Desktop grid/icon placement

[Lunaray]

How do I change the invisible desktop-grid so that I can put my icons where
I want them, and yet use "align to grid" to keep them aligned? I've tried
re-defining the "icon-spacing" in desktop properties/advanced, but this
doesn't seem to change anything, my icons still jump to a grid that is too
widely spaced (vertically that is; the horizontal alignment is okay)!

Thanks!
--
Ray: www.rayspace.com
"I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere,
than in any city on earth" - Steve McQueen

[Jonathan Maltz [MS-MVP]]

Right click your desktop, mouse over "Align icons by..." and uncheck "Align
to grid"

--
--Jonathan Maltz [Microsoft MVP - Windows Server]
http://www.imbored.biz - A Windows Server 2003 visual, step-by-step
tutorial site :-)
Only reply by newsgroup. If I see an email I didn't ask for, it will be
deleted without reading.


"Lunaray" > wrote in message
...
> How do I change the invisible desktop-grid so that I can put my icons
where
> I want them, and yet use "align to grid" to keep them aligned? I've tried
> re-defining the "icon-spacing" in desktop properties/advanced, but this
> doesn't seem to change anything, my icons still jump to a grid that is too
> widely spaced (vertically that is; the horizontal alignment is okay)!
>
> Thanks!
> --
> Ray: www.rayspace.com
> "I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere,
> than in any city on earth" - Steve McQueen
>
>

[Lunaray]

Thanks Jonathan, but I don't think you understand; I know that I can uncheck
"align to grid" and put the icons anywhere that I want, but then I have to
meticulously line them up manually and I would like to have "align to grid"
do it for me, it's just that the grid-size needs to be changed to allow me
closer vertical alignment. Does this make any sense?

"Jonathan Maltz [MS-MVP]" > wrote in message
...
> Right click your desktop, mouse over "Align icons by..." and uncheck
"Align
> to grid"
>
> --
> --Jonathan Maltz [Microsoft MVP - Windows Server]
> http://www.imbored.biz - A Windows Server 2003 visual, step-by-step
> tutorial site :-)
> Only reply by newsgroup. If I see an email I didn't ask for, it will be
> deleted without reading.
>
>
> "Lunaray" > wrote in message
> ...
> > How do I change the invisible desktop-grid so that I can put my icons
> where
> > I want them, and yet use "align to grid" to keep them aligned? I've
tried
> > re-defining the "icon-spacing" in desktop properties/advanced, but this
> > doesn't seem to change anything, my icons still jump to a grid that is
too
> > widely spaced (vertically that is; the horizontal alignment is okay)!
> >
> > Thanks!
> > --
> > Ray: www.rayspace.com
> > "I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere,
> > than in any city on earth" - Steve McQueen
> >
> >
>
>

[Jonathan Maltz [MS-MVP]]

Oh, I understand. I don't think that can be changed

--
--Jonathan Maltz [Microsoft MVP - Windows Server]
http://www.imbored.biz - A Windows Server 2003 visual, step-by-step
tutorial site :-)
Only reply by newsgroup. If I see an email I didn't ask for, it will be
deleted without reading.


"Lunaray" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks Jonathan, but I don't think you understand; I know that I can
uncheck
> "align to grid" and put the icons anywhere that I want, but then I have to
> meticulously line them up manually and I would like to have "align to
grid"
> do it for me, it's just that the grid-size needs to be changed to allow me
> closer vertical alignment. Does this make any sense?
>
> "Jonathan Maltz [MS-MVP]" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Right click your desktop, mouse over "Align icons by..." and uncheck
> "Align
> > to grid"
> >
> > --
> > --Jonathan Maltz [Microsoft MVP - Windows Server]
> > http://www.imbored.biz - A Windows Server 2003 visual, step-by-step
> > tutorial site :-)
> > Only reply by newsgroup. If I see an email I didn't ask for, it will be
> > deleted without reading.
> >
> >
> > "Lunaray" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > How do I change the invisible desktop-grid so that I can put my icons
> > where
> > > I want them, and yet use "align to grid" to keep them aligned? I've
> tried
> > > re-defining the "icon-spacing" in desktop properties/advanced, but
this
> > > doesn't seem to change anything, my icons still jump to a grid that is
> too
> > > widely spaced (vertically that is; the horizontal alignment is okay)!
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > > --
> > > Ray: www.rayspace.com
> > > "I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere,
> > > than in any city on earth" - Steve McQueen
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[toddkozi]

I just tried adjusting my verticle icon spacing.
It wasn't apparent that the spacing had changed even after applying the =

changes. But, having applied the changes, unsnapping from grid and=20
finally resnapping to grid again made the changes apparent. Of course if=
=20
you've halved the grid then your icons will be on the desktop grid in=20=

same position but 2 grid spaces away. When I did it some gaps appeared=20=

due to trying to put icons on nearest snap-to points.
Odd. I never knew there was a grid. Thanks for asking!
-
Todd

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 8/29/2003, 11:15:52 PM, "Lunaray" > wrote regardin=
g=20
Desktop grid/icon placement:


> How do I change the invisible desktop-grid so that I can put my icons =

where
> I want them, and yet use "align to grid" to keep them aligned? I've=20=

tried
> re-defining the "icon-spacing" in desktop properties/advanced, but thi=
s
> doesn't seem to change anything, my icons still jump to a grid that is=
=20
too
> widely spaced (vertically that is; the horizontal alignment is okay)!=


> Thanks!
> --
> Ray: www.rayspace.com
> "I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere,
> than in any city on earth" - Steve McQueen

[Bobsoft]

I can't believe that I couldn't get a hit on Google about
this - perhaps because it was so simple *egg-on-face*.

I feel MS should've crafted the UI a little better so
this cumbersome step was not required - oh well, maybe
next time.

Heehee. New subscriber here. Don't feel bad! I've been looking for this answer for a while. Being a Win3.0, Win3.1, Win3.11, WFW3.11, Win95a, Win95b, Win98, Win98SE, WinMe, Win2000 user (*pant* *pant*), it wasn't obvious to me. My problem was I was approaching the XP desktop like all those previous OSes.

For all future hunters of the Windows XP Desktop Grid, here's how it works:

Right-click the desktop, select properties, click the Appearance tab, click the Advanced button and modify the Icon Spacing settings under "Item". Click OK, OK and you're back to the desktop. Here's the secret. Right click the desktop, select "Arrange Icons by" and uncheck "Align to Grid". Right-click the desktop, select "Arrange Icons by" and check "Align to Grid".

The problem is the icons don't jump into place when you "Arrange Icons" by Name as they did in the past (I just tested it in Windows 95 - that was the older method). We do have to go through more hoops to force the icons to "align" to the grid when it comes to the desktop. This is just typical of OS upgrades.

I once saw a cartoon where this poor dejected fellow is tapping hopelessly on his PC keyboard saying: "Hmm, they must've improved the system again: can't do anything with it."

Bob