So, what’s causing this issue, and how do you resolve it? Let’s explore seven ways to fix Windows when it keeps rearranging the desktop icons. We’ll also include tips on how to arrange your desktop icons neatly.
How Do You Properly Arrange Your Desktop Icons?
Arranging the desktop icons is a quick and easy process. Here’s how you can do it:
Press Win + D to access the desktop. Alternatively, you can try various ways to access the Windows desktop. Right-click on a blank space on the desktop. Select Sort by and then pick Name, Size, Item type, or Date modified. This will arrange your desktop icons based on the option you pick.
You can also arrange the Windows desktop by dragging and dropping the desktop icons.
Let’s now check out how you can resolve the issue at hand.
1. Uncheck the “Auto Arrange Icons” Option
When you encounter this issue, there’s a high chance that the “Auto arrange icons” option is enabled. So, you’d have to disable this option on the Desktop context menu.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
Press Win + D to access the Windows desktop. Right-click on a blank space. Select View and then uncheck the Auto arrange icons option. Restart your device and see if this resolves the issue.
2. Uncheck the “Allow Themes to Change Desktop Icons” Option
It’s also possible that the theme settings are responsible for the issue at hand. So, let’s tweak these settings to resolve the problem:
Type Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Select Personalization from the options. Click the Themes option on the left-hand side. Locate the Related Settings option on the right-hand side pane. From there, click the Desktop icon settings below the “Related Settings” option. Uncheck the Allow themes to change desktop icons box. Press Apply and then press OK to save the changes
3. Repair the Display Drivers
Faulty display drivers might also cause the “desktop icons” issue. In this instance, updating or repairing the display drivers could help.
So, let’s start by checking out how you can update the display drivers:
Press Win + X to open the Quick Access menu. Select Device Manager and then double-click on the Display adapters option. Right-click on the relevant display adapter and select the Update driver option.
On the next, select the Search automatically for updated driver software option. Finally, follow the on-screen instructions and then restart your PC.
Alternatively, reinstall the display adapters through these steps:
Expand the Display adapters option by applying the previous methods. Right-click on the relevant display adapter and select Uninstall device. Navigate to the Action tab and select the Scan for hardware changes option. Finally, restart your device to save these changes.
4. Remove Faulty Third-Party Programs
Corrupted third-party apps might often interfere with your system settings. So, such apps might be the reason your desktop icons get rearranged.
To resolve the problem, update any suspicious third-party app. Otherwise, uninstall the suspicious program and see if that helps.
Struggling to find a faulty third-party app? If so, remove all your recently-downloaded third-party apps and see if that helps. From there, download those apps from reputable websites.
When deleting your apps, always remember to use a reliable third-party uninstaller. Doing this will remove all the remaining junk data and cause other system problems.
5. Use the Windows System Scan Options
If corrupted apps cause the issue, you can resolve it by running various system scan options.
Let’s start with the “Full scan” option:
Type Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Select Update & Security from the options. Click the Windows Security option on the left-hand side. Select Virus & threat protection on the right-hand side. Click Scan options and then pick the Full scan option. Press the Scan now button at the bottom and follow the on-screen steps.
Alternatively, you can run the Custom scan, Quick scan, or the Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
6. Use Advanced System Diagnostic Tools
The Windows system scan options might not always eliminate corrupted apps. In such instances, you can rely on advanced system diagnostic tools such as DISM and SFC.
These two incredible tools help you find and repair corrupted system files on your device. In some instances, they’ll replace critical system files that are missing.
So, let’s get started and check out how you can run the DISM tool:
Type Command Prompt in the Start menu search bar. Right-click on the Command Prompt result and select Run as administrator. Type the command below and press Enter:
Wait for the scan to complete. From there, type the command below and press Enter:
Wait for the process to complete, and then restart your device.
Next, run the SFC tool through these steps:
Open the Command Prompt by applying the previous methods. Type the command below and press Enter to run an SFC scan:
Wait for the SFC scan to complete, and then close the Command Prompt. Finally, restart your device to save these changes.
7. Install Windows Updates
If you still can’t resolve the issue, it might be best to update your Windows PC. This process should eliminate the issue at hand and other bugs on your device.
So, here are the steps for updating Windows:
Type Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Select Update & Security and then click Windows Update on the left-hand side. Press the Check for updates button on the right-hand side and then follow the on-screen steps.
Your Desktop Is Neat and Organized
The desktop icons help you quickly access most apps on your PC. So, it’s quite irritating when your device keeps rearranging these icons. Fortunately, you can easily tackle the issue at hand by applying the methods we’ve covered.
Now, do you suspect that other people rearrange your desktop icons? If so, you should apply some tricks to prevent others from handling your desktop icons.
