Snap to Grid is now moving all icons to my main display

Question

Level 1

62 points

Snap to Grid is now moving all icons to my main display

I've been using Mac OS X with multiple displays since 10.1, and I've had Finder's Desktop set to Snap to Grid long before that.

I recently replaced a failing VGA display with a new 1920 x 1080 DVI LCD display, flanked by two old VGA monitors (left: 1280 x 960, right: 1600 x 1200). The tops of the displays are arranged in System Prefs > Displays with the center display slightly higher than the left and right displays to make it easy to cram my mouse into the top corners of the main/center display to activate MaxMenus and PopChar.

Snap to Grid is now behaving badly – if I drag a Desktop icon in Finder to either the left or right display, the icon jumps to the nearest open grid spot on the main/center display. It's as if Finder's Desktop grid does not extend beyond the 1920 x 1080 of the main display.

If I disable Snap to Grid (or hold down the Command key to override Snap to Grid), Finder is happy to let me drag icons to the side displays.

Has anyone else encountered this problem with Snap to Grid? Is there a cure?

-- Ward

[ I'm submitting this report as formal Mac OS X Feedback. ]

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Aug 30, 2011 7:59 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Ward Clark Author

Level 1

62 points

Aug 30, 2011 9:15 PM in response to Ward Clark

Here's a System Prefs > Displays visualization of my three displays:

Reply

Answer 2

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Aug 30, 2011 10:45 PM in response to Ward Clark

Looks ok. Some things to try -- no guarantees:

1. Click detect displays for the heck of it.

2. Log out and back in if you haven't done that since setting up that arrangement -- see if that fixes the problem.

3. Reset smc and pram.

One other thing, maybe it's a cache problem (just thinking out loud now). You might use Onyx to clean some caches although I am not sure which caches to choose.

Reply

Answer 3

Ward Clark Author

Level 1

62 points

Aug 31, 2011 3:18 PM in response to X423424X

Resetting the PRAM and rebuilding the Desktop were the standard cure for most ills in the days before Mac OS X.

I've gotten out of the habit of resetting the PRAM on Mac OS X. In this case, it fixed my problem with Finder's Desktop grid. Thanks X423424X!

For those not familiar with resetting the PRAM (system Parameter RAM), see Apple Support's Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM.

-- Ward

Reply