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How to disable "There are unused icons on your desktop"

by Steve Wiseman on November 14, 2006 · 13 comments

in Windows

This has to be one of the most annoying “features” of windows:

There are unused icons on your desktop

I don’t think there has ever been a time when it has been useful to me. It is one of those things you put up with, but never find how to disable it.

I got tired of it today, and I will share the answer with you. The setting for this is actually in the display properties.

First get into the control panel (Start->Settings-Control Panel)

Click on Appearance and Themes

Click on Display

Click on the Desktop Tab, and see the button below “Customize Desktop” Click on it

Now you can un-check the desktop cleanup wizard…and never be bothered by this insanity again!

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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Dave October 24, 2009 at 6:37 am

Tips like this are what make the internet worthwhile!

Thank you

2 Marc November 2, 2009 at 8:33 am

Thank you for the tip.. Will apply it to all my computers..

3 Chris November 9, 2009 at 4:01 am

Just what I was looking for – thanks.
There’s a slightly quicker way of getting to the control. Right-click the desktop background and choose “Properties” from the menu that appears. Then click on the “Desktop” tab and you’ll be on the penultimate image above.

4 G. Host November 20, 2009 at 7:23 pm

I agree with Chris. If you have changed from the default (all of Windows settings seem to be by default annoying) annoying new graphic menu the steps mentioned do not work but Chris’s work either way.

5 Steve Wiseman November 22, 2009 at 1:46 am

Very true. The way Chris describes is the best.

6 Preston Nevins December 15, 2009 at 6:11 am

Thank you! Simple and useful!

7 Bill January 14, 2010 at 6:34 pm

Thanks a lot. This thing is almost as bad as Clippy.

8 Ceige January 29, 2010 at 12:26 pm

Thank you God!!! That was driving me crazy! (that popping sound when it shows up)
Windows – The Annoying ‘Friend’ that never really has much to say that’s useful….

9 Shaggy March 2, 2010 at 11:09 am

Thanks!

I found this really useful, as I have desktop icons turned off and always found this pop-up really annoying!

10 Kurt Littlewood June 8, 2010 at 12:51 am

Thanks so much! My heart is lighter. Life is stressful enough with out windows awfull “reminders”. If only Windows programmers and directors could grasp the concept of simple and reliable.

11 darkstar June 11, 2010 at 9:43 am

thanks…is there anyone on the planet who hasn’t put up with this Windows nag umpteen times, or who has actually WANTED to run that stupid ‘desktop clean up’ wizard? Why on Earth would ANYONE think that users can’t decide for themselves when they want to remove icons from their desktop? Finally got tired of telling it to go away today

12 Rochelle July 5, 2010 at 4:04 pm

THANK YOU!! This will be one less aggravation in my pc life!

13 Kip August 30, 2010 at 7:39 pm

Thank You!! This “feature” would not be so annoying if, when the balloon appeared, clicking on the “x” would make it go away until the next 60-day cycle. But NO — M$ knows better than I what I want. I _want_ to be pestered by this nuisance every 6 minutes. NOT!

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