Folders on desktop copying themselves

Your signature shows 10.5.6 but this is the Snow Leopard forum.
Which OS do you have?
If 10.5.6, update to 10.5.8.

No, you're just not understanding the interface. Any Finder window is capable of showing any folder's contents, and if you're using column view, you will see all the parent window's contents as well. Select the new folder in that list to see the contents of that folder in the next column.

Sounds like you are simply creating an alias to the desktop.
How are you creating this folder?
If it was actually duplicating everything on the desktop (including the HD), it would take a while and eat up a LOT of disk space.

Either you're still not getting the way the interface works or you have a serious problem with your computer.

Here's an example of what you should see, assuming you are using column view, following double-clicking on the "one" folder shown on the desktop:

!http://web.mac.com/thomasareed/desktop.png!

Note the folder called "folder in one", which is the only item in the folder "one". Is this what you are seeing?

Yes Tom, when I am in COLUMN VIEW, my screen looks just as your does.

Then, as I said, nothing is being copied into those folders.

The problem is when I am NOT in column view.

Are you using list view, then? Note the four buttons in a group in the title bar on my screenshot... when you double-click folder "one," in my example, do you see the second button highlighted in that group? That would be list view.

Note that the title of the window in the Finder shows the name and icon of the folder you're looking in. I'm guessing that, however you're getting to this window, the title says "Desktop" and is showing all the items on the desktop with a gray triangle to the left of each folder, allowing you to expand it and view its contents. If, OTOH, you see the title say "one" and are seeing the entire contents of the desktop, then you've got something serious wrong.

The next question is how exactly are you getting that window open? If I set the folder "one" to open in list view, then when I double-click on "one" on the desktop, I get a window showing only the contents of "one". Are you opening that window in a different way?

It sounds like the desktop is somehow recursing itself. Which suggests an alias somewhere.

Using Thomas' example of his desktop above, double click the hard drive icon, then the folder Users, your user account, and then the folder Desktop. Is there another folder, or alias named Desktop within the original Desktop folder?

Secondly, is the hard drive icon on your desktop an alias?

Can you provide some screenshots of what you are seeing?

Dave

I'm sure that screenshot is nice but I can't see it... 🙂
You need to publish the image somewhere and provide a link to it.
You can't just drag the image into the reply box.
If you can't work out how to post it, email it to me at the address
in my profile.

Dave