Have anyone found a way to retain icon positions on the desktop after restarts and screen resolution switches? Since the desktop is a folder on the home volume, the icon positons on the desktop should correspond to the icon positions in the desktop folder, but either the folder contents are not representative for the desktop, or I have not as of yet managed to find the deadly secret pattern for icon placement. I doubt the last alternative. There should be more users, used to the dock-free OS 9, annoyed about this.
Wayward icons...
- Thread starter runner#5
- Start date
pwharff
Registered
OK, this is how you fix your icons from moving all the time on your Desktop. I don't know why Apple deactivated these options, however you can reactivate them by following these steps:
In this example I will use the terminal and vi to edit this key and string, however you can use PropertyList Editor (GUI) or a Text editor to make the edit.
--Edit this file with vi:
vi ~YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
--Do a search for the key "DesktopViewOptions" !!NOT!! "StandardViewOptions"
/DesktopViewOptions
--Below "DesktopViewOptions" you will see this key without the quotes:
"ArrangeBy"
--And below "ArrangeBy" you will see the string without the quotes:
"none"
--Change "none" to "kind" or "name" (your choice). Obvious as to what they do!
--Save and quit the file.
:wq
--You MUST then logout and log back in to see the changes. Your icons will NOT move one bit now!
NOTE: If you don't see the key "DesktopViewOptions" then exit out of the file "com.apple.finder.plist" and change your desktop picture and then go back into the file "com.apple.finder.plist" and proceed to make the changes. Send me an email if you have any questions paul@demandmac.com
In this example I will use the terminal and vi to edit this key and string, however you can use PropertyList Editor (GUI) or a Text editor to make the edit.
--Edit this file with vi:
vi ~YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
--Do a search for the key "DesktopViewOptions" !!NOT!! "StandardViewOptions"
/DesktopViewOptions
--Below "DesktopViewOptions" you will see this key without the quotes:
"ArrangeBy"
--And below "ArrangeBy" you will see the string without the quotes:
"none"
--Change "none" to "kind" or "name" (your choice). Obvious as to what they do!
--Save and quit the file.
:wq
--You MUST then logout and log back in to see the changes. Your icons will NOT move one bit now!
NOTE: If you don't see the key "DesktopViewOptions" then exit out of the file "com.apple.finder.plist" and change your desktop picture and then go back into the file "com.apple.finder.plist" and proceed to make the changes. Send me an email if you have any questions paul@demandmac.com