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st3v1e Author

Level 1

77 points

Desktop Icons stuck in place - won't move around!

Hi guys,

Just purchased a brand new macBook Pro (2.44Gb) for my daughter and have been setting it up for her to take to Uni shortly.

I hadn't noticed previously, but the icons on the Desktop (not the Dock) are stuck in place and even if I try to drag them elsewhere, they stay put!

I've checked the snap to grid, and auto arrange stuff, even tried trashing the desktop plist and repairing permissions, checking to see if the icons are locked (they're not) etc et., but still the problems remains.

Interestingly, If I create another user account on the same machine, the problem disappears, and all works fine!

Just finished re-installing the OS (did not remove anything, simply inserted the OS 10.6.3 disk and clicked "Install" etc), and the problems is still there.

Updated to 10.6.4 - same issue!
It has to be an account related problem, but I'm obviously missing checking something!

Any idea's would be welcome.
Thanks

MacBook Pro 2.44Gb, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Jan 28, 2011 5:20 PM

Top-ranking reply

John Guo

Level 5

5,353 points

Posted on Jan 28, 2011 5:29 PM

Go to Finder>Preferences. Uncheck whatever that you want unchecked for "Show these items on the desktop" option.

View in context

19 replies

Will L.

Level 1

80 points

Sep 17, 2013 9:43 AM in response to st3v1e

The Desktop folder has been turned into a Package. If you look at it in a Finder window you'll see that it no longer has it's reveal triangle to the left. If you Control-click on it and choose "Show Package Contents" you'll see your Desktop files.

A simple way to fix this, without resorting to Terminal commands is as follows:

Open a Finder window to your home folder so you can see the "Desktop" icon
Create a new folder called "Desktop files"
Drag all of your Desktop files from the Desktop into the new Desktop Files folder
Delete the now empty "Desktop" folder/package and empty the trash
Type Command-Option-Escape to open the "Force Quit Applications" dialog, select the Finder and click Relaunch
A new Desktop folder should appear in your Finder window with the reveal triangle
Select all you files in the "Desktop Files" folder and drag them to the new "Desktop" folder
Delete the now empty "Desktop Files" folder

You should now have a new Desktop folder and your Desktop files you be moveable once again.

Dec 25, 2013 2:44 PM in response to st3v1e

Having alike problem, but this was caused by sharing directly by finder and now 5 music is stuck on my desktop

Sep 25, 2015 9:04 PM in response to st3v1e

Hey, lots of people had this question and there were lots of answers which I tried but didn't work. There was also something about cutting and pasting a file that I don't even understand because I don't know the first thing about programming. However, I had this problem and found a very simple solution.

1) On desktop it has that little menu strip above the desktop. Not the finder. Just that ribbon that says (apple symbol), finder, file, go etc.

2) View > sort by > click "none", let the icons scatter all over the place
Then: View > clean up by

and they will be neat and moveable.

3) You got rid of the "sort by" check mark and instead used "clean up by". For me this made them neatly arranged and moveable.

Feb 10, 2016 3:55 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks!!! This solved it for me!

Desktop Icons stuck in place - won't move around!