Hello,

Thanks for reaching out. I am here to help. This is typically caused by corruption in the icon cache, the desktop layout registry keys, or occasionally a display driver issue. Let’s figure this out together.

First, a few questions:

Did this start right after a Windows Update or driver update?

Are you using a single monitor or multiple displays?

Do you use any third-party desktop organizers or icon managers?

If you log in with another user account, do the icons stay arranged?

Are you signed in with a Microsoft account or a local account?

In the meantime, here are the steps that you can try.

Step 1. Rebuild the icon cache properly

Deleting the cache manually doesn’t always rebuild it clean. Try this method:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Run these commands one by one:

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

attrib -h IconCache.db

del IconCache.db

start explorer.exe

Restart your PC.

Step 2. Check Desktop Registry Settings

Note: Back up your registry first (File > Export in Regedit). Be very careful when editing the registry; incorrect changes can cause system issues.

Press Windows + R and enter regedit, and navigate to this path.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop

Make sure FFlags and LogicalViewMode haven’t been altered by a bug or app.

If needed, delete the Bags and BagMRU folders under ...\Shell, then restart. This resets all folder and desktop view settings.

Step 3. Update Display Driver

Sometimes the layout scrambles because the driver fails to remember the resolution/scale after reboot.

Open Device Manager > Display adapters.

Right-click your GPU > Update driver or visit your device manufacturer and download the latest Graphics driver available for your device.

Step 4. Fast Startup can reload cached layouts incorrectly.

Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.

Turn off Fast Startup. Restart and check again.

Step 5. Test a new user Profile

If icons stay in place there, your current profile is corrupted, and repairing or migrating to a fresh one will solve it.

Step 6. Check for Windows Updates. Since certain cumulative updates have caused icon layout bugs in the past, check for and install the latest updates in Settings > Windows Update.

You can also follow the steps outlined in this article.

Icons are changed unexpectedly in Windows

Please try these steps and let me know how it goes. If the icons still don’t stay in place, we can troubleshoot it further into advanced fixes or look at rebuilding your profile completely.

Note: Please use the Add a comment section below this message to reply, instead of using the Answer field, so that I’ll be notified of your response.