Annoying desktop icons

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I've noticed recently that after a days work the desktop is littered with annoying white icons of the images and documents i have opened to work with.

have I set a Preference the wrong way? this farly recent behaviour

thanks folks

doolally
 
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chas_m

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Could you perhaps post a screenshot so we have a better idea of what you mean?

Are you opening these documents off a networked drive, or from your local drive? Does this happen to everything you open, or just certain kinds of files?

Also, a bit of background on which of your machines you refer to and what OS version its running would be helpful.

Also, and this is key to helping us find the answer: will you be watching Doctor Who this Easter weekend?! :)
 
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I'm curious too about all of these files you've been working with. Are they the actual file names or something more like ._filename? Hopefully it's something simple like you've made hidden files visible or something like that.

Also, and this is key to helping us find the answer: will you be watching Doctor Who this Easter weekend?! :)

A bit off topic but - You bet I will be - although I'll have to admit, I really liked David Tennant as the Doctor so I'm not sure how I'll feel about the new guy yet...
 
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doolally
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Now that worries me as I WON'T be watching the Doctor:Blushing: Fraid I never was a fan but just in case you decide to answer, I'm on Snow Leopard on an iMac. I wouldn't have the foggiest notion on how to provide a screenshot but these are small icons of a white page with the top right corner curled over. Some have "doc" on them and have the actual filename (shortened) under them. They all appear on the right of the desktop. Incidentally, I have Spaces enabled

does that help?

doolally
 
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For a screen shot of the whole desktop, press:

Shift+CMD+3

To be able to highlight a specific area as a screenshot, press:

Shift+CMD+4

you'll end up with crosshairs that you can use to highlight a region (left click and hold where to start and drag out to mark the region), when you let go of the mouse button it will capture the screenshot
 
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chas_m

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To take a screenshot: shift-command-3.

Do you have any sort of "autosave" program enabled?
 
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Um, don't you need to tell the OP how to post the screen shot?

I've never posted an image on a board (!), so I can't help.
 
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chas_m

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Ah, yes. Left that important bit out. :)

Since that's kind of complicated (must upload the picture to a web space, then copy the URL to paste into the space provided by clicking on the "mountains" in the compose window on this forum), just skip it.

Another idea: do a "get info" on one of these white icons, and reprint the first few lines of that here. You can "get info" on an icon by selecting it (ie click ONCE not twice!), then press command-i or just choose File->Get Info from the menubar.
 
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Actually, there is another way to get the photos to us if you don't have web hosting available - it's attachment within the forums. As long as the image isn't too big.

To do this, instead of a quick reply, click Go Advanced and in there, you should see a paperclip icon, click it and a new screen will pop up with the ability to upload files.

See the attached photos for the icon to look for and the window that will pop up when you click the icon...

Screen shot 2010-03-11 at 7.43.15 AM.png

Screen shot 2010-03-11 at 7.43.51 AM.png
 
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Actually, there is another way to get the photos to us if you don't have web hosting available - it's attachment within the forums. As long as the image isn't too big.

To do this, instead of a quick reply, click Go Advanced and in there, you should see a paperclip icon, click it and a new screen will pop up with the ability to upload files.

Actually, I see the paper clip icon in the toolbar after clicking the Post Reply button as well. I'll have a closer look at the "Go Advanced" window, but it seems to be the same. Thanks for pointing that out. Hope that's not what failed to work for doolally.
 
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I am not sure if there is an easier way, but I drag the unwanted icons into the trash.

Larry H
 
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doolally
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Yeh, so do I but why are they there in the first place:Angry:
 
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Here are a few other questions:

Where are you opening the files from? Are you sure you're not saving the files? What program are you using to open/work on these files? Does said program have a setting in its preferences for a default location for saving (ie: is it set to save files to the desktop?)

There is either a setting misconfigured or some action you're performing without realizing it that is creating those files - the key now is to try to get as much info about exactly what you're doing and how you're doing it when one of those files appears.
 
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I get these from downloads that I have
then run as installs. Also from a memory stick or USB there are sometimes a few. I end up CMD + E to erase them off the desktop.

Jonah
 
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Probably saving them from the internet to "open" them and the default save location for whatever reason is set to the desktop.
 
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That's what my downloads folder looks like after I've opened a ton of files hosted on our company sharepoint site.
 
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As sharepoint is handled thru a web interface, I assume to select a document to "work on it" would cause it to be downloaded to your system (since you're not opening from a remote volume/disk) - you'd have to manage your downloads and desktop appropriately. If they are getting auto-saved to your desktop a few things I could think of happened - your web browser is for some reason now saving your downloaded files to your desktop (check under your preferences) or if they are being directly opened by (for example) Microsoft Office for Mac, it thinks the files need to be saved to the desktop (or downloads) - I don't use MSOffice for Mac so I'm not sure where its configuration is for how it handles saves.
 
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doolally
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After a bit of experimentation, it looks like these icons are only appearing when Preview is opened AND only when I open an attachment from an email. When I shut down Preview, the icons remain visible on the desktop

doolally
 

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