How to remove Macintosh HD icon from desktop?

Question

How to remove Macintosh HD icon from desktop?

I just want a completely clean desktop...no icons. Will I still find Macintosh HD in the Finder if I delete the icon from desktop?

Also when I install an app, (Firefox, Flickr Upload) icons are created on my desktop. How do I prevent that?

Mac Mini 1.42, Macbook 2Ghz, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jun 18, 2006 8:55 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Mike-N-nahyunil

Level 6

8,292 points

Jun 18, 2006 8:57 PM in response to Nelson Evangelista

Don't delete it.

In Finder Preferences, you can select which items to show on the Desktop.

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Answer 2

Jun 18, 2006 8:59 PM in response to Mike-N-nahyunil

Also... in your browser (I guess you're using Safari) there are preferences to decide where to save files. On the menu bar, go to Safari>Preferences- General Tab there is an option for where to save downloaded files.

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Answer 3

Jun 18, 2006 9:20 PM in response to Mike-N-nahyunil

Thanks for tip regarding the HD icon.

About the other app icons; it is not when downloading the program for the first time when I get the dmg file. It is OK to have the dmg file on the desktop because I delete it anyway permanently after installation. It is when I already have the program installed.
I start with a clean desktop. Then I click on Firefox icon from my dock. It opens the browser and at the same time put a "Firefox" icon on my desktop. After quitting the Firefox application, The "Firefox" icon stays on my desktop. Can I prevent it from even showing the icon on the desktop upon opening Firefox?

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Answer 4

Jun 18, 2006 10:00 PM in response to Nelson Evangelista

Then I click on Firefox icon from my dock. It opens the browser and at the same time put a "Firefox" icon on my desktop.

I've never had that happen, and don't know how to make it happen.
Does it happen with all applications and/or in other user accounts?

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Answer 5

Jun 19, 2006 1:31 AM in response to Nelson Evangelista

When you download a program you get a dmg file. You double click and the virtual disk mounts. You open it, just as you would any other disk, then either run the installer, if it has one, or drag the contents from the virtual disk to your Applications folder. It is copied from the disk to the folder. You then unmount the disk and, if you wish, you can trash the dmg file. If you want the application in your Dock you would open the Applications folder, navigate to the application and drag it to the Dock. I suspect it is not the Firefox application from your drive that you have in your Dock, but rather you drug its icon from the mounted virtual disk directly to the Dock. When you click the icon in your Dock it remounts the disk image and then launches from there.
Francine

Francine
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