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Argh! :mad: Desktop icons keep moving out of place!

Z

zoonose

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2010
4
0
Can anyone help with this??

My desktop icons keep moving after reboot to the right hand side and arranged by name.

Now: I have tried resetting the the views options, changing the grid size, changing the icon size, repairing permissions in the disk utility. I have tried all these, with reboots in between and in differing orders... And I am about to cry.

I am running 10.6.2
 
I could be wrong but I am fairly certain desktop items will always land on the right because that's how OS X rolls. The rest seems rather odd. My desktop mess is pretty much kept in place after numerous reboots. then again I'm not forcing them to the left side of the desktop.
 
cheers for your input jessica, but i mean that i like to place files & folders in locations on the desktop, along the top, down the left and in the midde (i.e. current projectS)

this works on my macbook, and used to work on my imac. but nowadays my imac just keeps moving them to the right.
 
Perhaps the hidden .DS_Store file in your Desktop is corrupted, which will cause this issue for sure. To fix this, you can use the Terminal method, the Dashboard method, or any number of other methods. Suffice to say, though - you need a way of showing hidden files. The method I use involves a Dashboard widget for showing and hiding hidden files, and I recommend it.

Anyway, once you have the hidden stuff no longer hidden, delete that .DS_Store file. Turn hidden files display back off, then log out and back in. Try setting your view options for the Desktop. Reboot. Do they stick now?
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
Perhaps the hidden .DS_Store file in your Desktop is corrupted (snip!) Anyway, once you have the hidden stuff no longer hidden, delete that .DS_Store file. Turn hidden files display back off, then log out and back in. Try setting your view options for the Desktop. Reboot. Do they stick now?
Click to expand...

If you want to sort this out using Terminal then do this:

Once Terminal is open type:

Code: 
$ cd Desktop
(without the $ obviously)

then

Code: 
$ ls -a -F

If your desktop files show up then you're in the right place. This is also a good time to check that the .DS_Store file is there also.

Then

Code: 
$ rm -i .DS_Store

When you're prompted hit 'y'

Close Terminal, logout then log back in. OS X will rebuild the .DS_Store file and hopefully if that is the issue then the icons should stop moving about.
 
Thanks!!!!!!!!

wrldwzrd89 said:
Perhaps the hidden .DS_Store file in your Desktop is corrupted, which will cause this issue for sure. To fix this, you can use the Terminal method, the Dashboard method, or any number of other methods. Suffice to say, though - you need a way of showing hidden files. The method I use involves a Dashboard widget for showing and hiding hidden files, and I recommend it.

Anyway, once you have the hidden stuff no longer hidden, delete that .DS_Store file. Turn hidden files display back off, then log out and back in. Try setting your view options for the Desktop. Reboot. Do they stick now?
Click to expand...

OMG !!! Woot - it worked!!

It was real easy, and now i am not quite sure why I never tried it. Deleting the file was easy as I deleted it through filezilla. It has the handy knack of displaying hidden folders, so this was fixed in about 3 secs.

:):):):):):):):):)

:apple: < in love with it again.
 
thanks martynmc7

Thanks for your efforts in explaining how to delete the hidden file. Although it was real easy as i did it through Filezilla (ftp program) which displays hidden files and folders by default.

i am happy. i thought my mac was broken.
 
zoonose said:
Thanks for your efforts in explaining how to delete the hidden file. Although it was real easy as i did it through Filezilla (ftp program) which displays hidden files and folders by default.

i am happy. i thought my mac was broken.
Click to expand...

No problem, I'm glad you have it sorted! :)
 
Hello,

I am facing the same problem.
I have tried the Terminal solution, but the third command told me it can't find it.
I have opened FileZilla and it displayed all hidden files including the .DS_Store file, but I can't find the way how to delete it from there.
I looked at the help files of the software, but couldn't find the answer.
Looking forward for help as how to delete the file out of FileZilla.

TIA
 
jessica. said:
I could be wrong but I am fairly certain desktop items will always land on the right because that's how OS X rolls. ... My desktop mess is pretty much kept in place after numerous reboots. then again I'm not forcing them to the left side of the desktop.
Click to expand...

If Arrange By is set to Name, or any other mode listed below Name, then the icons go to the right. Yours must be set to None. Mine is set to Snap to Grid, and I keep most of my chosen Desktop icons on the left side. They stay put, always.
 
Last edited:
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riklar said:
Hello,

I am facing the same problem.
I have tried the Terminal solution, but the third command told me it can't find it.
I have opened FileZilla and it displayed all hidden files including the .DS_Store file, but I can't find the way how to delete it from there.
I looked at the help files of the software, but couldn't find the answer.
Looking forward for help as how to delete the file out of FileZilla.

TIA
Click to expand...
Remember, Terminal commands are case-sensitive.

Also, you should be able to hit the Delete key in Filezilla after selecting the offending file to get rid of it.
 
riklar said:
Hello,

I am facing the same problem.
I have tried the Terminal solution, but the third command told me it can't find it.
I have opened FileZilla and it displayed all hidden files including the .DS_Store file, but I can't find the way how to delete it from there.
I looked at the help files of the software, but couldn't find the answer.
Looking forward for help as how to delete the file out of FileZilla.

TIA
Click to expand...

When you run the second command:

Code: 
$ ls -a -F

Does it list the .DS_Store file?

If so then you must be entering the final command wrong. If you're not then there's something wrong as there's no reason terminal wont remove something when you ask it to and it can see it.
 
Yes, the second terminal command gave the list of all the files.
But, the third one, even though, I copy and and paste it from your instructions, and as I did with the other terminal commands you offered.

Why it didn't work I can't imagine.
 
desktop icons moving on restart

zoonose said:
Can anyone help with this??

My desktop icons keep moving after reboot to the right hand side and arranged by name.

Now: I have tried resetting the the views options, changing the grid size, changing the icon size, repairing permissions in the disk utility. I have tried all these, with reboots in between and in differing orders... And I am about to cry.

I am running 10.6.2
Click to expand...


This is what worked for me...I noticed that the only icons moving were the ones labeled http://www.wherever....all I did was rename them leaving out the url and that was that...everything is staying put now
 
mad icon positions

Hi,

I've been facing the same problem in my MacBook Air (10.6.5), in which I imported folder and files from my MacBook Pro (10.6.5).

But it does not affect only icons on the deskboard : it may affect, randomly, any icons of any folder's level or sub-level. Sometimes nothing changes for weeks and sometimes some sub-folders or deskboards folders go crazy.

I tried everything including erasing the .DS files but the problem keeps happening.

This is very annoying. I use DIM for the deskboard folders but it doesn't work on sub-folders of course.

So I now have to take screen pictures of particularly loaded sub-folders, in order to be able to rearrange them the way I want when this happens. This is crazy and really getting on my nerves.

If anybody has a tip about this I'd be happy to know !

Thanks
 
FrenchDamien said:
I tried everything including erasing the .DS files but the problem keeps happening.
Click to expand...

That's not really useful information. Without re-reading from the top....
Does "everything" include replacing the Finder and Desktop plist files?

that's really odd behavior, and something I've never experienced on a Mac.
 
FrenchDamien said:
No... What does that consists in ?
Click to expand...

In your Home Folder (Users/UserName)

Library/Preferences (make sure it's the Library in your Home folder!)

find
com.apple.finder.plist
com.apple.desktop.plist

Drag one to the Desktop, restart the computer.
Test it. If the problem is still present, try the other file, same steps.
Doing the separately will tell you which one was corrupt.

If neither one was, you should try logging in under a different user account.
 
I did that, but...

I did just that, but after restart the icons on the desktop were all back to the right side again. Is there anything else I have to perform?


martynmc7 said:
If you want to sort this out using Terminal then do this:

Once Terminal is open type:

Code: 
$ cd Desktop
(without the $ obviously)

then

Code: 
$ ls -a -F

If your desktop files show up then you're in the right place. This is also a good time to check that the .DS_Store file is there also.

Then

Code: 
$ rm -i .DS_Store

When you're prompted hit 'y'

Close Terminal, logout then log back in. OS X will rebuild the .DS_Store file and hopefully if that is the issue then the icons should stop moving about.
Click to expand...
 
professortiki said:
I did just that, but after restart the icons on the desktop were all back to the right side again. Is there anything else I have to perform?
Click to expand...

Did anybody find a solution to this? I just migrated from a macbook running snow leopard to macbook air with lion and I am now having this issue. Every 2-3 restarts all my desktop icons get moved to the right or disappear completely. Adjusting the grid size gets them back if they disappear completely.
 
This is not normal behavior. I set my icons where I want them and they never shift around unless I move them. You are doing or have done something that is causing this, such as changing a setting or adding OS "enhancement" software.
 
DS Store issue resolved

Mac Pro2012 - OS 10.8.4 -

I used the same terminal commands from above (Martynmc7 )and the problem was fixed in about 15 seconds, thanks .....
 
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