Automatic icon arrangement order on desktop..

[screw3d]

In Windows XP, is there a way to change how icons are automatically arranged on the desktop?

Right now, lets say if I download something to the desktop, it automatically puts it in the upper-left-most corner on the desktop.

What I want is to start arranging from the bottom..

This is probably a long shot.. but anyone happen to know how to do this?

Edit: I'm pretty sure there's no way of doing it from the interface..

 

[CycloWizard]

Right click on the desktop. Go to 'Arrange', then uncheck 'Auto-Arrange'.

 

[Slogun]

It seems to me that what you are asking would be accomplished by doing this:

Right click on the desktop. Select "Arrange icons by 'modified.'"

 

[RVN]

Turn your monitor upside down, spell things backwards and look at in a mirror. It would be close.

 

[screw3d]

lol.. you guys are all wrong

 

[corkyg]

Yeah - it's pretty simple. Uncheck AUTO-ARRANGE. Then arrange them like you want. To preserve that - there is a shareware that gives you SAVE ICON LAYOUT and RESTORE ICON LAYOUT by right clicking MY COMPUTER. You can then arrange them anyway you like, and save the layout. Then when you get the layout messed by, such as by changing res, then you can go back to the normal res and restore the layout. Avoid any form of AUTO-ARRANGE and take command of your desktop.

SAVE-RESTORE

 

[screw3d]

No no no noes... I guess I wasn't phrasing my question clearly..

You know everytime when you download stuff to the desktop (you are not touching the icons at all), Windows always arrange it from top to bottom, left to right, regardless of how you set it to be arranged. I want to change it so that it starts arranging bottom to top, like stacking it.. that is, without my intervention.

Auto arrange is already unchecked long ago

 

[corkyg]

OK - I understand now - but please know - I never allow anything to be downloaded or placed on my desktop. That is my sacrosanct area - Windows leaves it alone! And once I have my icons arranged like I want them, I delete all interlopers unless they acieve permanent program status. My first rule is - no folders allowed!

BTW - I arrange mine in 4 columns - two on the left and two on the right with a picture in between. It is balanced the way I like it, and keeping it that way really is pretty easy.

Here it is - and it stays this way until I decide to change something.

Icons

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: corkyg
OK - I understand now - but please know - I never allow anything to be downloaded or placed on my desktop. That is my sacrosanct area - Windows leaves it alone! And once I have my icons arranged like I want them, I delete all interlopers unless they acieve permanent program status. My first rule is - no folders allowed!

BTW - I arrange mine in 4 columns - two on the left and two on the right with a picture in between. It is balanced the way I like it, and keeping it that way really is pretty easy.

Here it is - and it stays this way until I decide to change something.

Icons

You have WAY too many icons on the desktop for my liking!

Here's mine.. look at the icons on the bottom left.. now you can see why I want it to start stacking the icons from the bottom!

 

[screw3d]

Bumpage.. can't figure this out

 

[corkyg]

Like I said - get SAVE-RESTORE and you can put 'em anywhere you want in any order you want and preserve the arrangement. Bottom up is OK.

Another version - works the same way:

Icons

 

[Snapster]

Originally posted by: corkyg
OK - I understand now - but please know - I never allow anything to be downloaded or placed on my desktop. That is my sacrosanct area - Windows leaves it alone! And once I have my icons arranged like I want them, I delete all interlopers unless they acieve permanent program status. My first rule is - no folders allowed!

BTW - I arrange mine in 4 columns - two on the left and two on the right with a picture in between. It is balanced the way I like it, and keeping it that way really is pretty easy.

Here it is - and it stays this way until I decide to change something.

Icons

What font is that you're using for the icons. ?

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Like I said - get SAVE-RESTORE and you can put 'em anywhere you want in any order you want and preserve the arrangement. Bottom up is OK.

Another version - works the same way:

Icons

Did you take a PHOTOGRAPH of your desktop and post it on the internet?

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Like I said - get SAVE-RESTORE and you can put 'em anywhere you want in any order you want and preserve the arrangement. Bottom up is OK.

Another version - works the same way:

Icons

What you are saying now works if you have a static amount of icons.. I don't have a problem with things changing the way the icons are positioned, like when you switch from higher to lower resolution or vice versa.

My problem is when Explorer automatically adds icon on the desktop, it defaults to arranging from top-bottom.. there is nothing wrong with it, just that I want to change the way it behaves.

Can anyone help me explain this here

 

[Snapster]

Originally posted by: screw3d

What you are saying now works if you have a static amount of icons.. I don't have a problem with things changing the way the icons are positioned, like when you switch from higher to lower resolution or vice versa.

My problem is when Explorer automatically adds icon on the desktop, it defaults to arranging from top-bottom.. there is nothing wrong with it, just that I want to change the way it behaves.

Can anyone help me explain this here

Something like every time a new icon is automatically created on the desktop it gets placed in the first free slot in a preset order (top to bottom, left to right). (Ie if you open up an explorer window, browse to the desktop, create new file and you'll see)

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: Snapster

Originally posted by: screw3d

What you are saying now works if you have a static amount of icons.. I don't have a problem with things changing the way the icons are positioned, like when you switch from higher to lower resolution or vice versa.

My problem is when Explorer automatically adds icon on the desktop, it defaults to arranging from top-bottom.. there is nothing wrong with it, just that I want to change the way it behaves.

Can anyone help me explain this here

Something like every time a new icon is automatically created on the desktop it gets placed in the first free slot in a preset order (top to bottom, left to right). (Ie if you open up an explorer window, browse to the desktop, create new file and you'll see)

OMGYES.. thank you!! :beer:

I suck at explaning stuff

 

[CrackaLackaZe]

Funny, I was just thinking about this a couple of days ago. Pretty annoying, isn't it?

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: CrackaLackaZe
Funny, I was just thinking about this a couple of days ago. Pretty annoying, isn't it?

It is :frown:

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: screw3d

Originally posted by: corkyg
OK - I understand now - but please know - I never allow anything to be downloaded or placed on my desktop. That is my sacrosanct area - Windows leaves it alone! And once I have my icons arranged like I want them, I delete all interlopers unless they acieve permanent program status. My first rule is - no folders allowed!

BTW - I arrange mine in 4 columns - two on the left and two on the right with a picture in between. It is balanced the way I like it, and keeping it that way really is pretty easy.

Here it is - and it stays this way until I decide to change something.

Icons

You have WAY too many icons on the desktop for my liking!

Here's mine.. look at the icons on the bottom left.. now you can see why I want it to start stacking the icons from the bottom!

I laugh in all your general directions! 67 icons on my desktop. And I'm only running 1024x768. So hah!

Afraid I can't quite solve the problem you're having though with the icon stacking.

 

[SeTeS]

Perhaps something like WinTidy would help.

It's a free app from zdnet (or the like). Google for it.

It will let you save, automatically restore, maintain, all sorts of icon placement configs for each resolution. Will also let you use small (list size or 16x16) icons on your desktop. I'm a freak about keeping my desktop organized and this is a prg that I couldn't do without.

I have my standard icons (My Computer, Drives, Etc) stacked in the lower left of the destkop above the start button. That way, any newly created desktop icons end up stacking downward from the upper left.