Windows 10 and desktop icons...

[ChellDk]

OK, so I am about at my whits end with Windows 10 and it's rearranging my desktop icons. And not sure how to get it to stop doing this.

Symptoms:
When turning off the monitors or allowing the monitors to go into screen saver mode Windows 10 will rearrange icons from monitor 2 to monitor 1 but in random order. If the icons are set on monitor 1 then Windows will rearrange them on monitor 1.

Specs:
CPU: Intel 5960k OC'd to 4.6Ghz
Cooling: Corsair 105 Extreme
MOBO: Asus x99-A/USB 3.1
MEM: GSkill DDR4 2133 64gigs
VID: MSI GTX 980ti Gaming 6g SLI
HD: Intel 530 2x SSD RAID 0, Toshiba 240gig 2x RAID 0, WD 2TB
Monitors: 2x CTL x2800 4k and a Panasonic 32" HDTV
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Anti-Virus: Windows Defender

Steps to fix this issue:
Upgrade from Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro - did not resolve
Brand new install of Windows 10 Pro. did not resolve
Turn off auto align - did not resolve
Unplug second monitor - did not resolve
Unplug second and third monitor - did not resolve
Turning off screen saver and just turning all monitors off - did not resolve
Turning on screen saver but only turning off monitors 2 & 3 - did not resolve

A few articles listed on Microsoft about this ongoing issue people tried to point to anti-virus software as being the root cause, well that is not the root cause because I do not use any other than Windows Defender. If I am going to go to a site that I don't know or don't trust I always use a VM to view the site.

[Liania]

Do you by any chance have ESET installed?

[ChellDk]

Do you by any chance have ESET installed?

As I stated the ONLY anti-virus I am using is Windows Defender. ESET is not the root cause of this issue.

[Blackmist]

Have you connected the monitors via DisplayPort connections?

If so then I have good news and bad news.

The good news is we know what it is. It's a "feature" with DisplayPort.

The bad news is you can't turn it off.

As soon as the monitor is switched off, Windows assumes you've disconnected it.

Massive thread here complaining about it.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com...-detection-how

Couple of solutions in there. Your monitor may have a setting to pretend it's always on. The other solution appears to be cocking around with the cable and adding resistors.

[ChellDk]

Yes, the CTL monitors are connected via 1.2 DP, I have had this issue with 1 or 2 of the CTL's connected as well as with just the TV which is connected via HDMI.

- - - Updated - - -

Have you connected the monitors via DisplayPort connections?

If so then I have good news and bad news.

The good news is we know what it is. It's a "feature" with DisplayPort.

The bad news is you can't turn it off.

As soon as the monitor is switched off, Windows assumes you've disconnected it.

Massive thread here complaining about it.


Couple of solutions in there. Your monitor may have a setting to pretend it's always on. The other solution appears to be cocking around with the cable and adding resistors.

Thank you for the info on this. Really disappointing but that's life I guess. I guess maybe the solution would be to move way from DP cabling to HDMI 2.x cables?

[Krasuss]

When i had 3 moniotors, i was using Display Fusion to prevent Windows from screwing around with my icons, it has neat feature to save desktop icon positions and it can do much more stuff. I think there is free trial if you want to check it out.

https://www.displayfusion.com/Download/

[the boar]

odd.. i have windows 10 pro, and my main monitor is actually listed by windows as 'monitor 2,' but my icons have never been moved. my 'monitor 1' is usually off unless i am watching something, but i do not use screen savers.

other than setting 'monitor 2' to my main monitor i have changed no settings relating to display in windows. i also have an amd graphics card. maybe it is an nvidia software thing?

edit: oh yeah i do have some icons on both monitors. none have ever been moved by a ghost.

[Oviorasi]

If your monitors have different resolutions this can happen when one powers off. This happens to my wife who uses a television as her second monitor.