What's safe to remove from my desktop?

Hello to all,

Have tried searching for an answer to my question, but maybe am not using the correct wording when searching?

Anyway, what I would like to know is what is considered "safe" to remove from my desktop? (It's getting a little cluttered and I'd like to clean it up if I can?)

Any suggestions on how I can achieve this will be greatly appreciated! I am currenty running W98, IE5.5.

Thank you!
Vicki

 

An idea that I have used.

Create a new folder on the Desktop.

Then Drag-N-Drop the desired items into it.

You can also create several folders. Lets sasy one for games. And on for Utilities. I find it helps a lot to separate the various items.

BillyBob

 

Hi Vicki, In the Windows folder, you have these two sub-folders,
One is called Desktop and another is called Start Menu.
- copy all the files in the folder Desktop to the Start Menu folder
- delete all the files in Desktop folder
- copy files you really want on the Desktop from Start Menu folder to the Desktop folder
- make a copy somewhere of the Start Menu folder - just in case ...
regards

 

I believe what merlin suggests involves using Windows explorer. There in no need for that. It can all be done right from the Desktop. ( and safer too ) If you are not very carefull if using Windows explorer you may have things where you do not want them. ( been there myself TOO MANY times )

Do it all from the desktop so you can more easily see what is happening.

Create the new folder(s) and separate things to your liking.

Then just Drag-N-Drop it/them over to the Start Menu if you wish.

BillyBob

 

To add to the confusion ...

If there are icons on the desktop that you never, or seldom, use, right click on each, left click on Properties. If there is a "Shortcut" tab at the top of the window that opens, then the icon is only a shortcut (as opposed to the actual program itself) and can be deleted. Another shortcut to the program, should you ever need it, is most likely on the Start Menu, although you might check to make sure.

If it's just a shortcut it will probably have a tiny arrow on the lower left-hand corner of the icon but since that arrow can be removed, it's not a 100% sure way to identify shortcuts.

 

I agree with Miz That quite a few may well be just shortcuts. But they can also be very useful shortcuts.

That is why I suggest sorting them into various folder and then sort them out more latter.

Still more confusion.

Some of them may do NOTHING at all. Especially if the program associated with them has been removed.

BillyBob

 

Desktop Icons won't move

Hi, There are just certain items on my desktop that won't move at all. Why would this be? And how do I get them to move? Thanks

 

Lantakik --Won't move or cannot be deleted/hidden? What version of windows are you running?

 

There are just certain items on my desktop that won't move at all. Why would this be ?

I can not even begin to answer that as I have not as yet run into that. In either 98, 98SE or XP Pro.

BillyBob

 

I THOUGHT I had included this before but I see that I messed up.

To get right back to the ORIGINAL question.

NOTHING. Until you get them sorted out and know what each one does.

Creating folders and moving them into the, will help un-clutter the desktop till you can get time to check them out.

BillyBob

 

moving desktop icons

I just want to me them to a different area of the desktop, but they won't go. I am using Windows XP.

 

HHMMM !!!! Windows XP.

Could it have something to do with Users and/or permissions for same.

Could it be that the Adminstrator only has that permission ?

BillyBob

 

No, I don't think so, since some of the icons will move ok.

 

Lantakik --Well, now I am baffled. Some of the icons will move and some won't? When you right click on the Desktop|Arrange Icons By, you should be offered, among other options, Align to Grid and Auto Arrange. If either are checked that will affect your ability to move icons. But I would have thought it would be all, not just some. And I am talking about moving the icons, not hiding or removing.
Which icons are causing the problem?

 

Im going to throw a cat amongst the pigeons here.

I say you can delete ANYTHING that windows lets you delete. It wont let you delete items like recycle bin or my computer, and network neighbourhood, and anything else is just a shortcut. Shortcuts are not critical and 99.9% of the things that are shortcuts on your desktop will have a corresponding item in the start menu anyway, so you can use start menu to launch them later if needed.

So only keep what you use often on the desktop, and remove anything else it lets you remove. Of course dont delete any documents you have saved to the desktop, but you can use Windows Explorer to move such files to another location on C:, like c:\My Documents. People should never save actual docs to the desktop anyway, and only have shortcuts to docs on the desktop.You can do so by right clicking on a document or folder and choosing Send To- Desktop (Create Shortcut)

One of the posters above said something about not being able to hide the icons and asked what version of windows you are running. He/she failed to see this forum is in the WIndows 98 section of the BBS

Hiding desktop icons didnt become an option until Windows XP.

 

It's Worldwinner.com

 

Are you using a active/web desktop? Possibly a right click on the desktop>select properties>desktop tab>customize button>web tab>uncheck lock desktop items.

Also did you get lost? Your really in the wrong forum as this is win98, hence the confusion when you first asked for help. In the 98 forum information and instructions given are based on that operating system. As xp is a totally different animal most responses would not apply. I'm not scolding or critisizing. I know how easy it is to forget where you are and get carried away by the subject matter of topic. I've done it myself. This is just a gentle reminder that when you see something in one forum that should addressed in another, it might be better to tack a little thread (plus possibly a link) to inform others that you have the same issue but will ask it in the ? forum.

 

I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I was in the wrong forum.

Anyway, I finally got it to move, when I left clicked it showed the dialog box to move it, but wouldnt move . Then I just right clicked and dragged it and it moved.

Thanks so much for your help.

 

My Desktop

This is how I have it

BillyBob

PS.
-Plus I needed an excuse to practice my Web page work-

BB

 

Getting started.....

Thanks to all for your replies! I have started on getting my desktop cleaned up by using the suggestion from BillyBob to create new folders. (Thank you BillyBob!) But I do still have several questions.

After having performed the "drag-n-drop" of several of my seldom used icons into my new folders, some of them never "disappeared ". But after checking into the new folder I find them listed there as a shortcut. Would it now be safe to delete the original icon from my desktop now that there is a shortcut in the new folder????

I also have a question about "Then just Drag-N-Drop it/them over to the Start Menu if you wish ". I'm not sure how/what is meant by this? (I'm not very computer literate!)

I did also check out Merlin's suggestion about using Windows explorer (but didn't do anything there, just looked as I didn't trust myself doing it this way). But now I have a question about that as well. I noticed that there are 2 folders listed for "Desktop" as well as 2 folders each for "Cookies ", "History" and "All Users ". (These are listed under the C:\Windows folder) while all the other folders are only listed once. Is this normal or is there something messed up in there?

Just viewed your "desktop ", BillyBob, VERY neat!! I'm not going to try and clean mine quite that well, as I'm afraid I might not be able to find that certain "program" that I might need!

Thanks again!
Vicki