Title: Any idea why icons would arbitrarily move around on a Windows desktop?
Tags: windows
Question: Virus-scan checks out; if someone's hacking in, they're just moving icons. No apparent pattern, except icons being in different places.
Thoughts?
Comment: Nope; they're just in different locations. Various numbers, different places.

Comment: Right, sorry. Windows XP. Not sure what you mean by "desktop icon program". "Align to grid" and "Show desktop icons". I'll get something up. "Moving arbitrarily and without pattern" is the best description. The're kept all on the left side of the screen, where XP likes to put them. However, they will arbitrarily be found elsewhere on the screen in no discernable pattern.

Comment: Ah; second information. I'm doing tech support for family, BTW. "They tend to move in rows and collumns", so while they move arbitarily, they tend to move as a group.

Comment: @mteckert: That could be it. Expirementation to ensue.

Comment: Do you see them moving?

Comment: Could you tell what OS it is exactally? Any desktop "icon" programs that you use now other than the standard system (even a icon restore that can exist in something)? . What settings do you have for "View" and "Sort" in the right click menu?   2 screen grabs of it would be interesting to see also, one before and after?  A slightly better description of "moving" might be useful also, do they lean to the left, pile on top of eachother, change sort order?  or just move from where you had them specificly placed?

Comment: Please put that all in the question, using full sentances :-) (then I can remove my comment). There are a few "desktop icon programs" like "fences" that allow for better sorting, and "fencing" off groups of icons.  also  As "part of" other software, like display or theme or desktop software, there are "icon restore" things, this method was applied because of the more arbitrary locations chosen by the system.   In XP I far prefer to use multiple toolbars for the icons, which is supported in XP but not in 7 , so getting used to doing it that way, might not be as good as it was.

Comment: Do you play games or use other programs that change your resolution? This can affect your icons. Also, safe mode.


Here is another answer: Problem solved; lack of computer knowledge on the part of one of the users. In short, they didn't know the mouse is still active when the screen is blanked, so were clicking and moving the mouse to wake it up.
Thanks; turned out to be "None of the above".

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