On my primary Windows 10 PC, I have about twenty applications and folders icons on the desktop. I have spent a considerable amount of time carefully arranging them across the top and bottom of the screen. Although my desktop doesn’t look cluttered, I always hide icons with a keyboard shortcut.
If you also have thoughtfully arranged icons on the desktop and don’t want others to re-arrange them, here is a free utility to lock icons on the desktop.
Since Windows doesn’t offer an easy way to lock all the icons on the desktop, this free utility comes in handy for users who would like to lock desktop icons and prevent others from re-arranging them.
Lock desktop icons in Windows
DeskLock is a free application to prevent anyone from moving or re-arranging desktop icons. After running DeskLock software, you just need to right-click on the DeskLock icon running in the system tray, and then select Enabled option to lock down all icons on the desktop. Once icons are locked, it’s impossible to move icons on the desktop by dragging or dropping.
This desktop icon locking software takes its job very seriously by disabling right-clicking on the desktop when icons are locked! This is definitely a downside as we cannot quickly open the personalization or screen resolution window when icons are locked (can open the same by opening the Settings app).
With default settings, when you launch DeskLock on your PC, it automatically locks down desktop icons. If it fails to lock desktop icons on its first attempt, please right-click on the DeskLock icon in the system tray, deselect Enabled option, and then select Enabled option again. If you still having issues, right-click on the icon in the system tray, click Settings, and then click OK button.
As you can see, the default hotkey to disable DeskLock is Ctrl+Alt+D but you can change this under Settings.
Although this tool was released about 10 years ago, it is fully compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and the latest Windows 10. We tested this tiny tool on Windows 8.1 as well as Windows 10, and can confirm that it works as advertised. The tool is portable and hence, doesn’t require an installation.
Visit the following page to download DeskLock tool. The developer’s page has tens of tiny but quality applications to make your computing experience easier.
trfdc says
Hmmm, doesn’t seem to work at all. My computer goes to sleep and when it wakes up the icons are definitely movable, despite Desklock being enabled. If I disable then re-enable then it works again but that’s really pointless isn’t it. My issue is my icons move when I plug my laptop into different monitors at work (different resolutions, so good old Windows rearranges the icons to look neat on the desktop), this is despite all my windows settings being set to prevent this. Too bad really, because a simple app that locks down your desktop icons would be great!
Mike battista says
How do I uninstall desklock?
Karen Lersner says
I downloaded Desklock on 2 laptops. It works perfectly on one and not at all on the other. I have tries re-installing it with no luck. Any suggestions?
sg17681 says
Too bad, but on my Windows 10 x64 installation with Creators Update it won’t work. Or is it that I already use a full AutoHotkey installation in parallel?
Cree ganMoryn says
Malwarebytes sees this as malware and deletes it from the PC.
techtive says
I would try it if I was assured that my desktop icons would not ever be moved about after a Windows update, computer freeze shutdown, or indeed by projecting to another screen.
eccleston kean says
This app/program does work exactly as promised, whereas a large number of other procedures, including 3rd party apps such as” desktop restore” version 1.6.4 were tried without success.
Norb Witt says
Will DeskLock prevent my desktop icons from being rearranged.
I am the only one who uses a Windows 10 PC and have a lot of icons on my desktop. Every once in awhile they are rearranged. No one moved them using the keyboard, but something moved them. Will DeskLock stop them from being moved???
Buxpub says
I came across form answers.microsoft.com. Thank you, useful article.