Some desktop icons randomly move and change icon

**Ian_G** · 2011-12-04 02:36

I have 2 irrititating Desktop Icon problems as follows:

1). I like to have many icons on my desktop - currently 130 - and I know where they all are (plus I keep a regular screenshot to record them). Occasionally, random ones will move their position (and Yes, the 'Auto Arrange Icons' option is not ticked).

(I expect things to become jumbled after a crash, which is why I keep a copy of the layout by way of a screenshot. But the changing places syndrome can happen randomly, although not frequently.)

2). Some of the IE website icons (e.g. a Daily Telegraph page) will change from the recognisable big "T" to a green/blue globe. In fact, just now on boot up I noticed 8 of my, previously dedicated, icons had changed to this globe icon.

Does anyone know why this would happen and is there any way to stop it?

System: Windows 7 Home 64-bit; Desktop computer.

Thanks in advance.

**BATcher** · 2011-12-04 02:49

Hello and Welcome!

I have found that the best free program to restore Windows 7 desktop icons to their previous position is Desktop Restore, and even then it may need two executions to get icons to the correct, or almost correct, places. Other people suggest the paid-for Fences program.

As to shortcuts changing their icons, I haven't met the problem, except rarely. Have you tried going into Properties -> Shortcut tab -> Change Icon ?

**Zig** · 2011-12-04 03:48

Another vote for Desktop Restore.

Zig

**Ian_G** · 2011-12-04 10:34

Thanks for your replies BATcher and Zig. I shall give those programs a try.

I'm wondering whether the fact that the icons change from the previously 'dedicated' website icon, to this
annoying green/blue globe (one of Windows generic icons) could be anything to do with the website itself?

The reason I'm wondering this is because just now I opened one of them and when I looked, the icon had
changed back to what it should be, of its own accord! But another one (for a different website), even though I
re-saved it, stayed the same green/blue globe. This must be generated by the website itself, yes? Unfortunately I'm not learned enough to know these things, although it does seem logical.

And yes, I have looked at changing the icon but Windows doesn't (naturally I suppose) have the Daily Telegraph one in its library. For one of my other icons (Yahoo email) I found one on the web and downloaded that and
saved it and that works well.

I suppose what I'm asking is, in a long-winded fashion, are the icons in fact generated by the website itself? If
the website, or page, suffers some form of glitch, that might explain it. But it's still a slight mystery as to why
the icon on my desktop should change by itself - without actually going to that particular page.

Thanks!

**jwitalka** · 2011-12-04 13:03

You might also want look at Fences. It aloows you to group your icons by function as well as hide them all by double clicking a blank spot on the desktop and return them when you want to use them by double clicking again.

Jerry

**Just Plain Fred** · 2011-12-04 13:24

Originally Posted by Ian_G

But it's still a slight mystery as to why
the icon on my desktop should change by itself - without actually going to that particular page.

Ian,
Hello... I have a few icons that i changed and installed other than the default original ones... When i did this i noticed that there would be "desktop.ini" placed in the new icon folder ... If i deleted it (during cleaning things up) the icon would revert to the default. do you see the ".ini" in yours?

Regards Fred

PS: there is a great free program called Iconoid that you can configure to hide all your Desktop Icons ...and just by a "Mouse Click" bring them all back... Or the other way around.

**Ian_G** · 2011-12-06 01:23

Thanks guys for your replies - very helpful. As it happened (and when doesn't it?) before I could try the desktop programs you mentioned, I got another fault. My CD/DVD burner disappeared from sight. Nothing found it anywhere on the computer. After a few hours, I gave it some deeper thought and decided to try a cold boot. So I powered it down, left it a couple of minutes and then booted it up again. Voila! It worked. My burner reappeared. That's something I should've remembered to try early on, as I've found in the past it can cure no manner of ills.

Unconnected with the cold boot, after another normal couple of boot-ups (power left on), all my desktop icons appeared as they should be - not a green/blue globe in sight!

Why ARE computers so damned contrary? (They simply have to be of feminine gender, lol)

Thanks PlainFred for your tip about the desktop.ini. LOL! I deleted the one, or more, from my desktop (also through tidying up!) a long time ago, thinking that if it put anything out, I could always recover it from the Recycle bin - but nothing changed, so I've left it out of sight in the bin.

**Ian_G** · 2012-03-31 01:23

Thanks again for the tip about Desktop Restore. I've had cause to use it a couple of times now and it's brilliant. It instantly solved my occasional problem with migrating icons, on both my computers.

**mart44** · 2012-03-31 06:03

I've always used 'Rebuild_Icon_Cache.bat' for icon troubles in Windows 7. It's a downloadable file available from the Windows 7 forums.

Thread: Some desktop icons randomly move and change icon

Thread Tools