Windows XP aggravation....

Anyone know enough about XP to help me figure out how to get rid of a rather mundane but very annoying problem? It seems that every so often (there's no rhyme or reason as to when it happens, maybe every week or sometimes I can go a couple months before it happens) I boot up my computer and all my desktop icons are shoved over to the left hand side of the screen.

Now, for some people that isn't a problem - but for me I have lots of icons and I'm used to looking in the same place for them each time. In addition, I always have photos or artwork as a desktop background and I prefer my icons arranged so that they don't block the subject of the photo.

How do you keep this icon shuffle from happening? It doesn't happen too often but when it does it drives me nuts!

have you tried right-clicking and unchecking the auto arrange icons thingy? also uncheck the align to grid option just to be sure

if it happens like "randomly", you should make a list of which programs you run, as it could be of a software you are running monthly or not every day that might be conflicting with your desktop. i mean, maybe it overrides the current settings and creates the "problem".

The main time I see it is if I change screen resolutions, which some programs/games do when they run.
There are shareware utilities out there to save all your icon positions, then restore them on command.

I use one called RestoreDesktop - It add a right-click menu to the desktop to save or restore your icon positions.
It was written by Kanex Group, which apparently now is called Softwarium, who apparently now has disavowed its existance, so here it is - enjoy:

http://barrettmanor.homeip.net:8080/RestoreDesktop.zip

[Ah - just found the installer for it - updated the .zip file]

my problem with WinXP is that different folders change its icon viewing as in it displays Mosaic, then i close the folder, re-open it later and i see miniature view or something else....also the windows sometimes open minimized when i closed them maximized......i hate it

Thanks for the info - the "auto arrange" feature was turned off so it must have been something else.

Did you try the program? I can't live without it or something similar these days.
I like putting my icons just where I want them, and never want Windows to move them for me.
(Now if I could just figure out how to turn off the periodic unused-items-on-the-desktop notification...)

That's in start menu properties i think. Right click on taskbar and go properties, then poke around. It may be in Display properties.