Desktop Icons on auto arrange and can't switch off.

Question

Level 1

8 points

Desktop Icons on auto arrange and can't switch off.

On my primary login, my desktop icons auto arrange down the right side which I don't like. How can I turn this off? Auto-arrange is not currently on and I can't find anywhere to stop it from happening.

This does not happen for the two other users which were also migrated when I upgraded.

iMac 24inch, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Oct 30, 2007 5:17 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eric Liebman

Level 1

45 points

Oct 30, 2007 6:15 AM in response to inrepose

Same issue.. waiting on someone to answer this one!!

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Answer 2

WestD

Level 1

70 points

Oct 30, 2007 7:25 AM in response to inrepose

Right-Click on desktop, select Show View Options and then, for Arrange By, select "None" in pull-down list.

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Answer 3

inrepose Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 30, 2007 8:13 AM in response to WestD

WestD, thanks for the note but it does not stop the icons going into auto-arrange mode. It is already on "none". Robin

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Answer 4

WestD

Level 1

70 points

Oct 30, 2007 8:44 AM in response to inrepose

Robin, Are you saying that with "None" selected, if you drag an icon to another part of the desktop it "snaps" back into an organised grid ?

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Answer 5

inrepose Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 30, 2007 9:46 AM in response to WestD

Yes, After selecting none the icons continue to snap into line on the right of the page. As mentioned before when I switch to either my wifes or daughters account it works OK and the icons can be spread around as usual.

I am not at home at the momemt - perhaps I should try a permissions repair in Disk Util?

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Answer 6

cpto

Level 1

5 points

Oct 31, 2007 8:51 PM in response to WestD

"None" does not show up in my "arrange by." There are several sorting options available but no way to turn them off, nor to keep the icons from slamming to the right side of the screen. There must be some way to turn this auto arranging off. I don't want all my desktop icons on the right, and I don't necessarily want one of the few apple sorting options.

Does any one have a soltion? Please!

Cpto

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Answer 7

tlou37

Level 1

10 points

Oct 31, 2007 9:02 PM in response to inrepose

Ya I got it...Go to the View Menu for the Finder, Command J. Select Show View Options >and then select None in the Arrange By pull down menu. Hope this helps, it took care of it for me.

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Answer 8

cpto

Level 1

5 points

Nov 1, 2007 6:31 AM in response to tlou37

Thanks tlou37. That did it. I feel a little dumb for not trying to turn off auto-arrange that way. OTOH, I wonder why it's not in the drop-down menu when you right-click the desktop. Seems like a logical place to put it.

C

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Answer 9

WestD

Level 1

70 points

Nov 1, 2007 8:12 AM in response to cpto

cpto, Glad you have solved your issue.

It is however on the right-click menu - in a fashion. "Show View Options" (the option under "Keep Arranged By") loads the same dialog as mentioned by tlou37.

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Answer 10

Nov 1, 2007 7:33 PM in response to inrepose

I am having the same problem.

View Options are set to None.

But icons are stuck on the right side of the screen. Clicking on one re-orders the icons, but you can't move them anywhere else.

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Answer 11

Nov 3, 2007 10:12 AM in response to GatorMarc

Update:

I have been able to temporarily fix the problem by either logging out and back in or by relaunching the Finder.

But it has eventually changed back.

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Answer 12

Nov 13, 2007 4:22 PM in response to GatorMarc

i am having the same problem as GatorMarc. Sometimes, not all the time, if i try to move an icon to the other side of the desktop, it snaps back to where it was and sometimes it just reorders them. i can't seem to replicate the problem when i want to.. just when i don't want to.

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