Desktop Rearrangement...

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Back in the old Win98se days Active Desktop was something best turned off,
as it caused in worst cases lockups, and at best you got
repeatedly-reshuffled icons and quite bored with seeing the "Rebuild my
Active Desktop" desktop.

So here we are again. I prefer my main icons like My Computer and the
Recycle Bin on the right edge of the screen. Just about every time I get up
to desktop from a boot, My Computer, My Documents, the Recycle Bin and a
shortcut to My Music I made - renamed "Musik", keep getting shuffled over to
the left side of the screen, and never the same spot.

Possible additional symptoms of something gone wrong with Active Desktop is
a slowness of folder/shortcut opening from the desktop, as well as an
ongoing cause to refresh all icons on the desktop when just viewing a
folder.

I've replaced my AGP graphics adapter with a Radeon 9550, and even after
full removal of drivers and remnants, rebuilding with current drivers,
removing and checking with older drivers, changing resolution and color
depth, switching to a BMP image for background, changing to NO background,
slowing down the acceleration, and even going back to the old AGP card (ATI
All-in-Wonder 128 Pro) temporarily, there's no change in this annoying set
of problems.

Smells like the as-yet-unfixed Logoff-to-fix-taskbar-oddness but I'm keeping
an open mind on this. When I first chose a JPG file for a background, I was
prompted to turn on Active Desktop, but have found noplace to disable it.
Suggestions are more than welcome as usual.

Thx.

--
Stephen Goodman
* Cartoons about DVDs and Stuff
* http://www.medialinenews.com
* http://www.earthlight.net/HiddenTrack
* http://www.earthlight.net/Gallery

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Regarding icon location - have you checked the following: Right click
desktop>Arrange icon by and verified "Auto arrange" and Align to grid" are
unchecked? Also previous version of "Active desktop" not available in XP.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL(KB3U) & Darlene Romanosky N. Ft.
Myers, FL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[GTS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Yes - active desktop was an absolute disaster in 98. (That mess has an
interesting history and was a direct result of illegal anti-competitive
activities by MS - clearly proven by internal MS documents exposed in the
antitrust trial..)

In any case, I suggest trying to change your desktop background back to one
of the standard bmps. Active Desktop in XP is automatically enabled by
certain events. Although this article is on a different issue it gives some
insight into that
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305117
--

"SP Goodman" <earthlight2k@invalid.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eKZINIIiFHA.3448@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Back in the old Win98se days Active Desktop was something best turned off,
> as it caused in worst cases lockups, and at best you got
> repeatedly-reshuffled icons and quite bored with seeing the "Rebuild my
> Active Desktop" desktop.
>
> So here we are again. I prefer my main icons like My Computer and the
> Recycle Bin on the right edge of the screen. Just about every time I get
> up to desktop from a boot, My Computer, My Documents, the Recycle Bin and
> a shortcut to My Music I made - renamed "Musik", keep getting shuffled
> over to the left side of the screen, and never the same spot.
>
> Possible additional symptoms of something gone wrong with Active Desktop
> is a slowness of folder/shortcut opening from the desktop, as well as an
> ongoing cause to refresh all icons on the desktop when just viewing a
> folder.
>
> I've replaced my AGP graphics adapter with a Radeon 9550, and even after
> full removal of drivers and remnants, rebuilding with current drivers,
> removing and checking with older drivers, changing resolution and color
> depth, switching to a BMP image for background, changing to NO background,
> slowing down the acceleration, and even going back to the old AGP card
> (ATI All-in-Wonder 128 Pro) temporarily, there's no change in this
> annoying set of problems.
>
> Smells like the as-yet-unfixed Logoff-to-fix-taskbar-oddness but I'm
> keeping an open mind on this. When I first chose a JPG file for a
> background, I was prompted to turn on Active Desktop, but have found
> noplace to disable it. Suggestions are more than welcome as usual.
>
> Thx.
>
> --
> Stephen Goodman
> * Cartoons about DVDs and Stuff
> * http://www.medialinenews.com
> * http://www.earthlight.net/HiddenTrack
> * http://www.earthlight.net/Gallery
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

"GTS" <x> wrote in message news:%233pOYuIiFHA.2180@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Yes - active desktop was an absolute disaster in 98. (That mess has an
> interesting history and was a direct result of illegal anti-competitive
> activities by MS - clearly proven by internal MS documents exposed in the
> antitrust trial..)
>
> In any case, I suggest trying to change your desktop background back to
> one of the standard bmps. Active Desktop in XP is automatically enabled
> by certain events. Although this article is on a different issue it gives
> some insight into that
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305117

Thanks.

I tried the change to standard bmp, no change. Also I've been unable to
find how to disable Active Desktop, even through
disinstallation/cleaning/reinstallation of drivers and a new graphics card -
no change in its misbehavior. Don't think logoff-on will help that one...

> --
>
> "SP Goodman" <earthlight2k@invalid.hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:eKZINIIiFHA.3448@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> Back in the old Win98se days Active Desktop was something best turned
>> off, as it caused in worst cases lockups, and at best you got
>> repeatedly-reshuffled icons and quite bored with seeing the "Rebuild my
>> Active Desktop" desktop.
>>
>> So here we are again. I prefer my main icons like My Computer and the
>> Recycle Bin on the right edge of the screen. Just about every time I get
>> up to desktop from a boot, My Computer, My Documents, the Recycle Bin and
>> a shortcut to My Music I made - renamed "Musik", keep getting shuffled
>> over to the left side of the screen, and never the same spot.
>>
>> Possible additional symptoms of something gone wrong with Active Desktop
>> is a slowness of folder/shortcut opening from the desktop, as well as an
>> ongoing cause to refresh all icons on the desktop when just viewing a
>> folder.
>>
>> I've replaced my AGP graphics adapter with a Radeon 9550, and even after
>> full removal of drivers and remnants, rebuilding with current drivers,
>> removing and checking with older drivers, changing resolution and color
>> depth, switching to a BMP image for background, changing to NO
>> background, slowing down the acceleration, and even going back to the old
>> AGP card (ATI All-in-Wonder 128 Pro) temporarily, there's no change in
>> this annoying set of problems.
>>
>> Smells like the as-yet-unfixed Logoff-to-fix-taskbar-oddness but I'm
>> keeping an open mind on this. When I first chose a JPG file for a
>> background, I was prompted to turn on Active Desktop, but have found
>> noplace to disable it. Suggestions are more than welcome as usual.
>>
>> Thx.
>>
>> --
>> Stephen Goodman
>> * Cartoons about DVDs and Stuff
>> * http://www.medialinenews.com
>> * http://www.earthlight.net/HiddenTrack
>> * http://www.earthlight.net/Gallery
>>
>
>

 

[GTS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I'm not certain that your problem is being caused by Active Desktop but if
so this should resolve it -
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm See Item 16 Active Desktop -
Enable or Disable.

Please let us know the result.
--

>
> I tried the change to standard bmp, no change. Also I've been unable to
> find how to disable Active Desktop, even through
> disinstallation/cleaning/reinstallation of drivers and a new graphics
> card - no change in its misbehavior. Don't think logoff-on will help that
> one...
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

"GTS" <x> wrote in message news:eQRe8%23ViFHA.1048@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> I'm not certain that your problem is being caused by Active Desktop but if
> so this should resolve it -
> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm See Item 16 Active
> Desktop - Enable or Disable.
>
> Please let us know the result.
> --
>
>>
>> I tried the change to standard bmp, no change. Also I've been unable to
>> find how to disable Active Desktop, even through
>> disinstallation/cleaning/reinstallation of drivers and a new graphics
>> card - no change in its misbehavior. Don't think logoff-on will help
>> that one...

The Enable-Disable didn't have a consistent result, for some reason.
Sometimes the opening of a window would cause a complete refresh of the
desktop, sometimes it didn't.

When I disabled the "Auto align to grid" - "auto arrange" was already off! -
the reshuffling stopped.

Thanks Al Romanovsky!

--
Stephen Goodman
* Cartoons about DVDs and Stuff
* http://www.medialinenews.com
* http://www.earthlight.net/HiddenTrack
* http://www.earthlight.net/Gallery

 

[GTS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

"SP Goodman" <earthlight2k@invalid.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OT9Jr3GjFHA.4028@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>
> "GTS" <x> wrote in message news:eQRe8%23ViFHA.1048@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> I'm not certain that your problem is being caused by Active Desktop but
>> if so this should resolve it -
>> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm See Item 16 Active
>> Desktop - Enable or Disable.
>>
>> Please let us know the result.
>> --
>>
>>>
>>> I tried the change to standard bmp, no change. Also I've been unable to
>>> find how to disable Active Desktop, even through
>>> disinstallation/cleaning/reinstallation of drivers and a new graphics
>>> card - no change in its misbehavior. Don't think logoff-on will help
>>> that one...
>
> The Enable-Disable didn't have a consistent result, for some reason.
> Sometimes the opening of a window would cause a complete refresh of the
> desktop, sometimes it didn't.
>
> When I disabled the "Auto align to grid" - "auto arrange" was already
> off! - the reshuffling stopped.
>
> Thanks Al Romanovsky!
>
> --
> Stephen Goodman
> * Cartoons about DVDs and Stuff
> * http://www.medialinenews.com
> * http://www.earthlight.net/HiddenTrack
> * http://www.earthlight.net/Gallery
>
You're welcome. Thanks for the update.