Locking Icons on the Desktop

Jim wonders if there is a way to lock the position of the icons on the Windows desktop. He would like to group some of them in one area and others in another area, but not by date, size, or some other Microsoft category.

Unfortunately, there is no way to lock down the position of icons in Windows. As Jim has figured out, even if you take the time to move the icons where you want them, Windows will periodically reshuffle or resort them, particularly after a system crash, an update, or sometimes even after installing software.

This means that the best solution is to use third-party software to accomplish the task. There are a few different programs suggested by WindowsTips readers. The one most often suggested is Fences, which is published by Stardock Corporation. The latest version of the software is less than ten bucks, but you can try it out for free:

http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/

Other programs suggested by readers include DesktopOK, published by SoftwareOK. It is freeware that allows you to save the location of desktop icons and then restore that positioning as you desire. You can find it here:

http://www.softwareok.com/?Freeware/DesktopOK

The program IconRestorer does essentially the same thing. One cool feature is that it allows you to save different positioning information for different screen resolutions. So, if you change screen resolutions often, you can restore icon positioning based on which resolution you are using. It, too, is freeware; you can find more information here:

http://fsl.sytes.net/iconrestorer.html

Finally, there is WinOptimizer, published by Ashampoo. Their "icon saver" is a feature in the software, which does much, much more than just lock down the position of your icons. The current version of the software is not free (it costs about $40), but they do provide a free trial, or you can get an older version of the WinOptimizer for no cost. Find the details here:

https://www.ashampoo.com/en/usd

You'll need to click on the Products link and look for WinOptimizer.

 This tip (5658) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.