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Save your Desktop Icon Layout


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:santa_smiley: I want to share a small tool with you that i use for a long time. :santa_smiley:

You know the situation: you change your Desktop PC monitor resolution or try around installing Laptop drivers and all your Desktop Icons gets messed up, when you resolution is less than the one you had before.

It's always a pain to sort them back where they belong (at least i feel like this)!

So here's the freeware solution, which adds the smallest amount of entries and settings to the registry (i tested other applications who added a dword reg entry for each and every icon with their desktop position coordinates :) and therefore spammed the registry).

This one has ONE reg entry here: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\IconLayout

You need to rightclick the Muelleimer/ThrashCan or Arbeitsplatz/MyComputer to access the application. You'll see two entries:

- Save Desktop Layout

- Restore Desktop Layout

Works with XP(SP1/SP2) and hopefully with 2K too. Don't know about Win 9x.

Attached you'll find the LAyout.ZIP file with 3 files included:

- layout.dll, which needs to be copied to your system32 directory

- layout.reg, which needs to be added to the registry

- LayoutInstall.bat, that i created for you for actually doing the things mentioned above :P

filesize is < 5kb :) No need to install (or even pay for) other applications!

:santa_smiley:

SaveDesktopIconsLayout.zip

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Man, do I feel bad... I've been using this for the last 3 years and I should have posted it! I noticed it doesn't always work though since sometimes it will leave empty spaces.

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No need to feel bad. :)

Next time it's your turn, to post something useful :P

And a sticky one too :) !

Never saw those empty spaces, but that's probably because i use it only once a month or so.

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Heh, the empty spaces only only happens occassionally probably because it didn't save correctly since I update my desktop icons a lot and usually save after each change.

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I guess I know why there is a problem since the copy I got is identical to yours but it used my systems May 2001 filedate as I got it as individual files through MSN. The ones you zipped up showed the actual date of 1996!

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:) Your not the only one that is confused..... :)

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No, i just don't understand why if files are same and only filedate is different it affects the functionality. Or did i misunderstood something?

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No, what I mean is that the files are old and we both have identical files so it's just a bug in the files and I'm hoping they release a newer version. At times, when I click on the Save Desktop layout, it doesn't have the confirmation window either. And no, I'm not saying your version was different, just that atleast with yours, I found out when they were actually made rather than thinking someone made it in 2001 :)

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Ok got ya !!!!!

1996 :) thats almost ten years. :)

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Heh, and I thought the program was old enough even when I said 2001 originally... :)

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  • 1 month later...

Here's another one which is able to change/remove attributes on files on-the-fly without clicking through the properties everytime.

Usage:

RightClick on one file or mark many and then RightClick. You see a submenu called "Attributes", then edit the attributes.

'Installation':

Copy attached ContextAttrib.dll to system32 dir and type regsvr32 ContextAttrib.dll :)

'Uninstallation':

type regsvr32 /u ContextAttrib.dll and after that delete the file from system32.

ContextAttrib.dll

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Is there a possibility to add this Save Desktop Layout feature to work automatically when you press Fn+F5 keys?

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Nothing i can think of right now.

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I am interested in the current subject and i was wondering if we could like maybe create another desktop in which it could contain the icons in the lower resolution and the first in the current so all we got to do is switch between desktops!Will that work?

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No that's not possible as it creates just ONE entry in the registry for the curreny USer here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\IconLayout

So the only thing that comes to my mind is exporting the layout of the current (lets say 1600x1200) resolution to a .REG file, save it on the desktop, then lower the resolution to 1024x768 or something and save again to the desktopo. Then you would have 2 .REG file 'shortcuts' which you would click AFTER setting/applying the new resolution.

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OK i see.Also what you describe can be done from Powerstrip as i've seen there's an option of saving the icons layout.

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  • 11 months later...

Update for this topic :)

I'm currently using a tool called LuckieDIPS (Luckie DesktopIconPositionSave).

It's a small (20kb) one file.exe usable without any installation orgy or the like and it saves the position of your icons into an .INI file located @ %APPDATA%\LuckieDIPS. It's german though. BUT it's opensource, so coders get ready to support great tools 'Made in Germany' :)

Download (including source): http://www.michael-puff.de/Programme/Lucki.../LuckieDIPS.zip (36kb)

translation:

1. Speicherort für DesktopIconPos.ini = Backup Location of DesktopIconPos.ini

2. three buttons @ the bottom from left to right:

Datei löschen = Delete file (DesktopIconPos.ini)

Sichern = Save

Wiederherstellen = Restore

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heres the best one if your using XP SP2.

http://www.midiox.com/zip/dsrexu.exe

It works..VERY well esp. on my Dell 9300 as i use 1900x1200 then goto 3 common modes when testing website php designs to check the layouts.

It gives a nice option to rightmouse click on desktop and restore/save.....and its FREE....oh...and it WORKS :(

Theres my .02 worth.

Now, good people, your site is so full on and has everything and i searchy and searchy till i fall asleepy.. :( :P

I have a Dell 9300 with geforce go 6800..Can someone give me a link to the driver/inf they think works best with that model...ie another 9300 user would be good.

Anyway...there another utility you CANT do without...even more than the above here we go.

Its DM....dialogueMate .....found here.... http://dm2.sourceforge.net/overview.html

Why is it so useful....you can convert your 5 open firefox windows into floating icon,opacity settings, puts a little browse box within EVERY windows open dialog so you can browse to a specific folder instantly instead of c....doc.&settings.folder1...folder2ect..you can just go srraight to an assigned folder(i.e folder2) instantly...cool

and very handy.

And dont forget my favoutrite.When you want to copy and paste a serial number into a program/games text boxes, instead of ctrl-c,crtl-v..(which pastes into the "firstbox" only..aaarrHH!!!) you use ctrl + alt + P and all the boxes are filled....double cool.... :) :P

got to go.....dont forget my link :)

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  • 1 year later...

Yep I've been using Desktop Icon Save and Restore for a few years now, it's the best i've tried too. sometimes, with a LOT of icons, it can take a few "right-click + restore" tries before it fully re-positions the icons, but it definitely saves hella time, and i've never ever had it crash or cause problems. plus it remembers multiple resolutions. that's all i can ask for. :)

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  • 5 weeks later...

Here's another alternative which i currently use: it's called DIManager X ( http://www.dimanager.de/dimanager,en.html ) and pretty perfect makes it's job, too. Give it a try. You might like it.

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  • 1 month later...

oh and to schmutly....

if you are using Firefox, you can change the size of the browser window to fit certain resolution easily with the Web Developer extension, i highly recommend it. It also does a TON of other useful things. :)

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60

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  • 2 months later...

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