Annoyance: file copied to folder on desktop moves!

Lady Fitzgerald · 14 Dec 2013

tzdvl said:

A request to those of you who have apparently NEVER worked with files/folders on the desktop...

Could you humor me, and TRY to reproduce what I'm writing about? Just create a new file (.txt, for instance) and place it in the upper left of your desktop. Then create a new empty folder at the lower right. (Then, just for the heck of it, go ahead and refresh the desktop

) Then right-click-copy the file and right-click-paste it into the empty folder. Does the copied file "jump" to a location just above the folder when you click paste?

Thanks for any further advice - I simply don't see any evidence of any other problems on this system. Works like a dream, except for the desktop-copy thing!

Ok, I have worked with files/folders on the desktop—quite a bit, in fact—but I tried what you requested as requested and in varying positions. Son of a gun if the little buggers didn't jump, duplicate, and engage in all sorts of interesting behavior. I've never encountered this before but, apparently, I never did a copy paste of a file on the desktop into a folder on the desktop before (I have no idea why I would want to; that's not to say you don't have a valid reason for it). I did try dragging and dropping the file to the folder, then copying the file from within the folder and pasting it back onto the desktop; everything stayed put like good little files and folders should.

lehnerus2000 · 14 Dec 2013

I have encountered a similar issue on one of my VMs (not on my other VMs or my physical install).
The Desktop "View" options were shown as being correctly set, but for some unknown reason Windows was ignoring that setting.

My problem was fixed by toggling the options, rebooting and then resetting the desired options.

Annoyance: file copied to folder on desktop moves!-desktop-view-options.png

Try changing the "View" and "Sort by" options, rebooting your PC and then resetting those options.

tzdvl · 14 Dec 2013

lehnerus2000 said:

Try changing the "View" and "Sort by" options, rebooting your PC and then resetting those options.

Thanks for the suggestion - changed my settings (usually: medium icons; align to grid checked; auto arrange unchecked; no sort preference selected) and rebooted, then reset to my preferred settings. No change. Files still "jump" when copied.

For the record: The files "jump" and cause the folder to move even when pasted into the folder any number of times. When I copy/paste the file into the folder again, on each subsequent paste I get the expected copy/replace dialog box, and the folder moves down again. Weird! I can get the files/folder to inch their way down the desktop by repeatedly paste -paste -pasting!

Actually MOVING the file into the folder (by dragging or CUT/paste) does not move the folder.

Copying by right-click-dragging the file into the folder DOES cause the jump.

Ranger4 · 15 Dec 2013

I do not have individual files on the desktop or use any drag & drop, or cut & paste files to the desktop.

I have a folder in my Documents Library named what I want it to be & save my files that apply to that folder. Then I right click on that folder & select Send to Desktop (create shortcut). When I need a file I just double click the folder on the desktop & it immediately opens my folder in Documents & I select the file I want. This keeps my desktop neat & tidy & by using align to grid the folder is always in the same position.

This may fix your problem as it's very easy to set up & use.

UsernameIssues · 15 Dec 2013

whs said:

In short - files don't really belong on the desktop.

Shortcuts are files. Maybe you meant to say that folders don't belong on the desktop. Don't look at my desktop

tzdvl,
I've run into this too...
...it is annoying
...I don't know of a fix :-(

BrightBlessings · 15 Dec 2013

Mine does the same thing, don't know why as it was not doing it untill last week, but only with text files and internet shortcuts, music and video clips copy and paste OK on my pc, all files drag and drop into folders as well with no drama. This wont fix the problem but it will put files where you want them to be.
Context Menu - Add Copy To Folder and Move To Folder

tzdvl · 15 Dec 2013

Thanks UsernameIssues!

A video is worth a thousand words!

BrightBlessings said:

Mine does the same thing, don't know why as it was not doing it untill last week, but only with text files and internet shortcuts, music and video clips copy and paste OK on my pc, all files drag and drop into folders as well with no drama. This wont fix the problem but it will put files where you want them to be.
Context Menu - Add Copy To Folder and Move To Folder

It's only copy > paste that moves the icons (right-button > drag > select copy file here also causes the jump). Actually MOVING the file into the folder via CUT > Paste or drag > drop works fine.

I can think of a bunch of ways to "work around" this problem, some of which have been suggested above.

Still, sometimes I'd like to be able to work with temporary files and folders on my desktop without things scooting around...

Maybe I've discovered a BUG!

Now, does anyone know of a fix?

UsernameIssues · 15 Dec 2013

You are welcome.

I did the copy/paste operation dozens of times. Eventually, one of them worked without repositioning the folder and files. Once that happened, the reposition issue did not occur for subsequent copy/paste operations. If I manually moved the folder to a new position on the desktop, then the repositioning issue started all over again; but again, it eventually stopped. I can only guess that this issue eventually stops because something eventually records the position of each desktop item.

Using the right-click---drag/drop/copy method repositioned the folder sometimes, but it most often did not (at least for me).

I have a gut feeling that this issue is impacted by video drivers - thus, some users may never experience it. I tested using various themes - that does not seem to be related to the issue (at least for me).

I noticed this issue when I first transitioned to W7. It was one of many annoyances. I doubt that MS will ever fix/change this, especially if it is related to the video driver.

andrew129260 · 15 Dec 2013

Programs do strange things and can affect things like this. For the people who have the issue, we could compare startup programs and see if there is a common dominator.

Edit: I am able to reproduce the issue as well. I only have 2 startup programs, and that is Panda antivirus and malwarebytes pro. So don't think that is it.

There is always alternatives, such as fences or rocketdock to pin desktop items and keep them locked in their position.

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/desktop...ization-tools/

:EDIT: Correction. It does happen in safe mode and clean boot.

UsernameIssues · 15 Dec 2013

A clean boot is not needed in this VM.

It also happens on a VM without updates - only SP1.