Icons rearrange by themselves!!!!

[LawyerRon]

My son just built a new machine (AMD XP 2000) and did a fresh install of Win98SE.

He arranged his icons the way he wanted, but every time Windows restarts, they're back to a particular and different spot.

I seem to rememeber a setting called "save desktop on exit" but I cant find it.

Any ideas?

[Cricket]

Hi LawyerRon,

Try this...right click on the desktop, go to Arrange Icon, uncheck Auto Arrange.

Cricket

[LawyerRon]

Thanks Cricket, I'll check it out!

[crank33]

If what Cricket said doesn’t work, there is a registry tweak to solve that particular problem. I’ve used it many times.

Run regedit, then go to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

If you don’t see a setting named "NoSaveSettings" (no quotes), add it as a binary value.

Edit this new setting and enter the following value: 00 00 00 00

With this new setting in place, Windows will save your current arrangement each time you shut down and reboot.

Exit the registry editor, adjust your icons as necessary and restart Windows.

Thanks to: Windows 98 Unleashed, Professional Reference Edition by Paul McFedries 1998, page 369 Crank

[LawyerRon]

Cricket and Crank,
I tried both suggestions to no avail. We're thinking it's got to be something related to his Radeon software for his ATI video card. We just realized that's when the problem started. Is there some setting somewhere in the ATI software controls to address this?

[crank33]

Except for the essentials, I delete the programs that install with a Radeon card so I don't know what is there. Sorry the fix didn't work for you. Crank

[LawyerRon]

Thanks crank, it's gotta be something that's installing with the Radeon like you said. I'll check it out some more.

[GaryRouth]

Ron - to see whether or not it's the ATi task manager or something like that, you could try msconfig to stop the ATi background processes (like the handy-dandy icon in the tray & all it's extra options) from starting at boot. Of course, the driver will still load, just the other stuff won't. Then try the settings again from Cricket and Crank. If they stick without the ATi extras running - you found the reason. And you could check with ATi to see if there's something they suggest to let you have your desktop and your Ati extras too. If the icons don't stick, even with the Ati extras turned off - looks like we'll have to search around a little for an answer. I hope it's the Ati, cause I haven't got time to search around at the moment (it's preschool pickup time again).

[by the way, I've got 3 Ati cards and love them all - but I don't run their extras usually]
. . . Gary

[LawyerRon]

Thanks Gary, the msconfig tip looks good. I'll give it a try.

[crank33]

LawyerRon, did you ever discover what was causing your icons to rearrange?

Crank