Anyone know how to get rid of these dots?!?!?

I realize this might be a dumb thing to nitpick about, but it's always been like this for me at least since Windows XP. When I click on the desktop, the icon that was last clicked on or if there's just one icon on the desktop then that one, it gets a little dotted outline around it. There must be a way to keep this from happening? Because I thought it was fixed cuz when I first installed Windows 7, it wouldn't do this, but after a few days, now it's doing it again.

I can make it go away if I right click on the desktop and choose refresh, but as soon as I click on the taskbar and then click on the desktop again, it comes back.

*edit* okay, so now it's gone away for now, even when I do click on the taskbar and back on the desktop, but still, has anyone else noticed this peculiarity before in Windows, or am I just cursed?

It's common. It's basically just the selection box still there but not highlighted is all. If you choose another icon or unselect that icon, it'll go away.

FreakyFerret said:

It's common. It's basically just the selection box still there but not highlighted is all. If you choose another icon or unselect that icon, it'll go away.

Well actually, the icon is obviously not selected, and that's the ony icon i keep on my desktop. grrr

to the 2 questions above, no and no. i have had 3 different monitors in the last several years all with different resolutions and it's always happened.... and i don't have single click enabled, nor do i like it enabled but either way, it doesn't have any effect on the dotted outline.

Check "show translucent selection rectangle" in the visual effects settings.

i know this is more of a work-around than a proper solution, but if you install Fences from Stardock, it gives you the ability to double-click on your desktop and hide all the icons. another double-click brings them back. you don't have to actually use the 'Fences' bit to get this feature (though they do look quite nice).

it integrates into the shell, so it has no running process to take up resources. works fine with 7100.

It is actually the selection band still being there. You can verify this by having a second icon. Create a short cut to the recycle bin on the desktop. Select it. Now click on the taskbar. Click on the other icon on the desktop. Click on the taskbar. Notice that the dots will change which icon their around.