Saving and restoring desktop icon layouts


  1. Posts : 544
    Windows 10 Home, 64 bit
       #1

    Saving and restoring desktop icon layouts


    Does anyone know of a utility for saving and restoring desktop icon layouts? I could use such a program when I use iRotate. This program jumbles the desktop icons after rotating the monitor, and I'd like to be able to put them back to their places quickly. Nothing in iRotate can do that.

    I'm aware of DesktopOK, but I wonder if anyone knows any other programs or utilities for this purpose.

    Thanks.
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  2. Posts : 5,092
    Windows 7 32 bit
       #2

    64 bit limits you. I wrote one for 32 bit a long time ago. But I found this:

    Save and Restore Desktop Icon Layout in Windows Vista - How-To Geek

    You can likely find a bunch on Softpedia and the other freeware sites.

    My solution was just not using desktop icons. I use RocketDock with folders of categorized apps and utilities, stacks and other launchers. Somewhere there should be one that's not done as a shell extension. In that case it would work on both 32 and 64 bit systems. You might try AutoHotKey forums and see if anyone there wrote one in AHK.

    They should be able to get the icons from the desktop ListView. If so that would get around the "bitness" of the shell. I just went around with it so many times I'm sick of it. Plus it's been done a zillion times. You just have to search.

    edit: also see this entry:
    http://www.start64.com/index.php?opt...2241&Itemid=72
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  3. Posts : 544
    Windows 10 Home, 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    MilesAhead: Thanks. I'll check the links.
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  4. Posts : 5,092
    Windows 7 32 bit
       #4

    screen shot


    Just the excuse I needed to show my icon-free desktop. I use a double height Taskbar to give me more room for buttons and system tray icons. I like to use a lot of little gimmicky hotkey utilities. Some I wrote. Some 3rd party. :)

    On boot I set the work area to leave a gap by RocketDock. That way when I maximize a window it doesn't cover RD. It's simpler and better than setting RD to auto-hide or stay on top.

    Here's a 1/2 scale image:

    (The blue square in the lower right corner isn't really an icon. It's a drop target for Free Download Manager.)

    Saving and restoring desktop icon layouts-screenshot.jpg
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  5. Posts : 544
    Windows 10 Home, 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Is that a screensaver?
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  6. Posts : 5,092
    Windows 7 32 bit
       #6

    Nope. Just a fractal flame wallpaper.

    There are several free fractal flame generators/editors for Windows.
    I made it with this one:

    Apophysis 7X | Download Apophysis 7X software for free at SourceForge.net
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  7. Posts : 544
    Windows 10 Home, 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Cool. Thanks.
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  8. Posts : 53,363
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #8

    Fences

    I also autohide the few icons I may have on my desktop

    A Guy
      My Computer


 

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