[RESOLVED] how to lockdown (or restore) icon placement on desktop in windows 7

[terryZ]

my pc at work is running windows 7 with a virtual xp. on a separate thread, i was helped to set up the virtual xp. one of the very minor problems was with the icons wandering around. midknight, train or someone pointed me to a registery modification using layout.dll that added "save desktop icon layout" and "restore desktop icon layout" to the right-click menu of the "my computer" icon. it works beautifully, btw.

we have a pc here that a number of people use. from time to time, someone rearranges all the icons on the desktop and changes the wallpaper so it becomes a visual nightmare. i thought to use the layout.dll and layout.reg files to install the same ability to restore the icons that i have in the virtual xp machine.

unfortunately, it does not add the options to the right-click menu.

i've googled this but most ppl say to use the "align to grid", etc functions already in windows. that's not what i want tho.

thanks in advance,

terry

[Midknyte]

This is a fix for Vista, but it works in 7.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...windows-vista/

You can try something like ReIcon. It would allow you to save multiple layouts:
http://www.sordum.org/8366/reicon-v1...-icon-layouts/

[fink]

I use this one with windows 7..

http://desktop-restore.software.informer.com/

[Welshjim]

zeszut--
"someone rearranges all the icons on the desktop and changes the wallpaper "

If this is all the person is changing then perhaps the following is overkill. But if more changes are being made consider Deep Freeze.
http://www.faronics.com/products/deep-freeze/

[terryZ]

thanks, all.

sorry i didn't get back until now. i had continued searching and found something called "iconid". it's just what i was looking for. it runs smoothly in windows 7 and, as a bonus, i can hide it in the system tray and have it run at windows startup at which point it automatically restores the icons to their proper position.

now if it only restored the wallpaper it would be perfect. lol.

again, thanks for your input.

[Midknyte]

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16929...-in-windows-7/

[terryZ]

OMG.

thanks, midknyte!