Windows icons shift again once the screen goes to sleep
Windows icons shift again once the screen goes to sleep
Desktop icons shift constantly whenever the screen turns off, especially when scaling is enabled (like 125% or 150%). No changes when scaling isn't active.
This problem has consistently appeared across all Windows 10 releases up to now. It often shows up when adjusting resolution or updating a display driver. I still run an older version (Build 14393), tried the Creators update, but it actually caused more issues, so I went back to the previous version.
I faced a similar issue before too, though it happened less often.
Through some investigation I discovered the problem centers on how Windows manages the DisplayPort interface. When the screen turns off and the DisplayPort DDC link breaks, Windows transitions to a simulated monitor using a preset resolution. In my situation, this preset was configured to an unusual size; thus, I moved all desktop icons to the upper left corner. To determine what the "simulated" monitor actually is, I powered down the display and used SysInternals Process Monitor to inspect the registry path Windows was using. The last path accessed before the screen came back on was located at: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration\ACI28A3149242_27_07DF_9F^9B5BB1CAE0B279C3217B8F8B0ADC8E00. Within that path, a tree named "00" contained two keys: PrimSurfSize.cx and PrimSurfSize.cy. Beneath "00" was another branch labeled "00" with five keys, including ActiveSize.cx, ActiveSize.cy, DwmClipBox.right, PrimSurfSize.cx, and PrimSurfSize.cy. These values were consistently set to 1920 or 1080, suggesting Windows was forcing a resolution of 1920x180 while the monitor was off (the exact reason remains unclear). By adjusting each 1920 value to 3840 and each 1080 to 2160, the issue was resolved.
I arrived seeking a fix for this bothersome icon sorting problem, but it appears there isn't one available. The advice given so far are just temporary fixes. This issue occurs particularly when I wake up from sleep mode, causing all my icons to appear jumbled on one monitor. Additionally, turning off my monitors results in them shifting automatically to the active screen, sometimes disrupting their positions completely. I've tried various Windows and driver configurations, even made registry changes, but nothing resolved it. I suspect the problem might stem from a generic GPU type on my machine—not something advanced. The only workaround that helped was using a low-cost accessory: search for "monitor detect killer." Now, switching monitors or shutting them down doesn't change how Windows handles icons or their placement. Good luck!