Can't place icons on the bottom row of the desktop (Windows 7)

Question

It seems since I connected a third monitor the desktop icons can't be placed at the bottom row.

Here's a screenshot:

Any idea how to fix this? Thanks.

Solution

This has to do with the icon vertical spacing. Whatever you have it set to, there isn't a full row remaining below (between what you see & the taskbar) so the bottom full row seems as if it has a row of space below it, when actually it's not enough space for another row.

So if you want to have the icons land lower, you have to adjust the vertical spacing for icons. I usually do this a pixel or two at a time.

In Windows 7, it's in the Display Properties as right-click on empty space on the desktop > Personalize > Window Color > Advanced Appearance Settings > Icon Spacing (Vertical). Just bump it up a pixel or two at a time, then re-auto-arrange the desktop etc. until you find a setting that arranges the rows so that the top is at the top & the bottom is close enough to the bottom to suit you.

I'm not sure if I'm being clear, but simplified: suppose the screen is 100 pixels high. If you set the icon spacing to 13 pixels, you'll fit 7 rows and have 9 pixels left at the bottom (out of the 13 needed for another row), so it might look very much like your posted image. But if you set the vertical spacing to 12 pixels, it will only have 4 left at the bottom, so will seem to be more of a "bottom row".

Comments

[krowe]

Since you'ce called (Debras) correct answer to this question, 'not useful', you may be hapier with simply disabling this feature altogether. Right click on the desktop and deselect 'View->Align Icons to Grid'. This will let you put the icons exactly where you like.

[Andres]

I actually tried that solution before, trouble is that icons they get too close together if I decrease the distance between them.

[Andres]

To complete the comment above, here is an image of how it looks if I apply that solution: s18.postimg.org/m2mtipdvb/44454.jpg

[Andres]

no, that's even worse, i don't need to change the distance between icons, i just want to be able to place icons near the task bar.

[Debra]

Andres, when you have them aligned to the grid, you have to adjust the vertical spacing if you want them to land closer to the taskbar. Please go back to my example above about how they are arranged -- there is not enough room left below them now to put another full row in. The location of the rows is completely based on that icon vertical spacing setting, so this is the only way to fix it unless you want to turn off the auto-alignment & then place them closer manually. You won't notice a 1-2 pixel change, but it will cumulatively change where the bottom row lands.

[Andres]

No, not useful.

[fixer1234]

Are you sure this is a solution to the problem described in the question?

[Zook]

Yes, I had the same problem, and this fixed it. That's why it says "Worked for me". Have you tried this solution?

[Zook]

Try doing the opposite of the solution and see if that causes the problem for you. For reference, my screen resolution is 1920 x 1080.

[fixer1234]

Good suggestion, but I use Linux so it isn't an issue in either direction. I suppose that could be considered another solution. :-)

[krowe]

@fixer1234 I know this was a long time ago but the same principal would apply to Linux. The idea is that your total icon size will also include the text size. This is a heavy handed approach because this is changing the text size system wide just so that you can get your desktop icons the way you want them. You probably wouldn't really want to solve it this way unless you really do want everything resized.

[I say Reinstate Monica]

Welcome. This sounds like an answer; why do you describe it as a bug?

[Toto]

This doesn't answer the question.