered between both my monitors. They are in a specific order for many reasons. Some are in a given place that grabs my attention so that I do not overlook them (today I had three in that location). Just got an update for the video driver which I allowed to install and presto, I have all my icons in a grid on one monitor again. While this type of thing does not happen as much nowadays, it is still annoying having to rearrange them again! Wish MS would simply give an a file to store those settings so that I can restore them after something rearranges them!

    Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

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    • R Rocky Moore

      I usually have 75-100 desktop icons scattered between both my monitors. They are in a specific order for many reasons. Some are in a given place that grabs my attention so that I do not overlook them (today I had three in that location). Just got an update for the video driver which I allowed to install and presto, I have all my icons in a grid on one monitor again. While this type of thing does not happen as much nowadays, it is still annoying having to rearrange them again! Wish MS would simply give an a file to store those settings so that I can restore them after something rearranges them!

      Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

      N Offline
      N Offline
      Nish Nishant
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      I believe they are stored here (on XP) :- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop You could save the contents of that key periodically.

      Regards, Nish


      Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
      Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*)

      R 1 Reply Last reply
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      • R Rocky Moore

        I usually have 75-100 desktop icons scattered between both my monitors. They are in a specific order for many reasons. Some are in a given place that grabs my attention so that I do not overlook them (today I had three in that location). Just got an update for the video driver which I allowed to install and presto, I have all my icons in a grid on one monitor again. While this type of thing does not happen as much nowadays, it is still annoying having to rearrange them again! Wish MS would simply give an a file to store those settings so that I can restore them after something rearranges them!

        Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

        M Offline
        M Offline
        Member 96
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Wow! I find having even 1 extra icon than I absolutely need to be an esthetic pain in the ass. I love a nice clean empty screen when I startup windows. I don't know how you can stand that.

        R 1 Reply Last reply
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        • R Rocky Moore

          I usually have 75-100 desktop icons scattered between both my monitors. They are in a specific order for many reasons. Some are in a given place that grabs my attention so that I do not overlook them (today I had three in that location). Just got an update for the video driver which I allowed to install and presto, I have all my icons in a grid on one monitor again. While this type of thing does not happen as much nowadays, it is still annoying having to rearrange them again! Wish MS would simply give an a file to store those settings so that I can restore them after something rearranges them!

          Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

          M Offline
          M Offline
          Marc Clifton
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          UltraMon (which I believe is essential for multimonitor setups) has a "restore icon positions" feature. Marc

          Thyme In The Country

          People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
          There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
          People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith

          R 1 Reply Last reply
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          • R Rocky Moore

            I usually have 75-100 desktop icons scattered between both my monitors. They are in a specific order for many reasons. Some are in a given place that grabs my attention so that I do not overlook them (today I had three in that location). Just got an update for the video driver which I allowed to install and presto, I have all my icons in a grid on one monitor again. While this type of thing does not happen as much nowadays, it is still annoying having to rearrange them again! Wish MS would simply give an a file to store those settings so that I can restore them after something rearranges them!

            Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

            P Offline
            P Offline
            PIEBALDconsult
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Ew, your system must look like a Mac. I have no pity for anyone who puts icons on his desktop. My desktop is completely free of icons. No wallpaper either. I have the important stuff (five items) on my Quick Launch bar, for anything else I go to the (classic) Start menu. One of the Quick Launch items is "My Computer" and when I open it and go up one level I see "Desktop", which is what would be on the desktop if I let them. What I don't like is that I can't seem to remove what's there (My Computer, My Documents, etc.). I can right-click-delete, but they keep coming back! Not even TweakUI removes them.

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            • P PIEBALDconsult

              Ew, your system must look like a Mac. I have no pity for anyone who puts icons on his desktop. My desktop is completely free of icons. No wallpaper either. I have the important stuff (five items) on my Quick Launch bar, for anything else I go to the (classic) Start menu. One of the Quick Launch items is "My Computer" and when I open it and go up one level I see "Desktop", which is what would be on the desktop if I let them. What I don't like is that I can't seem to remove what's there (My Computer, My Documents, etc.). I can right-click-delete, but they keep coming back! Not even TweakUI removes them.

              R Offline
              R Offline
              Red Stateler
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              PIEBALDconsult wrote:

              My desktop is completely free of icons. No wallpaper either.

              Sounds like a waste of space.

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              • R Red Stateler

                PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                My desktop is completely free of icons. No wallpaper either.

                Sounds like a waste of space.

                M Offline
                M Offline
                Mark Salsbery
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Red Stateler wrote:

                Sounds like a waste of space.

                Yeah but the weight of all those extra pixels shortens a monitor's life!

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                • M Mark Salsbery

                  Red Stateler wrote:

                  Sounds like a waste of space.

                  Yeah but the weight of all those extra pixels shortens a monitor's life!

                  A Offline
                  A Offline
                  amclint
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  Shouldn't matter unless you keep a monitor for more than 10yrs and it's on all day every day....

                  Aaron Clint Work

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                  0
                  • P PIEBALDconsult

                    Ew, your system must look like a Mac. I have no pity for anyone who puts icons on his desktop. My desktop is completely free of icons. No wallpaper either. I have the important stuff (five items) on my Quick Launch bar, for anything else I go to the (classic) Start menu. One of the Quick Launch items is "My Computer" and when I open it and go up one level I see "Desktop", which is what would be on the desktop if I let them. What I don't like is that I can't seem to remove what's there (My Computer, My Documents, etc.). I can right-click-delete, but they keep coming back! Not even TweakUI removes them.

                    D Offline
                    D Offline
                    Dan Neely
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                    What I don't like is that I can't seem to remove what's there (My Computer, My Documents, etc.). I can right-click-delete, but they keep coming back! Not even TweakUI removes them.

                    Right click on desktop. Desktop tab. Customize desktop. General tab. Uncheck the checkboxes. Ok/apply your way back out.

                    -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

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                    • A amclint

                      Shouldn't matter unless you keep a monitor for more than 10yrs and it's on all day every day....

                      Aaron Clint Work

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Mark Salsbery
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      True. But if my GF adds one more art-project icon to my desktop I'm going to need counterweights on the back of my monitors to keep them from falling on their face. (I'm still using a big pair of CRTs by the way...."'til they die!' I say!) :laugh:

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                      • D Dan Neely

                        PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                        What I don't like is that I can't seem to remove what's there (My Computer, My Documents, etc.). I can right-click-delete, but they keep coming back! Not even TweakUI removes them.

                        Right click on desktop. Desktop tab. Customize desktop. General tab. Uncheck the checkboxes. Ok/apply your way back out.

                        -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

                        P Offline
                        P Offline
                        PIEBALDconsult
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Yeah, but they still show in "My Computer".

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • M Mark Salsbery

                          True. But if my GF adds one more art-project icon to my desktop I'm going to need counterweights on the back of my monitors to keep them from falling on their face. (I'm still using a big pair of CRTs by the way...."'til they die!' I say!) :laugh:

                          P Offline
                          P Offline
                          PIEBALDconsult
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Does your GF have a big pair of CRTs? Oh, wait, this is the lounge, sorry.

                          M 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • P PIEBALDconsult

                            Does your GF have a big pair of CRTs? Oh, wait, this is the lounge, sorry.

                            M Offline
                            M Offline
                            Mark Salsbery
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            My kid sister would approve.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • M Member 96

                              Wow! I find having even 1 extra icon than I absolutely need to be an esthetic pain in the ass. I love a nice clean empty screen when I startup windows. I don't know how you can stand that.

                              R Offline
                              R Offline
                              Rocky Moore
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              But you loose a lot of functionality. The desktop is a great place to drop things temporarily such as just dragging the url icon form explorer down to the desktop. Looks are not that important to me as I look at it as a scratch pad, not a piece of art.

                              Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

                              M 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • M Marc Clifton

                                UltraMon (which I believe is essential for multimonitor setups) has a "restore icon positions" feature. Marc

                                Thyme In The Country

                                People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
                                There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
                                People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith

                                R Offline
                                R Offline
                                Rocky Moore
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                I can rearrange the icons for the $40 fee ;)

                                Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • P PIEBALDconsult

                                  Ew, your system must look like a Mac. I have no pity for anyone who puts icons on his desktop. My desktop is completely free of icons. No wallpaper either. I have the important stuff (five items) on my Quick Launch bar, for anything else I go to the (classic) Start menu. One of the Quick Launch items is "My Computer" and when I open it and go up one level I see "Desktop", which is what would be on the desktop if I let them. What I don't like is that I can't seem to remove what's there (My Computer, My Documents, etc.). I can right-click-delete, but they keep coming back! Not even TweakUI removes them.

                                  R Offline
                                  R Offline
                                  Rocky Moore
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                                  have the important stuff (five items) on my Quick Launch bar, for anything else I go to the (classic) Start menu.

                                  Poor guy ;)

                                  Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • N Nish Nishant

                                    I believe they are stored here (on XP) :- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop You could save the contents of that key periodically.

                                    Regards, Nish


                                    Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
                                    Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*)

                                    R Offline
                                    R Offline
                                    Rocky Moore
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Didn't find them there.

                                    Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • R Rocky Moore

                                      But you loose a lot of functionality. The desktop is a great place to drop things temporarily such as just dragging the url icon form explorer down to the desktop. Looks are not that important to me as I look at it as a scratch pad, not a piece of art.

                                      Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: SQL Server Express Warnings & Tips Latest Tech Blog Post: Scratch: fun for all ages for free!

                                      M Offline
                                      M Offline
                                      Member 96
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      Rocky Moore wrote:

                                      But you loose a lot of functionality

                                      I'd lose a lot of rationality if I tried to do that. Nothing bugs me more on a computer than lack of organization. Everything in it's place is easy to find. Whatever works though I guess.

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