Desktop icons rearrange themselves after startup

pmason718 · Jan 31, 2011

I have a Mac Pro that I've had icons scattered throughout the desktop. One day after starting up I noticed that all the icons now tend to align themselves along the right side of the screen. This is what I've done so far with no success.

I've repaired permissions
I've removed the com.apple.desktop.plist and com.apple.finder.plist files
I've also looked at the settings under show view options in the finder and they look fine. I've also changed the arrange by: from snap to grid to nothing and still no success. The OS X is 10.5.3 with two monitors connected to the Mac Pro (could this be the issue).

Thanks for the help

Kevriano · Jan 31, 2011

Go to Finder>View>Keep Arranged By>

I am assuming, though it was hard to make out, that you like them scattered? I have no idea why. Anyway, look at finder and you can sort it as you want.

pmason718 · Jan 31, 2011

Kevriano said:
Go to Finder>View>Keep Arranged By>

I am assuming, though it was hard to make out, that you like them scattered? I have no idea why. Anyway, look at finder and you can sort it as you want.

Let me be more clear. If I take all my icons and place them on the left side of the computer and I restart they will appear on the right side of the desktop, them will not hold there place

Kevriano · Jan 31, 2011

That's because the right hand side is default. You cannot keep them on the left without third party software 'hacking".

pmason718 · Jan 31, 2011

ok let's say there on the right side and I slightly move a folder or file a little to the left. If I restart the file will rearrange itself to the right side of the screen. I was just using the left side as an example above

toMACsh · Jan 31, 2011

Kevriano said:
That's because the right hand side is default. You cannot keep them on the left without third party software 'hacking".

I agree, to a point. My HD icon is permanently stuck in the upper right corner. Any other icon stays wherever I put it through daily shutdown and reboot.

pmason718 said:
I've also looked at the settings under show view options in the finder and they look fine.

They may look fine to you, but how do you know they are fine? Your dismissive stance there isn't very helpful to people trying to help. If you have them set on Arrange By Date, or Name, or any other means that forces an order on them, then that's what you get. (Although I've never done that.) Mine is set to Snap to Grid. (see above for my result) I presume that None would allow the same functionality, but it wouldn't be as tidy.

bobtomay · Jan 31, 2011

I keep my Desktop icons wherever I put them by merely setting Arrange By to None.

6string · Jan 31, 2011

bobtomay said:
I keep my Desktop icons wherever I put them by merely setting Arrange By to None.

Works for me too, even though I do my best to keep as few items on my desktop as possible, and manually hide them on the right and right click clean up whenever I add or remove any

pmason718 · Jan 31, 2011

The arrange by is set to none. If I have 5 icons on my desktop and I place them in the middle of the screen horizontally and restart they will align themselves along the right side of the screen. I'm trying to figure out why this is happening on its own.

6string · Jan 31, 2011

pmason718 said:
The arrange by is set to none. If I have 5 icons on my desktop and I place them in the middle of the screen horizontally and restart they will align themselves along the right side of the screen. I'm trying to figure out why this is happening on its own.

That makes me suspect a corrupt .plst

Go to user(you)>library>preferences, and drag com.apple.finder.plst to the desktop, and reboot.
Set your finder preferences to arrange by none, arrange your icons as you like and reboot again, and see if that works.

pmason718 · Jan 31, 2011

6string said:
That makes me suspect a corrupt .plst

Go to user(you)>library>preferences, and drag com.apple.finder.plst to the desktop, and reboot.
Set your finder preferences to arrange by none, arrange your icons as you like and reboot again, and see if that works.

In post 1 that's one of the things I tried but it didn't work. I actually put it in the trash but didnt delete it, then I restarted and im having the same issue but thank you.

bobtomay · Jan 31, 2011

Are you setting "Finder" preferences or "Desktop" preferences?

You can't open that Desktop window while you have a Finder window open on the Desktop.

pmason718 · Jan 31, 2011

desktop

6string · Jan 31, 2011

pmason718 said:
In post 1 that's one of the things I tried but it didn't work. I actually put it in the trash but didnt delete it, then I restarted and im having the same issue but thank you.

I saw that you moved the desktop.plst, but nothing about the finder.plst.

Kevriano · Feb 1, 2011

You lot moving the icons are wierd

To be honest I just have the HD icon up myself, everything else is hidden.

pmason718 · Feb 1, 2011

Kevriano said:
You lot moving the icons are wierd

To be honest I just have the HD icon up myself, everything else is hidden.

I feel the same way. This is so weird the only thing I can think of is the external monitor but its been here all the time. What about this DS_store file. Could this be of some help if I delete it?

Kevriano · Feb 1, 2011

No I don't think deleting that will help. It'll come back anyway, it's one of those necesssary system files.

.DS_Store - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

pmason718 · Feb 1, 2011

Thanks. I had already visited Wiki but was just wondering what this could be. I'm puzzled

toMACsh · Feb 1, 2011

I saw that you moved the desktop.plst, but nothing about the finder.plst.

Both are mentioned in the first post.

OP: Try a different user account. Report your result here.

pmason718 · Feb 1, 2011

toMACsh said:
Both are mentioned in the first post.

OP: Try a different user account. Report your result here.

Don't know why I didnt think of that. I will try this. If my current account is corrupt what can I do to resolve it