Do icons on my desktop mean programs are running or will they otherwise slow down my system?

Read the article that everyone's commenting on.
Subscribe to the RSS Feed for comments on this article.

Thanks for your answer, Leo. It makes perfect sense to me and I'm glad to have been proven right at 58 and the Mom of 3 grown children who were SURE they knew better! Your suggestion to access shortcuts from the quick-launch area is a great idea. Can you enlighten this less than savy Mom on how to clean my desktop by moving shortcuts from the desktop to quick-launch? Thanks a million!

Sandy, simply dragging the shortcuts from the desktop to quick launch would do the job.

Pressing the "ctrl" key while selecting would let you select all of them one by one, and dragging any one to quick launch would drag all of them.

But the desktop shortcuts would remain there and you'd have to delete them manually once all have been sent to quick launch. Unless someone else know a better way.

For those of you who are not as neat as Leo, and like to fill your desktop with tons of files and other stuff, there is a quick and instant way to get to your desktop.

Simply press: WIN+D

That means press the the windows key + D.

(An easy way to remember this is that the letter D stands for "desktop".)

It will instantly show you the desktop, and you can then click your programs and files there.

Press Win+D again to return to the program you were originally working on.

Otherwise if you are a neat freak, then you are better off following Leo's example!

(But in my experience most people don't spend time tidying their desktop. I guess their more of the mad-artist types, as opposed to the engineering-scientific type! So if you are one of mad-artist personality types then use the Win+D combination to reveal your chaotic desktop. It works great.)

I create a folder called 'Toolbox'. All the shortcuts to the programs that use on a regular basis go into the Toolbox. Leeps my desktop from being too too cluttered. I even have people copying me on that idea at work.

You can also add a "Desktop" quick launch on your taskbar by right-clicking on your task bar and choosing "Desktop." This will give you a pop up menu on your taskbar that contains all your desktop items. This way, you don't have to minimize anything to get to the desktop item of your choice.

Leo, as a way to reduce the number of icons on my desktop, I created a couple new folders, one called "Utilities," another called "Often Used." I then dragged the appropriate icons into each folder and ended up with a cleaner desktop.

Because I'm fairly competent regarding computer software -- OK, I'm a geek -- I am often asked by friends to help them with some problem or other on their computer. It has been my experience over these many years that the organization of the icons on the desktop is a pretty good predictor of how much work I will be doing. A messy, disorganized desktop usually indicates a messy, disorganized approach to using the computer. Those folks tend to download every program they see, and they download them to the desktop. They don't run AV, backup, or any other utilities. And they just tend to view the computer as some "magic box" that will take care of itself (possibly too many Star Trek episodes). Most of them are very intelligent, but have unrealistic expectations regarding their silicon friends. On the other hand, people who take the time to organize their icons in some way, any way, tend to have fewer problems. When they do have problems, they tend to be less severe. Whether their organization consists of grouping icons on the screen, or using folders, or by using the Quick Launch tool bar, they just seem to understand the need for some care and maintenance when it comes to their computer. I do believe there is a lot of that right brain/left brain concept in this. The folks who are more creative and artistic seem to have a less-organized computer than those logical, objective types. I know it's dangerous to generalize, but when I see a monitor that is covered from top to bottom with dozens (hundreds?) of icons, I just know I'm in for a long session.

I have 8 Icons on my desktop, for some reason years ago I download pycons (Monty Python icons) I use the police dog for security programs, a sheep for games, Wanda the fish for unused (2), A musical symbol for my music files, and a file folder for my word/works documents. I have found I can find what I need fast, without too much on the desktop. But then I also change my pictures on my desktop regularly to pictures I like.

Your neat Desktop articles were very informative.....I would like to know however, Where can I get new Icons, besides the usual window's Icons so I can change them to more likable ones.

I organize my desktop into 4 regions, each occupying a corner. They are machine maintenance stuff, Internet related programs, media programs, and the productivity.

To post a comment on "Do icons on my desktop mean programs are running or will they otherwise slow down my system?", please return to that article's main page.