Desktop icons going to the top right corner when moved/created

[baryon]

2019 16 inch Intel MBP.

When I move desktop icons, they often refuse to stay where I put them, and instead swim to the top right corner. I can't move them away from there. Any other icon I move will also swim to the top right corner, right on top of the ones already there, making it impossible to click any of the icons below the others. This can be worked around by disabling "snap to grid".

When creating a new folder or mounting a disk, these too appear on the top right corner on top of the other icons.

It's very annoying because I use the desktop a lot for temporary folder/files, screenshots, etc, and I keep having to do it through Finder.

No, I don't have Stage Manager or Stacks enabled.

Yes, changing the grid size temporarily seems to fix the issue, for about 3 minutes, then it returns.

Anyone else? Anything I can try to fix this? (Reset Finder to defaults somehow, clear caches, etc?)

 

[Nermal]

I haven't seen this specific issue, but since upgrading I've noticed that when I delete desktop icons they move to the top-right for a moment before disappearing. It's probably the same underlying issue, but I haven't got around to reporting it since it hasn't actually been a "problem" for me.

Since it's affecting you in a more annoying way I'll report it as a bug.

 

[Shazaam!]

I fill the top right corner with an invisible icon folder and give it an invisible "space key" name.

 

[hideous cheese]

I've had icon ordering problems on an external drive since Ventura, but worse now in Sonoma.

In Ventura I'd find that when I moved items to or from a folder - and if the folder was open while doing this - the icons would often rearrange alphabetically. If I closed the folder and reopened they'd be back in the custom order I set.

Now in Sonoma "arrange by none" and "snap to grid" just kind of get ignored 30% of the time. The icons organise alphabetically but I can no longer move them at all. Doesn't matter how I play with view options.

Then sometimes they just start behaving normally again, but only in some folders.

Its very annoying for the specific instances in which custom ordering is important for me.

 

[baryon]

Hope I don't speak too soon, but it seems like 10.14.1 fixed this!

 

[Nermal]

14.1 did not fix it (the slightly different issue I mentioned above) for me.

 

[baryon]

Nope, spoke too soon. The update didn't fix anything
Icons still flying around on the desktop, making the Desktop unusable.
Screen flashing bright red whenever a new window pops up.
Messenger still can't scroll properly.

That's all the patience I had for this, going to format and reinstall Ventura!

 

[fisherking]

sounds like some setting in accessibility. have you tried calling apple? seems the icon thing & the flashing screen, at least, should be fixable (no idea about Messenger)...

 

[Saturn007]

This reflects poorly on Apple's QC. If this is indeed a bug, it's surprising it wasn't reported and fixed during beta testing.

 

[fisherking]

This reflects poorly on Apple's QC. If this is indeed a bug, it's surprising it wasn't reported and fixed during beta testing.

how many ppl are reporting it? i don't have these issues on my 2 macs, and i don't see any discussion outside of this thread about this. so... an issue for some, & worth resolving, but not a bug for all...

 

[MrScratchHook]

2019 16 inch Intel MBP.

When I move desktop icons, they often refuse to stay where I put them, and instead swim to the top right corner. I can't move them away from there. Any other icon I move will also swim to the top right corner, right on top of the ones already there, making it impossible to click any of the icons below the others. This can be worked around by disabling "snap to grid".

When creating a new folder or mounting a disk, these too appear on the top right corner on top of the other icons.

It's very annoying because I use the desktop a lot for temporary folder/files, screenshots, etc, and I keep having to do it through Finder.

No, I don't have Stage Manager or Stacks enabled.

Yes, changing the grid size temporarily seems to fix the issue, for about 3 minutes, then it returns.

Anyone else? Anything I can try to fix this? (Reset Finder to defaults somehow, clear caches, etc?)

i know its a simple question but have you tried right clicking on the desk top screen? there are options there for how you want the desk top arranged

 

[baryon]

i know its a simple question but have you tried right clicking on the desk top screen? there are options there for how you want the desk top arranged

Of course. This is a bug. If you choose "Snap to grid", you should be able to move the icons anywhere on the desktop. When this bug is active, you can't do that, all icons go to the top right, to exactly the same spot, making them impossible to access. If you make 10 new folders, they will all appear in the same spot, making them all inaccessible.

 

[baryon]

Here's a screen recording of the bug, which still happens on 14.1.1:

https://imgur.com/vYX2Yve

 

[vendetta2115]

2019 16 inch Intel MBP.

When I move desktop icons, they often refuse to stay where I put them, and instead swim to the top right corner. I can't move them away from there. Any other icon I move will also swim to the top right corner, right on top of the ones already there, making it impossible to click any of the icons below the others. This can be worked around by disabling "snap to grid".

When creating a new folder or mounting a disk, these too appear on the top right corner on top of the other icons.

It's very annoying because I use the desktop a lot for temporary folder/files, screenshots, etc, and I keep having to do it through Finder.

No, I don't have Stage Manager or Stacks enabled.

Yes, changing the grid size temporarily seems to fix the issue, for about 3 minutes, then it returns.

Anyone else? Anything I can try to fix this? (Reset Finder to defaults somehow, clear caches, etc?)

I found a solution. Go to System Settings -> Desktop & Dock and enable Stage Manager (I'm guessing you disabled it because it was annoying, like I did). Once you do that, the icons start acting normally again.

 

[vendetta2115]

I found a solution. Go to System Settings -> Desktop & Dock and enable Stage Manager (I'm guessing you disabled it because it was annoying, like I did). Once you do that, the icons start acting normally again. I also disabled "click on wallpaper to reveal desktop" but I don't think that made any difference.

 

[KITKAT74]

I had to turn on stage manager, but that still didn't work. That's when I saw that hot corners was set for the upper right corner. I shut it off and it stopped.

 

[MoonRunner]

After playing around with this problem for a while I came up with the quickest temporary fix yet.


This is what happens on one of my computers, a 16” 2019 MacBook Pro. Your computer may act differently.


This problem is related to certain programs. After a restart and before opening any programs everything is normal. The problem starts when I open any one of the following programs,


Quark XPress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop (but not Adobe Acrobat), 4K Video Downloader, HitPaw Video Converter, and here is something interesting, I have 2 different versions of AnyMP4 Mac Video Converters, one works without the problem and the other one has the problem. There are of course many more, the issue is not related to any particular vendor or program and it is also not related to all programs.


When I start any of the programs the problem starts and when I quit the program everything is back to normal. When I start the program and I fix the problem by going to System Prefs as outlined by others all works normal until i quit the program and then the issue reappears although the program has been quit. Now I have to go back to System Settings and Desktop and Dock etc. to get back to normal again.


So here is my quick temporary fix. Go to System Settings, Desktop & Dock, turn on “Automatically hide and show the Dock”, then again in System Settings on the left side scroll down to Keyboard, on the right side click on Keyboard Shortcuts, on the pop-up panel make sure “Turn Dock hiding on/off” has a checkmark and on the right side you will see “option command d”, this is your key combination shortcut. You can change this if you like. Click Done.


Now the dock will be on screen until you move the curser over it or use the shortcut and it will disappear and the dock will work as before.


Now whenever the problem appears, all you need to do is to press “Option Command d” and the issue has been resolved until the next time.


I hope someone can figure out a permanent solution.

 

[CristiMAN]

Intel MacBook Pro 17' 2019 Sonoma 14.7

So finally upgraded to Sonoma from Catalina. Basically because some apps I rely (Slack for example) no longer worked in Catalina.

I was shocked to come across this unbearable bug: everything I save or drag to the desktop piles infinitely on the top right corner. I tryed everything I read here and other forums to no luck. It still does this. I solved the drag the files already in the desktop from doing this by turning off the grids (something I use since OS8!!!!!).

Any tips? Anyone else has this? Any solution? And no, at this point Sequoia is NOT an option in version 15.0.

Please help!

 

[CristiMAN]

2019 16 inch Intel MBP.

When I move desktop icons, they often refuse to stay where I put them, and instead swim to the top right corner. I can't move them away from there. Any other icon I move will also swim to the top right corner, right on top of the ones already there, making it impossible to click any of the icons below the others. This can be worked around by disabling "snap to grid".

When creating a new folder or mounting a disk, these too appear on the top right corner on top of the other icons.

It's very annoying because I use the desktop a lot for temporary folder/files, screenshots, etc, and I keep having to do it through Finder.

No, I don't have Stage Manager or Stacks enabled.

Yes, changing the grid size temporarily seems to fix the issue, for about 3 minutes, then it returns.

Anyone else? Anything I can try to fix this? (Reset Finder to defaults somehow, clear caches, etc?)

Any solution for this? I have been affected too by this unbearable bug. Apple should have solved this already, Sonoma is in version .7!!!

 

[Ruggy]

When you control click on the desktop, you'll get a drop down menu and you'll find 'sort'
If sort by 'name' is selected they'll go to the top right hand corner.
If you select 'none' they'll stay where you put them.
I don't know if this solves all your problems or if there's something else going on here, but I thought I'd mention it.

 

[CristiMAN]

When you control click on the desktop, you'll get a drop down menu and you'll find 'sort'
If sort by 'name' is selected they'll go to the top right hand corner.
If you select 'none' they'll stay where you put them.
I don't know if this solves all your problems or if there's something else going on here, but I thought I'd mention it.

Thanks for the info. On desktop moving files, since disabling the snap to grid, it fixed. When I save something to the desktop, from an app like illustrator, or draging from another folder to the desktop it goes to the right top and forms and infinite stack. Such an amateur bug it makes you wonder what the hell they test before releasing an update or upgrade...

 

[baryon]

Any solution for this? I have been affected too by this unbearable bug. Apple should have solved this already, Sonoma is in version .7!!!

I eventually downgraded back to Ventura.

 

[CristiMAN]

I eventually downgraded back to Ventura.

Really sad that it´s the only solution for this unbearable bug...