Icons took over
 

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:confused:

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). :idea::laptop:

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 :)

Where is my toolbar?
 

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! :D

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.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...pcleanup-1.jpg

I only have 1 icon on my desktop:
The Recycle Bin.

*laughs*

WHY?

Because every single icon on your
Desktop actually drains resources
from your computer - believe it or
not!

I have my Start Menu all Customized:
And the Icons I use the most are moved
in there - everything else is deleted; and
if I need such program; I go to Start -
Program - to the Specific Program and
Click on the Icon there.

It makes no sense to clutter up your
computer with all these icons everywhere
and plus - the icons I have are all customized
as well.

And people get a kick out of what I've
named my Customized Menu List.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...etSun/menu.jpg

Lost toolbar
 

Jo55
My toolbar was at the top of the page and had hotmail, delete, back and forward arrows etc something trigered this but I don't know what as I was
not on the computer. I think my husband pushed something to do with Dell
cleanup.
Thank you so much for your help,
Doodle bug7:confused:

epidemic
 

Bobcatsrule, Southie, I followed the advice you gave me. Sounds like several benifitted from it.I think we are having an icon and lost toolbar epidemic.
You guys are great,
Truely, Doodle bug7:hug:

Do you have little arrows on the top? Jim did this once and I had to help him. If there are little arrows grab one and pull down or sideways with the mouse. It seems you have minimized your toolbar rather than lost it completely. Hope that helps. If that doesn't do anything you could re-install your IE and it should come back.

Jo55, I think I posted this once. I don't know for sure if you got it. Since I don't know, I will send it again and if you got it the first time just ignore this one. The toolbar in question is at the top of the page with e mail, delete, back and forward arrow, etc. I can't go back one page. I have to completely start over.
My husband is the one who lost it but guess who is trying to fix it.
Thank you for any idea
you have,
Doodle bug7:eek:

I'm guessing that it was your browser tool bar - Internet Explorer 6 or 7 {IE 6 or IE 7}??:confused:

long ago when I had a hotmail account you could only get to it by going to the website and to do that you opened your browser to get to the internet.{let me know if I'm wrong}

I'm thinking you must have IE 7 because it is easy to click and lose the tool bar the way it is set up.

if you can tell us the name of the program or icon that you click to get to where the tool bar used to be - that would really help - so we aren't telling you about the wrong thing to do.

I'm not familiar with dell.

info.
 

Jo55, I am running Window XP, and it is a Dell about two years old.
Windows live hotmail and firefox start page. I believe enternet explorer is 6.
Thanks, D bug7

here's the windows live hotmail link - maybe you can re download it or find the answer on the pages there.
http://get.live.com/mail/features


or maybe a system restore back to before it disappeared/messed up would work?

this is hard to advise on without being there and seeing it in person.
Do you have any computer savvy friends or relatives near by?
you might just need someone to sit down and figure it out for you.

I'm still not sure which of your programs is the one with the missing tool bar??
:D:D:D
OH I just thought of something to try-
press Alt f or Alt v while you have the problem program open and see it the File or View tools come up.