How to Lock Desktop Icons in Place
Method 1 of 3:
Using Auto-Arrange and Align on Windows
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Right-click on an empty space on your Windows desktop. This will open a small drop-down window. -
Click View. It's the first option at the top. -
Click "Auto arrange icons" so there is a checkmark next to it. This will reorder your desktop icons and keep them in a certain order so they can't be moved to other areas. -
Click "Align icons to grid" so there is a checkmark next to it. This will keep your icons neatly spaced and lock them to a grid layout.
Method 2 of 3:
Using DeskLock on Windows
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Go to the DeskLock download page in a web browser. In a web browser, go to http://www.intowindows.com/lock-desktop-icons-windows and scroll down towards the bottom of the page. -
Click Download Desklock. It's the link at the bottom of the article. -
Click DeskLock. It's the download link labeled "DeskLock v1.2" on the page next to the image of icons on a desktop. This starts the DeskLock download. -
Double-click the "DeskLock.exe" file. Go to the location you downloaded the DeskLock application and double-click it start the app. DeskLock is a small program and doesn't need to be installed.- By default, all downloaded files can be found in your Download folder.
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Right-click the DeskLock icon in your taskbar. It's a green icon with an "S" when it's not enabled. It's a blue and white icon with a yellow padlock when enabled. It's located in the bottom-right of the taskbar. -
Click Enabled. This turns on DeskLock and locks your desktop icons.- If your icons are not locked, right-click the DeskLock icon in the system tray and go to Settings. Then make sure the checkbox next to Lock icons is checked and press OK.
Method 3 of 3:
Sorting by Tags on Mac
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Right-click each desktop item. This opens a drop-down menu. On a Mac with a trackpad or a magic mouse, click the desktop item with two fingers, or hold the ⌥ Option key and click to perform a right-click. -
Select a colored tag. Use the colored tags to organize the desktop items however you wish. Icons will be arranged by color in the order they appear in the drop-down menu. -
Right-click an empty space on the desktop. This opens a drop-down menu. On a Mac with a trackpad or a magic mouse, click the desktop item with two fingers, or hold the ⌥ Option key and click to perform a right-click. -
Click Sort By. -
Select Tags. It's near the bottom of the pulldown menu. This will organize your desktop icons in the tag order you selected and they will then be locked in place.
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Kareem Winters
Update 04 March 2020