Q: how to stop lion re-arranging my desktop upon startup

This bug is well known under SnowLeopard -- see these two threads:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/13061140

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2131820

Note also that the bug was NEVER solved under 10.6 (and probably will never be). Our hopes were that Lion would address this major productivity hog. It now looks like more of the same insanity. 

The only known workaround thus far: a screenshot of your folder contents, so that you waste less time restoring things in their proper place. Pitiful.

The above was not really "in response to" ApMax. More like "in complement to".  

Having the same issue, rearranging desktop and HD icons at random intervals, after a restart.

Tried deleting those files someone mentioned, worked for a week then it happened again.

Any hope of having this fixed soon?

I mean, it doesn't sound like a complex bug to solve in a system patch/update...

Hmmm! Never saw the issue w./10.6. You don't need a screenshot, just set things up the way you want them and backup the .DS_Store file. When the problem comes back, restore it, and relaunch the Finder.

If you want to report this issue to Apple's engineering, send a bug report or an enhancement request via its Bug Reporter system. To do this, register as an Apple Developer—it's free and available for all Mac users and gets you a look at some development software. Since you already have an Apple username/ID, use that. Once a member, go to Apple BugReporter and file your bug report or enhancement request. You'll get a response and a follow-up number; thus, starting a dialog with engineering.

This serious productivity bug arose with one of the updates of Mac OS X 10.6.x. Things have gone worse with Mac OS X 10.7.

Apple, this is what happens when bugs are not fixed on due time, even when affecting only some users.

The first suggestion is interesting but not practical. First, I cannot imagine saving tons of .DS_Store files just in case (because this bug affects far more than just the desktop... you just wait). Second, because my desktop and folder contents change regularly, i"m not sure an older DS_Store file will restore things in their place if the number and arrangement of said things has changed in the meantime, which is likely.

The second suggestion, however, could yield some results... assuming that Apple cares about this bug, of which I am not certain at all. But it's worth a try. Thanks for that one.

This thread deals with Desktop's arrangememt and backing up one file is very practical. I never worry about other folders, since all of them are set to list view. If there are newer items in the folder, then when restoring the .DS_Store file, it'll update the new items's locations. Never been an issue when I had to restore. As for filing a BR, that's Apple's official method for bringing issues to their attention and numbers count.

The exact same bug affects more than just the desktop, so it's pertinent to include this in the current topic. Not everyone keeps all their folders organized in non-icon view, and they will be affected by the same bug in folders other than the desktop.

This said, I didn't know that a .DS_Store file would simply be update itself with new or missing items. Thanks for that one.

I also agree that numbers count and hope that everyone will also register a s a dev and file a bug report.

Just posted this in another discussion on the same issue:

Just bought and downloaded Desktop Saver for Icon Positions from the app store. It's the only thing I've found that will save the position of my icons (all 60 of them as I have a 30" monitor). Imagine restarting your computer, or restarting your dock or finder, only to find your icons all over the place. It doesn't respect the Finder view options (mine are snap to grid) as I like to keep certain files/folders in certain columns.

Once you "Save Profile (1,2 or 3)", you can quit the app. When the icons rearrange themselves for no other reason than lazy programming, simply launch the app and click "Restore Profile" (using the same number as the saved profile). Stack Items will pile all your icons onto each other in one stack and give you a clean desktop, but you can restore your icons back by using the respective "Restore Profile #". BTW, I have no affiliation with this company and a friend turned me onto this app as he was ready to downgrade to SL as it was driving him and me batty. And at $0.99, it's a small price to pay to keep your sanity!

Cheaper (free):

Desktop Icon Manager

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/19789/desktop-icon-manager

http://www.parker9.com/desktopIconManager2.0.html#d

But Apple should fix this annoying bug asap, on both Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7.

It may be free but it don't run under Lion. Still not compiled for Lion which is where the issues are. I'm sticking with that 99¢ app. To me that's basically free.

My mistake. The app runs under lion. I only saw the applescript.

What are you talking about? This is an AppleScript. It runs fine on Mac OS X 10.7.