Duplicate Icons on Desktop

This is something that has puzzled me the whole time I've had XP Pro installed on my laptop and desktop computers (more than 18 months), but I keep forgetting to ask about it. I can find no references in the MS Knowledge Base, nor in a search of the BBS, but I can't believe that the problem is unique to my two computers.

Normally, the only three icons on my Desktops are XP DESKTOP/XP LAPTOP (My Computer), NETWORK (My Network Places), and TRASH (Recycle Bin). If I drag any other icon from the Start menu to the Desktop, or add an icon to the Desktop folder (same thing, actually), or, if a newly installed program places an icon on the Desktop, the new icon shows up twice. If I delete either of them the other becomes non-functional, and disappears when the Desktop is refreshed.

Before anyone asks, I have formatted and reinstalled XP Pro numerous times on both computers, and the odd behavior has recurred every time.

Has anyone else experienced this weird behavior and, more to the point, does anyone have a fix?

 

Take a look at This thread from Experts Exchange.

 

Newt ...

Thanks for the link to a very interesting thread. Lots of ideas tossed about, but the other guy's situation, which is identical to mine, was not resolved.

Because I don't work from the Desktop I have only three icons there, and probably don't need them. I suspect that my "problem" has to do with the way I've customized my computer, but it's not important enough to spend a lot of time on.

 

Jim - I knew there was never a solution for that guy. Just thought you might be interested in all the things he did try that didn't help.

And further searching did locate more folks with the same problem but never a solution.

If it is worth a little more time & effort to you, you can always open a tech support case with Microsoft. Should be free since it is a system issue and with all the reports out there, they may well have a fix and just haven't posted it yet.

I've mentioned before on other threads that the few times I've used their tech support I've been happy with it. Done usually via email and they have some sharp folks with access to lots of info that isn't public.

 

Newt ...

I just discovered the answer, quite by accident.

I just reformatted my laptop and, after installing XP Pro, began to rebuild my system. One of the first steps, for me, is to install TweakUI, so I can reassign the location of most of the system folders, simply because I don't want them in their default locations (C:\My Documents becomes E:\Documents, C:\Program Files becomes D:\Programs, etc.).

As I'm the only user of my computer, I've also always tried to reassign as many of the folders from my personal folder (C:\Docs & Settings\JSS) to the \All Users folder as TweakUI will let me and, of course, that includes the Desktop folder, which contains the Desktop shortcut icons.

If the Desktop folder location is reassigned, the desktop icons (other than My Computer, My Network Places, and Recycle Bin) will be duplicated. If left assigned to the user's personal folder,they will not be duplicated.

It was as simple as that, but who knew?

 

Whoof. Nasty trick but good to know.

And I agree, who'd have thunk it??

 

Hi,
This thread is of interest to me because I have had a similar problem for about three years
Almost as soon as I got my Pc I lost the ' Send to desktop - create shortcut' from the Send To menu
So I dragged the Desktop folder to the Send To folder to get it back.
By mistake I dragged the Windows / Desktop folder instead of the one shown at the root in Explorer.
Not a big worry really - I just use quick start icons. But I would quite like a fix if anyone knows how, please
(I have never needed to do a clean reinstall - 98SE. In spite of trying must be 200 progs.)