Icons on desktop rearranged alphabetically

so arrange icons "by name" isn't checked when you right-click on the desktop?

If this happened during the last 5 days reboot to DOS prompt and type scanreg /restore
If not go to start |  run and type   sfc
and restore any bad system files
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;q192832

also right-click on desktop properties | appearance and look for vertical icon spacing and change to 34

Any chance that you are a on a network?? If so, the admins may have reset all of the profiles to Mandatory, and hence, the resetting of the icons after shutdown??

Just a thought.

nfroio

Info from the net.  Do not know if it will help.

Glenn

REGISTRY TWEAK TO KEEP YOUR ICONS FROM ACTING FUNNY
Registry tweak that will cure the problem of erratic icon behavior on the Quick  Launch toolbar.  Apparently, if the icon cache (ShellIconCache) is "not properly updated," icons in the Quick Launch toolbar (or in My Computer, in Windows Explorer, or on the desktop) may randomly change. The tweak to which you're referring is one of a number of solutions offered by Microsoft at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q132/6/68.asp (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files in your Windows folder--before proceeding.) Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing regedit and clicking OK. Next, navigate your way to   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Right-click a blank area inside the right pane and select New, String Value. Type the name Max Cached Icons then press Enter. Right-click the new value and select Modify. In the Value Data field, type 2048 then click OK. Restart Windows, and your icons should behave normally. (Another possible solution is to re-create the ShellIconCache file, as described in our last tip: Restart Windows 98 in Safe mode, delete ShellIconCache--a hidden file in the Windows folder--then restart Windows.)

Ok Let me see....

(1) Open windows explorer and go to C:\windows\desktop and Uncheck "Auto arrange"
If the option is not checked, leave it the way it is!
2) Now hold down the Ctrl key and click the X in the upper right-hand corner of the Window to close windows Explorer
That should save this sorting information.
Now reboot without opening or closing any programs!

If that didn't work, Do a search on "Find file"  Find and remove the file:
ShellIconCache file
Now reboot.
Good luck
hmmm...

To Crash2100: right... nothing checked.
To Shekerra: will try it and let you know.
To Nfroio: not on a network.
To Hewittq: will look into it...and let you know.
To Navid: will try it.

ghogsett,

Do you have antivirus software?  Try running a virus scan after gettting the latest dat files for it.  


CShenberger

To whoami: Yes, running Norton and right up to date.

To Navid: I tried your idea and when I powered up this AM it was fine.... let's try a few more days and if it sticks, will post your suggestion as the answer...

I'm sorry for the delay in responding. None of the suggestions above has solved the problem. It still occurs at seemingly random times. Can't correlate it's happening with anything else going on. It simply happens without warning on cold boot in the morning.

Sorry... can't credit anyone at this time.
Jerry

are you using profiles?

Don't understand the question. 'splain pls.

Well go to users in control panel - do you log into your computer?

No, I'm the only user... and have never 'logged on' nor 'logged off'. So, guess I don't use profiles..

Did you deselect auto-arrange and then reboot (so that it can save your settings?)  

Yes, AutoArrange is off. There's nothing obvious going on here... I'll go for days with my icons arranged as I'm happy with them, then, suddenly, for no apparent cause, they come up all arranged alphabetically on the left. I can then pull individual icons back to where I am used to having them, go on again for days... then it suddenly happens again... again for no reason... and it's never predictable how many days will go by before it happens again. Since my original post, it has happened maybe 5 times, but I go for many days without anything untoward happening to them.

Real mystery. No, don't have a virus at work... Symantec makes sure of that., etc....

Jerry

Hmmmm what do you have listed under power in control panel?  Are you shutting your hard disks down after a certain amount of time - if so change that to never and save.

Had: Turn off hard disks after one hour. Changed it to 'never' due to your suggestion. How could that affect icon arrangement?

just a thought - if the disks power down perhaps some settings are not saved or can't be written back to the registry.

OK...have turned off ALL power management. I'll now wait and see if the icons rearrange again in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted.

OK - have more ideas if this does not work :)

Shekerra:
Nope... didn't work. Have the timeouts all set off.. no power mgt going on at all. Since your contrib and my change to power mgt, it has rearranged icons twice, but cannot correlate the occurrence to any other event. Seems totally random. The icons after cold boot (when this occurs) are all totally lined up in columns on left of screen. My normal setup has 5 or 6 icons pulled out (the ones I use all the time). The rest are lined up in columns at left.
Regards, Jerry

Try this:
Boot up in safe mode and delete shelliconcache
then go to start | run and type  regedit
edit this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
Right click the Max Cached Icons string value in the right window and modify to 2048

Also check your system properties |  device manager (while in safe mode) - any problems (also view hidden devices)
then reboot

Shekerra,
Don't seem to have a "MaxCachedIcons" entry in registry. AND...I don't know how to add it... please give me very detailed, step-by-step instructions.. don't want to mess up the registry... ;-(

How do you look for hidden devices in System/Device Mgr?
No problems with any devices I could see... no ! on them.
thanks.
Jerry

Hello all,
I am Computer101, a moderator from Experts-Exchange and also an expert within this topic area. This question has been open a long time.  What I am going to do is allow feedback from the questioner and experts.  If it is not resolved, I will delete or accept an answer based on the info I have been given, Experts, feel free to offer input.  I will monitor these questions for a period of 5-7 days and come back and evaluate.  I will have another moderator (who is also an expert in this topic area) look at the question also to ensure we do the right thing for this question.

Thank you
Computer101
Community Support Moderator

My icons have been well-behaved since implementing shekerra's suggestion. "MaxCachedIcons" is the answer as far as I can tell. Thanks... must have been an oversight by Win 98se implementers.