Solved Can't move icons or folders on the desktop... bad video card?

[Tinsby]

Lately I am noticing I cannot move things around on my 7 desktop. If I try and drag an mp3 file, it opens and plays but I can't move the file. Same as a .pdf or .txt I try and drag them and they open with the associated program but they won't move. Also wioth a text file I have diffivculty highlighting a section of text, The highlight won't stick or it goes all over the place!

I have tried another mouse, no joy with that.

I do know that my Nvidia video card is failing, at times the monitor goes black and I have to reboot. It's not the monitor, I have a spare.

I ordered a new video card today hopefully that will solve the black out business and the drag and drop.

Could a dicey video card cause my inability to move items on the desk top? Since this is a dual boot machine I booted to Linux Mint and found the same errant behavior. That's why I think it's the card.

I didn't run a scannow since the machine is fine in all other aspects.

Thanks!

J T

 

[RolandJS]

In Safe Mode, does a few of the problems go away? I'm wondering if explorer.exe is also a cause amongst a few causes.

 

[Mellon Head]

Could a dicey video card cause my inability to move items on the desk top? Since this is a dual boot machine I booted to Linux Mint and found the same errant behavior. That's why I think it's the card.

So Linux Mint won't let you move icons either? Or are you referring to the occasional black screens you were talking about?

It's very unlikely that a GPU would affect the movement of your icons, unless it was always changing the resolution of your monitor and scrambling them as a result. It's more likely a fault in the Desktop Windows Manager.

Or...

Do you have Auto Arrange in the desktop properties set? That will prevent your icons from moving (usually). The same can be said of the "Sort" functions for the icons. Check and make sure that you don't have those enabled and then see what happens.

 

[MeOnMine]

Hi, it may pay to uninstall and re-install your graphics card driver.
or if an update is available load that.
A power supply on its way to power supply heaven could cause issues.
Mellon and Rolland's ideas are good on the software side of things too.

 

[Tinsby]

Safe Mode no different

In Safe Mode, does a few of the problems go away? I'm wondering if explorer.exe is also a cause amongst a few causes.

Sorry to report Safe Mode is the same I cannot move anything all putting the cursor over them does is OPEN whatever the file is.

Thanks tho!

J T

 

[Tinsby]

That has it sorted now!

So Linux Mint won't let you move icons either? Or are you referring to the occasional black screens you were talking about?

I couldn't move the icons in Linux either.....

It's very unlikely that a GPU would affect the movement of your icons, unless it was always changing the resolution of your monitor and scrambling them as a result. It's more likely a fault in the Desktop Windows Manager.

Or...

Do you have Auto Arrange in the desktop properties set? That will prevent your icons from moving (usually). The same can be said of the "Sort" functions for the icons. Check and make sure that you don't have those enabled and then see what happens.

You were correct! I didn't have 'auto arrange' on but a choice called 'align icons to grid' WAS ticked. Since I never used that feature or auto arrange I was caught off guard by the odd behavior, when in fact it was doing what it was instructed too. <sigh>

I still think the video card is failing because of the black screen instances I get. The PS is over built and is much heavier than it needed to be, but who knows it may be on it's last legs causing the screen to go blank.

Thank you all!

J T