Desktop icons stack on top of each other

sounds like the number of files exceeds your grid space on your desktop. Make directories (folders) on your desktop for file types and fill them. Ex: Make one called Images aand move all image files on your desktop into the Images folder ect... Then PDFs, etc...

Photoscene:

It may be, as Jazzed suggested, that you just have too many icons on your desktop, you did not say how many, so we don't know.

Try this: while in the Finder, go to the View menu, select Show View Options at the bottom. Then select the checkbox Keep arranged by and in the pull down menu select Name, if not already selected.

Post back with comments or questions.

Good luck.

cornelius

PB G3 Pismo400, 100 GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6

Another diagnostic trick: Go to your shortname folder in Users, and double click the file called Desktop there. This will open your Desktop in a window that you can apply any of the usual View Options to, including List and Column Views.
Since the window is not limited by monitor size as the 'real' Desktop is, you can see and manipulate all your desktop files.

Icons Overlapping...using Cocktail
This is also a common problem caused by a corrupt .DS_Store file for the desktop. To remove the desktop's .DS_Store file, follow the instructions listed below......

• Launch Cocktail.
• Select the “Files” icon in the Cocktail toolbar.
• Select the “DS Store” tab.
• Select the “Chose” button.e any
• Navigate and select your Home/ Desktop folder.
• Select OK.
One word of caution.... This will remove comments from Get Info command
(• In the resulting window navigate to and select the affected disk, volume, or folder.
•) Select OK in the resulting confirmation window.
Cocktail displays a sheet indicating when it has completed the task.

Icons Overlapping... using Onyx
• Launch Onyx
• Find the option to show all hidden files on your Mac and run it. You will now see every file on your Mac, including ones you shouldn't. DO NOT start deleting things you don't recognize just because you can at this point.
• You'll see a handful of formerly hidden files on your desktop, among which will be the desktop's .DS_Store file.
• Put them in the trash.
• Go back to OnyX and put hidden files back to their invisible state.
• Restart your Mac. It will create a new .DS_Store file for the desktop.
One word of caution.... This will remove comments from Get Info command

Why would you risk a mistake in selecting .DS_Store files this way, when you just have to check it in OnyX/Cleaning or OnyX/Automation?

The easier way
• Open Onyx and click on "Cleaning" or "Automation" tabs
• Insure that "Hidden Files .DS_Store" is the only item checked.
• Check “Delete”
• Click on "Close" and restart
One word of caution.... This will remove comments from Get Info command

This May be the Best Method
• Click on the Desktop, hit Command-J to bring up the View Options
• Increase or decrease the icon size that you presently have... Now go and try it..

And Finally ... try this
• navigate to .... ~/Library/Preferences and delete ....
com.apple.desktop.plist
com.apple.finder.plist
com.apple.LaunchServices.plist
com.apple.sidebarlists.plist
restart or login and out, test

george

George:

I don't have the problem, but I know where to look if I ever have it. (Of course, I won't know if it works until then).

Thanks.

cornelius

PB G3 Pismo400, 100 GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6

Photoscene...

"I have a total of thirteen must have items on my desktop. I can add one more before they start stacking up. Using an icon size of 72 the screen will hold 36 items."

Depending if there is a file name overlap/resolution settings, a 72px icon is over 1" square on my screen. (about 3/4" for the icon + 1/4" for each line of text, up to 2) Then factor in the icon spacings. I would be pulling my hair out as only 12 will fit on my screen at that setting, even though I am not a fond user of DT aliases.

Maybe it is me, but I think it is a bit too much to ask for the DT to hold that many items without having the fits you describe at that 72px setting. I keep mine set around 36-42px depending on my mood.

Please note, nothing personal, but if it doesn't work right, adjust...

Other than my 30 items in the Dock, I also use HimmelBar, a neat 3rd party application.


...Ron

Photoscene:

The HimmelBar is an intriguing suggestion.

In addition, jazzed suggestion of an Images folder on your Desktop is worth consideration. You can drag this into the left panel on your Finder window for easy access. You will have a less cluttered desktop as well as access to even more files when you need them.

Good luck.

cornelius

PB G3 Pismo400, 100 GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6