How do I lock the desktop icons in place?

[gogreen1]

Every so often I fat-finger the keys and end up changing my desktop icon order. I think it may be a combination of Ctrl-Option-[number] or Option-Command-[number]. I hit the wrong key combination when I'm trying to do something else, so I'm not sure exactly which combination I hit to cause the icon reshuffling.

Is there a way to lock the desktop icons in place so that striking errant key combinations does not automatically change icon placement, at least not without a confirmation?

 

[iTurbo]

In Finder, go to the View menu and then Sort By. Use Snap to Grid.

Other than that, I'm not sure about hard locking them in place.

 

[gogreen1]

Thank you, iTurbo. Snap to Grid is checked. What happens is that the icons' placement changes, so I guess I'm trying to hard-lock them in place. Anyone know how to do that?

 

[Fishrrman]

"I guess I'm trying to hard-lock them in place. Anyone know how to do that?"

I may be wrong, but I don't believe it can be done.
There's no option in the finder to do that.

 

[gogreen1]

I see that there are several keystroke combinations for sorting desktop icons, so I must have hit a combination accidentally. Now the question is, is there a way to revert to the previous icon arrangement if I accidentally hit a key combo that rearranges my icon setup?

 

[Fishrrman]

"Now the question is, is there a way to revert to the previous icon arrangement if I accidentally hit a key combo that rearranges my icon setup?"

Again, I might be wrong, but...
I don't think so.
You'll just have to "put them all back manually"...

 

[Gregg2]

+1
I've never found a way to "automagically" arrange icons on the Desktop.

 

[whooleytoo]

If you use Sort By and NOT Snap To Grid (but, say, Sort by Kind) then it will automatically arrange them and keep it arranged so you can't accidentally move them. However, if you create new items or delete them from the desktop, then then sorting will move things around slightly to keep it sorted, obviously.

If you want to keep your desktop locked in an unsorted layout, I don't know of any way of doing that.

 

[gogreen1]

I'm still wrestling with this problem. I occasionally inadvertently jumble my desktop icons by mis-hitting Command-Option-1 when I mean to press Command-Option-Esc. Then I need to place all the icons in the order I prefer one at a time. I'm guessing there must be a way to lock the desktop icons in place, perhaps toggling the lock on and off, so that this doesn't happen. I bet there are Terminal commands, or a series of Terminal commands, to do that, but it's WAY beyond my basic Mac knowledge. Anyone know how to do this, or am I really stuck with how Mojave 10.14.6, and not I, wants to arrange my icons?

 

[PieVsCake]

If you can catch it right as you inadvertently jumble your desktop by hitting a command you can always use Command-Z to undo.

Saved me more then I care to admit.

 

[gogreen1]

Thanks, but Command-Z doesn't work to put the icons back to their original positions. However, Command-Option-2 seems to work, most of the time.

 

[mick2]

There's no switch to 'lock' the desktop icons.
Another perspective: what you're actually asking for is a way of telling your Mac to ignore your (inadvertent) instruction for it to auto arrange the desktop icons.
So I'd remap the Command-Option-1 (or whatever it is) combo you keep hitting to do something else. Or to do nothing. You can do this through System Prefs / Keyboard / Keyboard Shortcuts.

 

[gogreen1]

Good idea, mick2! Thanks. As an alternative, I can do that!