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The Daily Insight

How do I stop Windows 10 from rearranging my icons?

Author

Sarah Duran

Updated on February 23, 2026

How do I stop Windows 10 from rearranging my icons?

Go to Control Panel. Right-click Start (Windows icon). Select Control Panel….Solution

  1. Right-click the Desktop, select View.
  2. Make sure Auto arrange icons is unchecked. Make sure Align icons to grid is unchecked as well.
  3. Reboot and see if the issue is resolved.

Why do my desktop icons rearrange themselves?

1. Some programs (such as computer games in particular) change the screen resolution when you run them. When it happens, Windows automatically re-arranges the desktop icons to fit the new screen size. When you exit the game, the screen resolution may change back, but the icons have already been re-arranged.

Can I lock my desktop icons in place Windows 10?

Windows does not come with a feature that locks the desktop icons in place. You can, however, turn off “Auto-Arrange” option so that Windows doesn’t reorganize your desktop icons automatically each time you add files to the desktop.

Why do my desktop icons keep moving to my second monitor?

This issue occurs, because, to calculate the positions of desktop icons, Windows uses the current display resolution. Windows interprets the change in the primary display as a screen resolution change. Move your icons back to your primary desktop where you want to have them. But leave one icon behind.

How can I lock my desktop icons?

How to Lock Desktop Icons in Place

  1. Organize your desktop items in the order that you would like them to stay.
  2. Richt-click with your mouse anywhere on your desktop.
  3. Select “Desktop Items” next and uncheck the line that says “Auto Arrange” by clicking on it.

Why does my desktop rearrange itself Windows 10?

In most cases, the “Windows 10 desktop icons moving” issue seems to be caused by an outdated driver for the video card, faulty video card or outdated, corrupted or incompatible drivers, corrupt user profile, corrupt Icon Cache, etc.

How do I organize my Desktop icons?

Right-click the Desktop and then choose View→Auto Arrange Icons. Use the shortcut menu in Step 1 and choose Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Small Icons in the View submenu to change the size of Desktop icons.

How do I change my desktop icon to custom pictures?

For Windows:

  1. Right-click on the program/application icon from your taskbar.
  2. Select Properties from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click on Change Icon from the Shortcut tab, which immediately appears on the panel.
  4. Choose an ICO image to replace the icon image.
  5. Select the ICO file and click on Open.

Why does Windows 10 move my desktop icons?

Is it safe to delete desktop ini?

The desktop. ini file can technically be deleted from any directory, although it’s not advised. The file saves settings associated with the folder where it is contained, deleting it changes the settings back to default.