how to stop icons from rearranging?

[dintymoore]

I'm new to OS X. In the desktop view options, I have nothing checked, however the icons for my two hard drives are constantly being rearranged when I restart.
Is there any way to make it like OS 9 so that no matter what the hard drive icons are always in the same place?
Thanks

[ixchup]

I'm new to OS X. In the desktop view options, I have nothing checked, however the icons for my two hard drives are constantly being rearranged when I restart. Is there any way to make it like OS 9 so that no matter what the hard drive icons are always in the same place? Thanks

The easiest way to make the hard drives stay put is to use the Arange By menu commands and arrange by Name (which will alphabetize the volumes) or one of the other options. The Arrange By menu is located under the View menu on the top of the screen.

But, seriously, I wouldn't worry about viewing your hard drives on the desktop (these are really volumes). Use the Finder preferences and cause them to appear in the left side of the Finder window. The volumes will always stay in the order you place them and you can access them more quickly because you only need to click once to see their contents. The Volumes will appear under "Devices" title if you are running Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5x) or at the top of the Finder window under older systems. You then do not have to display the drives on the desktop at all. Let the Finder manage your files and drives.

Hope that helped.

[dintymoore]

Yes, thanks, that does help.
I'd rather have no icons on the desktop, I've never been fond of the whole Apple Icon thing, a little too cutesy. I use mine for music so a black screen would be wonderful.
I'm using OS 10.4.11. So in the Finder/Preferences/General window, I see I can turn off the Hard disks from showing on the desktop.
What I don't see is where you access them in the Finder. I have 2 hard drives in my 800 MHz Quicksilver, one is partitioned so it shows up as 2 icons in the desktop. So that's 3 total.
I like where this is going, though.
Could you be more specific as to where the hard drives show up "up top" in the Finder?

[ixchup]

In the Finder Preferences, look for a tab or icon called "Sidebar". On that screen you delineate what type of devices and folders should be displayed. Each volume is considered a separate device. You can also drag the volumes from the Finder's window when in the "Computer" view to the Sidebar. I'm working from Leopard but the configuration didn't change that much between Tiger and Leopard.

Tell me whether that worked.

[dintymoore]

When you say "In the Finder Preferences, look for a tab or icon called "Sidebar". On that screen you delineate what type of devices and folders should be displayed"...

Displayed where?

I see that list and all in the Finder's Preferences, but when you quit the Preferences and go to the desktop, where is that sidebar list?

Do you mean the sidebar when you hit the Finder in the Dock?
I don't use the Dock, I've killed it, can't stand it.
When running Cubase for a music studio, that thing is horrible.
Overall, OS X seems very ill conceived. It seems like it constantly is being heavily tweaked and gives no impression that it is a finished product.
I hope you don't mean in the Dock...

Thanks

[dintymoore]

In short, I guess I got my answer: "how do you stop the icons from constantly rearranging?"
answer: you can't, it's part of marvelous OS X.

Are they building in f-ups so we'll buy OS 11?

[jaxjason]

I don't use the Dock, I've killed it, can't stand it.

OS X seems very ill conceived

Are they building in f-ups so we'll buy OS 11?

One question, if you guys hate macs so much, why are you using them?
You can get a new WinPC for under $400 that doesn't have the dock and have the 'wonderful' XP on them (if you buy it fast before all the older XP PC's are gone and your stuck with VISTA, talk about ill-conceived!)

Hope you find a solution you like that fits your needs,
Jason

[dintymoore]

"One question, if you guys hate macs so much, why are you using them?"

For me, because my music career is based on using a program called QMidi, which is the, by far, the best computer program I've ever seen. Tweaked with ResEdit, it displays the lyrics and sheet music to my music on stage and turns the music pages at the right time. There is no program that even comes close available on a PC. The program costs $15. Everyone is blown away by what the program can do onstage. It works best on OS 9, so I'll continue to use that on stage as it's the best 2008 has to offer.
I have about 50K in studio gear, and to switch to Windows, I'd have to stop my studio for months, and in the end be able to do less.
Simply put, the professional music world of WinPC is no where near where Macs is. Also, the chances of viruses on OS 9 (which I still use on stage because it's superior), is unlikely, to put it mildly.

"You can get a new WinPC for under $400 that doesn't have the dock and have the 'wonderful' XP on them (if you buy it fast before all the older XP PC's are gone and your stuck with VISTA, talk about ill-conceived!)"

I paid $15 for my last G4, and a friend gave me a dual processor G4 for free. I have 4 Mac desktops and 5 iBooks. Much of the outboard music gear I have was made for Macs only.
The Atari 1040ST came with a MIDI port on the back. That started the music programmers on Atari, and they switched to Mac because it was near the same, that's where this all started - with the built-in Atari MIDI jack, that's why Mac's are still ahead of PC's in music.

None of the music pro's I know use Windows.

"Hope you find a solution you like that fits your needs,
Jason[/QUOTE]"

So far so good - all black screens, no icons, the computer looks like it's off.

To me, all computers suck in 2008.
Main problems 1) throw away the hard drive, they won't be needed much longer and are noisy and hot and it's a wonder they last as well as they do at 7200 rpm.
2) software based operating systems - why?
Burn the OS to a chip so it's instant on like a pocket calculator. Hard to do if the OS isn't finished and needs daily upgrades like OS X does...

Yes Mac's suck, but for me less than WinPC's.
So far I'd say OS 9 is way better than OS X, but your can't use OS 9 for stuff like YouTube and emailing so I'm putting up with it 'til I can trash it, the sooner the better, it really is an unfinished awkward system.

[jaxjason]

I paid $15 for my last G4, and a friend gave me a dual processor G4 for free.

Ok, can't beat that! I am very glad you found software for the price you did that does what you want. Just remember that you NEVER want to get any mac newer than a G5 to run your stuff. no Intel mac runs OS9, and some of the G5's don't I think, so be careful if you get more donated hardware.

As for your expectations, it would be nice to have the OS on a chip, but you have to also take into consideration some business economics along with your wishes. I am no expert on software on a chip, but I don't think upgrading that to a newer OS version would be as easy as a software based upgrade system. you would always be locked into the max storage size of the given chip as to what can be put on it. On a software based system, maybe a new HDD and you have all the space you need for the new system to be installed. Just my 2 cents.

Really happy you got your answer,
Jason

p.s. I LOVED the ATARI ST computers. All I had till I was forced to get a laptop in college. (Well all I owned, used apple IIE and Macs in school)

[dintymoore]

Here it is some 1/2 year+ since I started this thread...

I'm getting around on OS 10.4.11 pretty well now.

Still the original question of this thread remains for me, and that's why I'm bumping this up now.

Is there any way to lock the position of the icons on the desktop so they are in the same place every time you power up?

thanks!