Desktop rearranges after using dual screen

Had the same problem!

But here's what to do:

1.Unplug your external monitor from your Macbook, thus, detach the mini displayport as well

2. Now rearrange your desktop folders and icons 'THROUGH' your Macbook

3. "Restart" your Mac

4. Now reattach the mini display port, and plug your monitor back in.

5. Voila! Problem solved 🙂

Note: Just make sure you don't relocate the folders and icons in your desktop through the external monitor as the display grid is different from the Macbook screen

Hi T,

I think this is because the two displays are different resolutions and the desktop has more/less room to place icons, so it rearranges them. Try setting both to the same resolution and see if that resolves the issue. If so, then you'll have to decide if that is more important or max res on the Cin Disp is more important.

Daily I use my MBP with a cinema display and like to use the 23" screen as my main display (dock, menu bar etc) and the laptop as the secondary screen. This is fine until I want to use the MBP on its own because the desktop icons rearrage themselves.

If you set the main monitor as the 23" and put all your icons on that then when you remove that monitor the finder has no choice by to to use the remaining monitor (your MBP). It's a smaller monitor so the finder trys to remap the icons as best it can in the smaller space.

Don't set the resolutions to be the same because then you will be sacrificing the best resolution of one of the mothers for the other.

What I recommend you do is use SwitchResX. It is uniquely intended for handling multiple monitor configurations. With it you can change configurations with a menu or hot key. It is capable of enabling/disabling monitors, changing which it the main monitor, and remembering icons positions, and many other display related operations.

So every time you add or remove the external you could use SwitchResX to move the menubar to the desired monitor just by menu or hot key and the icons should be preserved as well.