Windows 10 Desktop Icons

I right click on Desktop and select View and I have:

Small Icons
Auto Arrange turned OFF
Aligned to grid ON
Desktop Icons ON

I have another Windows 10 machine and icons stay where I put them.

I use a classic, plain theme (solid colour) and I am completely up to date on all updates.

Try running System File Checker. Open cmd.exe with Run as Administrator and run SFC /SCANNOW twice. Close out, shut down, start up and test. Any change?

John, I mentioned in my question that I tried all the different settings possible, EVERY SINGLE option and that it DOES NOT WORK. So if it works for you obviously something is wrong on my PC so I need help trying to figure out what. When this first happened I did run SFC /SCANNOW (nothing wrong); I also ran full scans using malwarebytes and my virus software (in normal boot mode as well as in safe mode) -- again nothing. Thanks

Well I upgraded 4 to 6 weeks ago, and the problem only started last Tuesday and there have been NO OTHER ISSUES before this. Regardless I will try your suggestions tomorrow.

Interesting.

In addition then, you may wish to scan for malware.

in the past I've had success with picky users using this freeware
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/desktopok.html

There are tools to save the icon positions, but those would have to be used regularly, which would be a nuisance.
I guess this has to do with some screen resolution issue. Could it be that you had connected an external display recently?
Is your display resolution still what it should be?

it looks like you installed an update last tuesday that caused it
try uninstalling it and test - and stop installing that update

nobus -- There was a Windows update around that time but it was a flash update for Internet Explorer.  McKnife--resolution is the same but I do constantly connect to other systems but I do that all the time--and have been for years, including the last 4 to 6 weeks since upgrading to Win10 and this problem only surfaced since this past Tuesday. John--in my first reply to you I said "I also ran full scans using malwarebytes and my virus software (in normal boot mode as well as in safe mode) -- again nothing"

Lionel, short story for you: yesterdary I visited someone whom I setup win10 for just a month ago. His laptop resolution had changed from then and he wasn't able to revert it to the native and crisp resolution, because windows won't let him, it didn't accept the native resolution of the device anymore. He told me, he had connected it to his TV (which had a different resolution). We solved it by connecting the TV again and simply disconnecting from it - it changed automatically back to the native resolution. Great, eh? Windows (not only 10) is full of bugs and there is no "why is that" to answer - that's just how it is.

So you should do regular image backups of your device that you can resort to.

To solve this now, I would start using a program like icon saver against the symptoms. Against the cause: I would update the graphics card's driver and monitor the behavior of the device for some reboots afterwards without ever connecting a different monitor.

The recent Flash update failed at the time it was introduced - my machine and others.  That was KB3087040. You can download the 64-bit version or 32-bit version and install it separately. I used the 64-bit on my machine (the other one was not applicable) and then Windows update cleared. There was a Microsoft ASP.NET and a Microsoft Security Update after that.

I don't see why that would affect icon position but you could try.

john
mine too had several failed flash updates and then the one that finally installed last week. mine does not have any updates after that
mcknife--I connect to other systems and not any TVs but I will check for a new video driver.

Just one thought lionelmm.  Is it possible that you began using a "cleanup tool" like Ccleaner around the time te behaviour started?  If certain cleanup options are selected (perhaps by program default) and the program has set itself or been set to run at startup or shutdown, then it could be removing custom personal settings.

no nothing new--I don't have ccleaner installed and I just rechecked my startup items, nothing. Really the only thing that has changed on my system since switching to Win10 is that I removed AVG a few days after upgrading to Win10 and then switched to ESET Smart Security 8, and have been using that for about a month (the trial expires in 4 days). The problem only started this past Tuesday.

Proceed as I recommended, it's the only way to go: try a newer video driver and learn for the next time: have images.

The driver is the latest driver

An additional piece of info that may help, just remembered it (sorry), there are other settings in Windows that are not being remembered--like in Windows Explorer I like to have "details" view -- used to remember that, no longer does, goes back to default view.

Ok, so let's assume that it is no video issue. Then it's quite likely that explorer.exe (the process that is responsible for the whole windows shell) is crashing right when the session starts and for whatever reason, this leads to the icon desaster.

So you should do tests: start in safe mode and see if it happens there, too. I bet it doesn't.

From farther back, did you try DISM (Restore Health)?

John, I am not familiar with DISM so did some reading and it seems to be about preparing images so not sure why you are suggesting that.

Use the commands as listed.

Open cmd.exe with Run as Administrator.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Scanhealth (takes 15 - 20 minutes).
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth (takes 15 - 20 minutes).
Restart the computer and test.

The second command fixes the operating system (does not create an image).

Doing the dism now--if that shows nothing will try the system restore.

You should have tried safe mode first, that takes no time. http://www.7tutorials.com/4-ways-boot-safe-mode-windows-10

mcknife -- if you note in some of my previous comments I did say I went into safe mode to run virus scan and malwarebytes.

John here are the DISM results
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Scanhealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.10240.16384
Image Version: 10.0.10240.16384
[==========================100.0%==========================]
No component store corruption detected.
The operation completed successfully.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.10240.16384
Image Version: 10.0.10240.16384
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The restore operation completed successfully.
The operation completed successfully.

John--rebooted after DISM--same results--will now try system restore

Yes, you said so. But in  safe mode, you'll have a different resolution which means, the icons will be reordered anyway. So boot safemode again, put them into some random order and reboot into safemode right afterwards - is the order kept?

Did a system restore to 9/18 and icons are back to where they need to be. Now will do Windows updates again and see if the problem reappears--will do a restore point first.

Tried to do an update with only some of Windows updates--could not find any option to exclude certain updates, like the one from last week that that "coincided" with the problem. How do I do an update and select which updates to install--hate this new Windows update interface and methodology.

You can delay updates but (at least with Windows 10 Pro) you cannot select individual updates.

that would imply to me that the desktop.ini file is corrupted. delete it and let the system recreate it.  

you will have to go to folder options /view and uncheck hide protected operating system files (recommended)

Hi  lionelmm as I am using windows 7 old ideas will be my line of thought, how much has windows 10 changed from windows 7,
When you change the position log in as an administrator that way any changes should apply to all accounts regardless as the admin is the top level.
You could also create a new administrator account and test.
Are you logging off or simply restarting your computer.
Try restarting only without logging off.
If you set the icons while logged in as default admin your computer should be able to be restarted regardless of windows updates reboot.
as you said here >  I have 3 different users on the PC, for different uses, and each one of them do NOT keep the icons where I put them. < The common point here could be the administrator account should be used to modify these types of things for the PC.
 Could relate to a desktop program. / possibly a theme
Are you using a theme?
As it started recently possible causes for the change
questions to narrow it down,
Are you using a touch screen? monitor or a standard  digital flat screen monitor?
 are you running Virtual desktop? How to Use Virtual Desktops in Windows 10 in the link.
 Are you using Cortana your personal assistant
Any games? that may change the resolution? Or run at start up?
Have a look at your start-up programs. How to disable program in windows through to windows 10
Any apps installed on the desktop that is desktop apps.
google desktop

Thanks for the additional ideas on how to fix the desktop icons but at this point the desktop icons issue is fixed but other "issues" have surfaced. Dealing with those--not sure if related; seems so since these issues started after a system restore.

What fixed it?
The system restore may have changed the default settings back  like arrange to grid was enabled?
Cheers

You had not mentioned that the desktop icon issue had been fixed. What did you do?

He did a system restore, like he wrote, it was fixed afterwards. Now new problems arise.
I had plead for an analysis within safe mode, it was not further commented on.

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28730522/Windows-10-Desktop-Icons.html?anchorAnswerId=41014562#a41014562

lionel - i fear blank links are not allowed on EE
but i'm glad to hear the system restore worked