Questions tagged [desktop]
The part of a graphical user interface upon which other elements like icons, windows, toolbars or widgets are placed. For questions about software that provides this interface (like Gnome or KDE), use the [desktop-environments] tag. For questions about non-portable personal computers, use the [desktop-computer] tag.
1,194
questions
113
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Is there a way to fake a dual (second) monitor
Is there a way to fake a dual monitor for testing.
I have only one monitor and I have to make an application that is suitable for two monitors.
The second monitor screen should appear as a window ...
- 1,513
102
votes
4
answers
64k
views
Icon? file on OS X desktop
When I ls my Desktop from terminal (by using ls ~/Desktop), I see a file named Icon?. As far as I can tell, it's empty (nano Icon? shows nothing). It doesn't show up on my actual Desktop, and open ...
- 1,238
83
votes
14
answers
45k
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slow windows desktop keyboard shortcuts
I've got a couple of shortcuts on my desktop and on some of them I've configured the "Shortcut key" to a keyboard combination. For example I have a shortcut pointing to d:\documents\todo.txt ...
- 1,209
75
votes
5
answers
201k
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Disable auto-refresh tabs in Chrome Desktop
Since a recent update in Chrome (Windows, desktop) if I change to some tabs, which haven't been opened for a longer time, Chrome automatically performs a refresh on the page. It only happens, when the ...
- 853
68
votes
8
answers
237k
views
How to force Windows to save desktop icon positions?
Is there a way to force Windows to save desktop icon positions?
- 1,088
65
votes
11
answers
168k
views
How can I get to the recycle bin without the desktop icon in windows 7?
I hate having anything on my desktop. I usually remove all the icons from the desktop, even the recycle bin. Occasionally I need to access the recycle bin, but having to re-enable the icon just to ...
- 825
54
votes
10
answers
385k
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How do I remove a MyBook's "WD SmartWare" virtual CD from my desktop?
I recently got a Western Digital MyBook external hard drive to enable Time Machine. It has its software installed on a "virtual CD" called "WD SmartWare" which shows up on the desktop any time the ...
52
votes
3
answers
424k
views
How do I reduce the desktop icon size in Windows 7?
How can I reduce the size of my desktop icons if the video resolution is already on the highest setting?
- 739
43
votes
2
answers
206k
views
Can you change the location of the Desktop folder in Windows?
Right now the files on the desktop are located in C:\Users\Joseph\Desktop. So when I go to that folder in Windows Explorer and create a new text document, it would appear on my desktop.
What I need ...
- 27.4k
40
votes
3
answers
232k
views
What are these green checkmarks on my Desktop icons?
I was playing the solitaire they added back in Windows 10 and when I closed it I noticed there were these green checkmarks on my Desktop icons:
What are these green checkmarks on my desktop? How do I ...
- 401
40
votes
6
answers
20k
views
Hide desktop.ini for the desktop view only; still show hidden and system files
Is it possible to hide desktop.ini on the desktop, but show it when viewed in Windows Explorer?
Essentially, I need to be able to see hidden and system files when using Windows Explorer, but I ...
- 871
39
votes
11
answers
68k
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"Show Desktop" sometimes sets a window to "always on top"
No worries, not another "where is my show desktop button gone" question.
What I found under Windows 7, when you use the "Show Desktop" feature (I prefer the ⊞ Win + D shortcut) and then bring all ...
- 541
39
votes
4
answers
38k
views
Is there a way to quick switch between virtual desktops in win10?
On win10, I can switch between different virtual desktops using the following shortcuts:
Ctrl + Super + Left: go to the left desktop
Ctrl + Super + Right: go to the right desktop
However, I don't ...
- 863
37
votes
8
answers
60k
views
How to vertically split widescreen into two virtual workspaces on Ubuntu/Gnome?
My new laptop has a big 16:9 screen, and I'm finding it hard to fully utilize it during the 95% of the time that I'm not watching HD movies on it.
I'd like to set it up as a kind of virtual dual ...
- 827
36
votes
8
answers
191k
views
Can a fake second display be enabled in Windows 10?
I just updated to Windows 10 and discovered that Microsoft broke this method of adding a fake second monitor: Is there a way to fake a dual (second) monitor which I rely on for scaling some small ...
- 639
34
votes
3
answers
452k
views
How do I rotate Windows 8 screen?
Most mobile devices like tablets or smartphones have an orientation sensor that signals the OS to rotate itself when the device is rotated.
But having installed Windows 8 on a desktop (or virtual ...
- 2,715
31
votes
5
answers
26k
views
Why don't my users have separate desktops in Windows 10?
I have a family laptop where I have created separate users for my kids. My user is an admin, theirs are not. I had assumed that having separate users would have separate desktops. But I have installed ...
- 427
30
votes
3
answers
17k
views
Why do I have two desktop.ini files on my windows 8 desktop?
When I try to delete one of these two shortcuts, a message appears saying, "If you remove this file, Windows or another program may no longer work correctly."! I don't think that it is possible to ...
- 402
30
votes
4
answers
7k
views
How can I make OSX remember the desktop assignment of different chrome windows
Problem: When using google chrome browser (51.0.2704.103) on OSX (10.11.6) I often find myself losing my carefully ordered window placement between my many desktops. This happens if chrome happens to ...
- 821
29
votes
3
answers
64k
views
Windows 10: Change shortcut keys to switch between desktops [duplicate]
In Windows 10, the shortcut keys for switching virtual desktop are ctrl + win + right / left arrow. I'd like to simplify it, by changing it to ctrl + right or left arrow key only. How can I do this?
- 685
29
votes
7
answers
65k
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Why do my shortcut icons get broken on Windows 7?
I have a strange problem. My icons seem to disappear randomly on my Windows 7. They were there a while back, now they ain't.
It happens often and quite randomly. Anyone know a fix?
- 6,491
27
votes
5
answers
12k
views
Windows 11 desktop switching is slow since latest update
Since a recent Windows Update (2023-09 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030310) probably?), switching desktops is much slower.
I normally use Win+Tab, ...
- 6,262
27
votes
5
answers
49k
views
How can I have Windows 8 go to the desktop by default?
I've played around a smidge with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a VirtualBox VM and I think the improvements under the hood may be worth tolerating the Metro UI crap. I don't like that the entire ...
- 1,627
25
votes
2
answers
54k
views
Displaying wallpaper when desktop is locked in Windows 7
is it possible to lock the desktop in Windows 7 and have it continue to display your desktop wallpaper rather than the default Win7 locked-workstation screen?
- 3,507
23
votes
8
answers
78k
views
Loop pictures from a folder and display fullscreen slideshow
Need a Linux solution for looped slideshow from pictures in some folder. Pictures may be deleted and added, so it's a bonus if it doesn't stop/crash if currently shown picture is deleted.
- 429
22
votes
2
answers
14k
views
What is the difference between DESKTOP_SESSION, XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP, and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP?
I want to detect which desktop manager I am running, and I found out that there are three environment variables, DESKTOP_SESSION , XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP , and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP which could help me do ...
- 369
22
votes
1
answer
14k
views
Windows 10: How to save a virtual desktop session?
I work on multiple projects involving many different tools and therefore windows in my taskbar.
I use the virtual desktop feature of Windows 10 to avoid having a messy desktop.
I can let my laptop go ...
- 329
19
votes
5
answers
26k
views
Organize desktop icons on Windows into categories or sections
I want to organize my Windows desktop icons by categories. Multimedia, system tools, editors, etc. I need to define rectangular areas of the desktop, then place the shortcut icons. They would stay ...
- 1,355
19
votes
5
answers
45k
views
How can I restore a remote desktop session to the local console?
After I am finished with a remote desktop connection, I'd like to be able to restore the remote desktop to the local console so that the user doesn't have to re-enter the password and log back in.
...
- 1,744
19
votes
6
answers
41k
views
Windows Split Desktop Utility [closed]
Is there such a thing? I don't want multiple separate desktops, what I'd like to be able to do is split my main desktop into two areas so that an application in one when maximized won't take up the "...
- 334
18
votes
3
answers
64k
views
Tool to put text on desktop wallpaper [closed]
I'd like to put a list of keyboard shortcuts I want to learn on my desktop wallpaper so I can show and hide it quickly by pressing Win+D.
I'll want to be changing the list quite frequently as I ...
- 93
18
votes
5
answers
185k
views
Windows 10 Alt+Tab can't switch to desktop
In Windows 8, when Alt+Tab, the desktop would appear as an option to switch to at the end of the list of open programs (thus Alt-Shift-Tab helpfully took you right to the desktop).
In Windows 10 that ...
- 310
18
votes
8
answers
75k
views
Desktop Does Not Automatically Refresh When Moving/Renaming/Deleting Files & Folders in Windows 10
When I create a new folder on the desktop and give it a name, the new name does not take effect until I manually refresh the desktop. The same thing happens when I try to delete it.
This behavior ...
17
votes
5
answers
132k
views
How could I find out the path to the current desktop image?
I have Windows 7 displaying random images every minute from all of my photo directories and every so often there is one I really want to see again.
How can I either always display on the screen the ...
- 1,007
17
votes
8
answers
114k
views
How to create shortcuts to application on the desktop on Linux Mint 18 or up?
I want to create a shortcut to my program on the desktop on Linux Mint 18, but I simply can't find any ways to do this.
- 1,278
17
votes
4
answers
37k
views
Leave desktop visible but lock it
I am looking for a tool to lock my desktop (Windows) but leave the actual windows or at least snapshot of them visible.
Any recommendations?
- 1,251
16
votes
3
answers
28k
views
Why do I have to have administrator permissions to remove a desktop shortcut in windows 7?
How can I allow a non-admin user to customize their desktop?
- 750
16
votes
3
answers
31k
views
How do I prevent desktop shortcuts from being made in Windows?
It is a common practice to have installers place shortcuts by default on the desktop, but most installers allow you to disable this by unchecking the appropriate checkbox. There are also installers (...
- 238
15
votes
1
answer
14k
views
How to align desktop icons to grid in LXDE/Openbox?
Where is the option or config file to align the desktop icons to a grid in LXDE/Openbox?
- 2,707
15
votes
1
answer
36k
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How do I disable the Microsoft Edge search bar on the Windows desktop? [duplicate]
On Windows 10, recently a Microsoft Edge search bar started appearing on the desktop.
If you click the 3 dots menu there is an option to "Auto-launch search bar" which you can turn off and ...
- 3,747
14
votes
3
answers
23k
views
How do disable Win 7 show desktop feature (when mouse is in the lower right corner)
My Win 7 is installed on my laptop. When I use my mouse I am not always on a flat surface (ie on a couch or something like that) when I let go of my mouse to type it often moves a bit. When it does ...
- 6,726
14
votes
1
answer
62k
views
Whenever I change my desktop background, it changes my laptop's background as well
I recently got a new laptop. They're both Windows, so I used the same Microsoft account to log into both. When I turned my laptop on, it had the same background as my desktop, so I changed it, only to ...
- 157
14
votes
3
answers
41k
views
What are the desktop.ini files for?
My desktop has two hidden .ini files:
desktop.ini (370 bytes):
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21799
[LocalizedFileNames]
Microsoft Office - 60 Day Trial....
- 27.4k
13
votes
4
answers
16k
views
How many maximum number of Desktops can be created in Windows 10
In windows 10, there is an option to create Additional Desktops from Task View.
So my question is,
Is there any fixed number that represents maximum possible number of Desktop
created..?
- 1,643
13
votes
7
answers
26k
views
Is there a "save desktop icon arrangement" option in windows?
I normally work on Windows with a 1600x1200 or similar large desktop screen and have my icons laid out just perfectly so.
Every now and then I need to hook up to a projector or do a WebEx at 1024x768 ...
- 1,738
12
votes
1
answer
88k
views
Windows 10 shows OneDrive Desktop folder instead of real desktop folder
I installed OneDrive a few months ago but now I would like to get rid off it. It seems to be a challenge to get there..
My actual problem is the following:
The files on my desktop are saved in C:\...
- 461
12
votes
6
answers
73k
views
'Mouse click' sound keeps randomly happening on Windows 7
My PC keeps making a mouse click sound that happens when you open a folder or click a link on the internet. Thing is- it does it when nothing is open and there is no user activity.
It's almost like ...
- 629
12
votes
10
answers
97k
views
How can I get the real path of Desktop in Windows Explorer?
This has bothered me for ages, and I could not find the solution yet.
Open Windows Explorer.
Click on Desktop in the left sidebar.
Click on "Desktop" in the address bar.
Result: Instead of ...
- 2,694
12
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Windows virtual desktops: Cycle back to first desktop at end
Let's say I have three virtual desktops. I know I can navigate through them using:
ctrl + windows + left | right
However, is there a way to make it cycle back through to the beginning if I reach the ...
- 231
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is there a way to make Windows 8 delay loading the start screen until all startup programs have loaded?
Currently Windows 8 will get to the start screen a good 10-15 seconds before my startup programs have loaded. Since these include my touchpad driver as well as a gamma correction program, I would ...
- 111