Good morning everyone. The sun is shining and looks like another beautiful day here in Southeast Kansas. Day before yesterday it was 77 degrees.
I have a (computer Dummy) problem that my husband didn't mean to create but he did. My entire desktop screen is full of icons. I know how to delete them one by one but what can I do with the entire desktop, to leave only the ones I want?
Thank you so much,
Truly a believer. Doodlebug7

I can't give you any advice because I am still a novice. But
you said that you know how to delete the icons one by one. Can you please
explain it to me. I sort of got myself into a sitituation like you are in.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Jappy

Hi doodle bug : ) what kind of system are you using? is it a PC or a Mac? In PC land the key/mouse strokes/clicks are as follows.

click on a blank spot on your desktop (that makes it the active window) if u have one lol.

then press the Ctl (control) key and the a key (that selects all the icons)

press the control key again and while holding it down click on the icons you WANT TO SAVE!!! they will be deslected when you do this. but it leaves the icons that you want to get rid of highlighted.

then simply either drag these to the recycle bin or right click on any icon you want to get rid of. in the context menu that folows select the option that says send to recycle bin.

then empty your recycle bin and boom clean desktop.

if you need Mac instructions message me (i know those key strokes too - as i work on both systems).

I make a new folder for on the desktop - and name it "misc"
it's for various icons/shortcuts that i don't want to completely get rid of -I don't like a cluttered screen either.

then I just drag and drop all the ones I want into it.

Making a New Folder On Desktop -

Right click anywhere on an open area of the desktop.
Select New and then click Folder.
A new folder with the default name New Folder will be created on the desktop.
type a name for the folder and then hit enter on the keyboard.

Then just drag & drop icons into it.

Joyce, It seams odd for someone to ask me for computer help. I call my son in Rhode Island with questions. Anyway, a single icon can be deleted by right clicking your mouse on the icon. A box will appear with several choices. Just
right click on the Delete choice. Another box will appear that will ask if you really want to delete that icon Just answer yes and it is gone. Let me know how it goes, okay? Truely a believer, Doodlebug7

It goes to show how much I know about the computer lingo,it's not
Icons that I was asking about, it is links that are on my toolbar. I some
how clicked something and now have these sites that I don't want.

I have been trying to find something in the book that I have, but
I really don't know what to look up. I just got the computer this year. My
kids felt it would help me pass time and get into the world after my dh
passed. So I am a late beginner.

Hope that somebody understands what I am trying to explain and
knows what I can do. I am using Windows Vista.

Jappy

Somehow my toolbar disappeared. Do you know where it could have gone? How can I get it back? I've tryed installing another but so far nothing has worked.
I have windows XP. You guys have given me help on another issue, the icons
that took over, and I appreciate it so very, very much.
truely a believer, Doodle bug7

which tool bar? for a particular program?
all of them?

Or the IE7 tool bar for your browser?

Thank you very much Jo55, once again !

I too had lots of icons that I could well do without. Now I have two neat columns now instead of them sprawling everywhere.

You explained it so well that even this computer dummy understood, and I can actually now see what my screensaver was supposed to look like!

Thank you.

here's a screen shot of another way to clean up your desk top fron in the Control Panel - steps to take -
Start -Settings -Control Panel - Display - Desktop - button on lower left called Customize Desktop - Clean Desktop Now.