How to Save and Restore Desktop Icon Position in Windows 11

Have you ever encountered a problem when the position of your desktop icons changes randomly after you change the screen resolution, move the monitor, or restart? Do you want to keep the current position of your desktop icons for easy rein in case of changes?

Desktop icons are shortcuts to frequently used programs, files, or folders. The position of desktop icons can be adjusted according to user wishes, for example, to make it easier to reach or visible. However, sometimes the position of desktop icons can change accidentally, for example after the computer is turned off or back on.

In this article, Bardimin will explain how to save and restore the position of desktop icons in Windows 11 by using several methods. This method can apply to all versions of Windows, from Windows 7 to Windows 11.

Why does the position of desktop icons change?

There are several reasons the position of your desktop icons may change randomly, such as

• Change the screen resolution. If you change your screen resolution, for example, from 1920×1080 to 1366×768, then the size of your desktop icons will adjust to the new resolution. However, this can also cause your desktop icons to shift or overlap each other.
• Move the monitor. If you have more than one monitor connected to your computer, then the position of your desktop icon will be adjusted to the main monitor. If you move the main monitor to another place, then the position of your desktop icon will also change according to the new monitor.
• Restart. If you restart your computer, then it is possible that the position of your desktop icons will not be saved by the operating system. This can happen for several reasons, such as system errors, incorrect registry settings, or annoying third-party programs.

How to Save and Restore the Position of Desktop Icons

To save and restore the position of desktop icons in Windows 11, you can use one of the following methods:

1] Using DesktopOK

DesktopOK is a free program that can help you save and restore the position of desktop icons easily. The program does not require installation, so you can rush it to the folder where you extracted it.

Here are the steps to use DesktopOK:

1. Download DesktopOK from its official website.
2. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a folder of your choice.
3. Open the folder and run the DesktopOK.exe file.
4. If a User Account Control (UAC) warning message appears, click Yes.
5. In the main window of DesktopOK, click the Save button to save the current position of the desktop icons.
6. Give the icon a name in the dialog box that appears, and then click OK.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to save the position of the other icons if needed.
8. To restore the position of an icon that has been saved, select the name of that position from the list in the main window of DesktopOK, then click the Restore button.
9. Close the program DesktopOK when finished.

2] Using ReIcon

ReIcon is another free program that can be used to save and restore the position of desktop icons. The program also doesn’t require installation, so you can run it directly from the folder where you extracted it.

Here are the steps to use ReIcon:

1. Download ReIcon from its official website.
2. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a folder of your choice.
3. Open the folder and run the ReIcon.exe file.
4. If a User Account Control (UAC) warning message appears, click Yes.
5. In the main ReIcon window, click the Save button to save the current position of the desktop icon.
6. Give the icon a name in the dialog box that appears, and then click OK.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to save the position of the other icons if needed.
8. To restore the position of an icon that has been saved, select the name of that position from the list in the main window of ReIcon, then click the Restore button.
9. Close the ReIcon program when finished.

3] Using Registry Editor

Registry Editor is a built-in Windows tool that you can use to edit operating system settings. You can use Registry Editor to save and restore the position of desktop icons by exporting and importing the associated registry keys.

Here are the steps to use Registry Editor:

1. Open Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard, then type regedit and press Enter.
2. If a User Account Control (UAC) warning message appears, click Yes.
3. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

4. Right-click on the Desktop key, then select Export.
5. Give the registry file a name to export, such as DesktopIcons.reg, and then choose where to save it, such as Desktop.
6. Click Save to complete the export process.
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 to save the position of the other icons if needed, naming the registry file a different name.
8. To restore the position of the icon that has been saved, double-click on the appropriate registry file, such as DesktopIcons.reg, and then click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.
9. Close Registry Editor when finished.

Conclusion

In this article, Bardimin has explained how to save and restore the position of desktop icons in Windows 11 by using several different methods. You can choose the method that best suits your needs and preferences.

Bardimin hope that this article was useful to you and can help you solve the problem of desktop icon positions changing randomly.

Thank you for reading this article and good luck!