Hatrack River Forum: Another pointless, random question

This is topic Another pointless, random question in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=033842

Posted by Peter (Member # 4373) on :

How many icons on your desktop?

I have 9

Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :

0 on one computer, 4 on another, 8 on another.

Posted by jebus202 (Member # 2524) on :

We really need me to be elected as mod.

I would be like "WEEEWOOOWEEEWOOOOO! POINTLESS THREAD ALERT! WHERE'S MY DELETE BUTTON!? WEEEWOOOOWEEEWOOO"

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :

One, that d****d "Recycle Bin" that the Nazis at Microsoft force me to have on my desktop NO MATTER WHAT.

I never drag anything to it. If it were on my START menu I could find it just as easily. And I could SEE MY DESKTOP ART without interference if I could just get rid of it or make it invisible.

My screen is a place to display paintings and photographs, NOT some fiefdom in Microsoft's kingdom, where I have to provide a sinecure for Bill Gates's untalented cousin, named Recycle Bin.

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

http://www.tweakxp.com/article139802.aspx

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Cool, Boon!

Now, I tend to keep all sort of nonsense on my desktop. At the moment *goes to count* I have 43 icons there, a good percentage of which I never use.

But it doesn't bother me to have them there, so I don't do anything about it. I don't use the desktop much on this puter anyway -- more the Quick Launch buttons.

At work, where I use the desktop much more, I pare the desktop down more often, and probably only have about a dozen icons.

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

alternately, rightclick desktop, under "Arrange Icons By" click "show desktop icons". that will take it off your screen

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :

Way cool - will do the registry change tomorrow when I'm not so tired and therefore likely to inadvertently trash my entire machine. Hard to believe that Microsoft even made this POSSIBLE.

By the way, the rightclickthedesktop method doesn't persist. You can eliminate it for the nonce, but next time you reboot, there it is. I want a permanent change that I don't have to keep doing. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[ April 17, 2005, 04:14 AM: Message edited by: Orson Scott Card ]

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

[Smile]

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

You can also shrink your taskbar, so that your desktop is completely empty except for a itty-bitty blue sliver at the bottom.

[ April 17, 2005, 04:15 AM: Message edited by: Boon ]

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

[Hail]

Boon.

I can't believe I never noticed that before. [Wall Bash]

Thank you, Boon, for pointing out what should have been obvious. [Roll Eyes]

Edit to add: Doesn't persist after reboot? Then what THE HECK IS THE POINT? I'm with OSC - I want a permanent change. I never use the stuff on the desktop, and it gets in the way when I'm playing games, the mouse goes off the playing field, and I accidentally open stuff. It's a pain in the butt.

Empty desktop. That's what I want.

[ April 17, 2005, 04:22 AM: Message edited by: quidscribis ]

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

My first bowing grape! Thank you!

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Um, sorry to disappoint, Boon. It's now with a disappointing codicil. [Frown]

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :

Taskbar already shrunk - first thing I did when they first stuck that miserable thing along the bottom of the screen. I still resent that silver bar. Why should I have ANYTHING on my computer screen that I don't want there?

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

What a fickle follower you are, Quid!
[Hail]

Boon's first tweak persists through reboots, because it changes the registry or user config.

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

http://www.petri.co.il/delete_recycle_bin_icon_from_the_desktop_in_xp_2003.htm

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

I just reinstaled Windows and I also have only the Recycle Bin on the Desktop. However, right clicking on the desktop and then choosing not to show the icons works perfectly and permanently for me, so I can admire my desktop art in peace. I do NOT like, however, to have my taskbar hidden or whatever. It doesn't bother me at all and I like being able to see immediately what's running. Together with the minimized Winamp at the top of the screen these are the only concessions I make when it comes to desktop occupancy.

Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :

OSC, move to Linux.

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Haven't tried Boon's first tweak. That would require thought and concentration, and I have learned that, when I'm not feeling my best, I had better not attempt things that require such.

So I will decline any tweaks until this ear piercing pain is gone.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

You know, it absolutely breaks my heart to think that I replied to OSC's Recycle Bin complaint back when he first made it on another thread -- with links to TweakUI and to a site explaining how to make the registry change manually -- and he clearly never read that reply. *sniffles dramatically*

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

*pat pat*

Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :

Tom, I was wondering if I was suffering from deja vu or if I was just time traveling... I was that sure I'd read OSCs desktop comments while I was at the office, which would have meant Friday afternoon at the latest!

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :

Tom, that was two computers ago. I DID delete the recycle icon THEN. But each version of Windows puts it in a different place. For instance, BOTH of the regedit instructions shown in this thread lead to locations that I don't have. Bummer, huh? I have XP 2002 home edition with service pack 2. Apparently it's the secret edition without "namespace" ...

Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :

have you tried dragging the icon out of the visible desktop? Sometimes that works, but I've never tried it with the recycle bin.

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

XP Home == annoying at the very least

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

"Tom, that was two computers ago."

Last week? *blink*
It can't have been. I mean, yeah, I remember telling you how to get rid of the Recycle Bin a year or so back, but I also recall posting to a thread from just last week in which you complained about the WinXP Recycle Bin and I linked to a registry edit.

But what makes this mysterious to me is that I cannot now find this remembered thread, no matter what term I search for. Perhaps you never saw my reply because the thread was deleted for some reason; alternatively, perhaps I have started to hallucinate Hatrack threads. Precognitively. [Smile]

Seriously, though, try downloading Microsoft's free TweakUI PowerTool for XP. It's fully supported in SP1 and SP2, and gives you a pretty GUI interface for some customizations that would otherwise require registry edits.

[ April 17, 2005, 04:23 PM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]

Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :

ooooooooooooooo mass hallucinations

Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :

You know, I don't actually mind having a lot of icons; I have 22, ranging from the recycle bin to Star Trek episodes to shortcuts for programs I have no idea how I acquired. Periodically I go along and delete the annoying shortcuts though. My bar thingy at the bottom is extended to three "levels" so I can see all my programs and documents and their full titles which helps when I have about eighteen open.

Never bothered me one jot! [Dont Know]

Posted by ProverbialSunrise (Member # 7771) on :

I have 26 icons. 3 are folders. Is there a way to delete the HP Share to Web folder from my desktop. I can't find one. [Wall Bash]

Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :

Tom isn't hallucinating.

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :

Since we're talking about how to get your computer to do what you want it to...

Does anyone know how to make the taskbar stop grouping my items? Like how it puts all the Microsoft Words together and you have to click on it to get to one individual one? Because it drives me crazy, I'm fine with different levels and with things being small, but the stacking [Mad]

I have Windows XP Pro, I believe. Actually, I'd darn well better because they wouldn't let me buy it at the university store because they said I'd already bought it. I mean, yea, I was totally trying to buy it illegally for my dad, but they don't have to be so stingy about it [Grumble]

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

blacwolve: Right-click on the taskbar, then go to Properties. Fourth option from the top says: "Group similar taskbar buttons".

Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :

I had none-- there's a way to hide them. I just put the Icons on a menu on the taskbar.

--j_k

Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :

In my paranoid worldview, it is clear that Microsoft makes it difficult to hide for the express reason that OSC will remain dependent on Tom for relief from this problem [Big Grin]

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :

Thanks! I know it sounds stupid, but I never would have figured that out on my own.

Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :

[Hail]

Papa Moose [Kiss]

I knew I'd seen it recently!!!!!

And thank you, Corwin, the grouping was bugging me, too.

[ April 18, 2005, 12:18 AM: Message edited by: Goody Scrivener ]