missing desktop icons

I have 2 user accounts on my computer. Whenever one user rearranges the
icons( ie. put icons in a folderto make the desktop cleaner), the icons
disappear on the other users desktop. Any ideas of why this happens? thanks

"lmh" <> wrote in message
news:0FB7885C-2A00-4CA2-B7D5-...
>I have 2 user accounts on my computer. Whenever one user rearranges the
> icons( ie. put icons in a folderto make the desktop cleaner), the icons
> disappear on the other users desktop. Any ideas of why this happens?
> thanks

That must be cause those icons are actually in the Public\Desktop folder,
rather then the user's own Desktop folder. The shortcuts in the Public
folder are available to all users. You can copy the shortcuts into the user
folders before trying to move them. Program installers often put the
desktop shortcuts into the Public\Desktop folder.

ss.

Also, it may have something to do with how your users are set up.
I don't know the exact process in Vista, since I have only one user on my
Vista box. And it's been a while since I've done it with earlier versions.
But there should be an option that lets each user have its own desktop, so
that changes on one don't affect the other.



"Synapse Syndrome" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "lmh" <> wrote in message
> news:0FB7885C-2A00-4CA2-B7D5-...
>>I have 2 user accounts on my computer. Whenever one user rearranges the
>> icons( ie. put icons in a folderto make the desktop cleaner), the icons
>> disappear on the other users desktop. Any ideas of why this happens?
>> thanks
>
> That must be cause those icons are actually in the Public\Desktop folder,
> rather then the user's own Desktop folder. The shortcuts in the Public
> folder are available to all users. You can copy the shortcuts into the
> user folders before trying to move them. Program installers often put the
> desktop shortcuts into the Public\Desktop folder.
>
> ss.
>

"DP" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>
> Also, it may have something to do with how your users are set up.
> I don't know the exact process in Vista, since I have only one user on my
> Vista box. And it's been a while since I've done it with earlier versions.
> But there should be an option that lets each user have its own desktop, so
> that changes on one don't affect the other.


Each user has its own desktop. Program installers often put the program's
desktop icon the the Public\Desktop folder, just like they put them in the
All Users\Desktop folder in 2000/XP. There is nothing mysterious going on.

ss.

Hi. I was just having exactly the same problem, and solved it but I'
using Windows XP so I don't know how useful this will be:

Possible solution: try right-clicking the desktop > select Arrang
Icons By
then unselect Show Desktop Icons

This option "Show Desktop Icons" seems to switch the desktop icons fro
displaying whatever is in the All Users/Desktop folder to
displaying whatever is in the desktop folder of the currently logged i
user.


How I got there:
On our computer, there are 2 different Users Accounts because there ar
2 people who regularly log on, me and my dad. My Dad has a load o
desktop icons related to the programs that he uses. These I never us
and they were like completely cluttering up my desktop whenever
logged on to my User Account, so naturally, I deleted them all. An
emptied the recycling bin just to make sure.

Then the next time my Dad logs on to his User Account, he start
complaining because somehow all his desktop icons have disappeared.

I got them back by right-clicking the Start Menu > selecting Explore
Documents and Settings.

There are 3 desktop folders. 1) One under my name. 2) One under Al
Users. 3) And one under my dad's name.

By deleting the icons from my desktop I had cleared up my desktop but
had also modified 2) the All Users folder. The icons were no longer i
this folder. My Dads desktop listens to this folder, so the icon
disappeared from my Dads desktop as well.

However the icons were also in 3) the desktop folder under my Dad
name. So I copied and pasted them back into 2) the All Users deskto
folder. They instantly reappeared on my Dad's desktop, and also on m
desktop. Thus I was no longer in trouble with my Dad but my desktop wa
as cluttered as it was when I started.

I tried deleting the desktop icons from 1) the desktop folder under m
name, but my desktop just wasn't listening to this folder. My deskto
is based on the 2) All Users desktop folder and nothing else. I delete
everything from the folder under my name but it didn't make an
difference.

Finally I right-clicked the desktop > Arrange Icons by
and then unselected Show Desktop Icons

Instantly all the desktop icons disappeared. The desktop was displayin
the contents of the desktop folder under my name, which was empty. M
Dads icons were back and I had the icons I needed.

I don't understand why Microsoft call this option "Show Desktop Icons"
It seems to be quite a bad description - it's not obvious what it does
some desktop icons are always showing whether "Show Desktop Icons" i
selected or not. It should be "Show Desktop Icons of Currently logge
in User" or something. And have a proper explanation pop-up

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