Iconoid FAQ

Here is a list of frequently asked questions about Iconoid:

1. I really like Iconoid. Can I pay you something for it?
   Since I'm not developing Iconoid anymore, I'm no longer asking for donations. Just be nice to someone today instead of paying me.
   If you really want to give me your money here is a link to the old donate page.
2. I press the disable drop shadows button, but icon drop shadows keep returning when I reboot Windows. Is Iconoid broken?
   No, Iconoid is not broken. Windows stores the drop shadow setting in a place that iconoid can not change permanently. While drop shadows are enabled, please see the instructions on the 'colors' tab to see how to permanently disable the drop shadows. Iconoid has no control of or effect on the permanent settings of drop shadows.
3. How do I uninstall Iconoid from Windows 7/8/10/11 if I installed an old release?
   Installation of Iconoid (older than version 3.8.6) on Windows 7/8/10/11 can leave Iconoid running but not responsive. Sometimes you will get frequent messages about Iconoid not being able to 'hook' or find the desktop. Because Iconoid will be running, you may not be able to uninstall it.

   To uninstall Iconoid when you can not get to the Iconoid window:

   Start the task manager (either use ctrl-alt-delete, ctrl-shift-esc or right click on the task bar at the bottom of the screen). Select the iconoid program and press the "End Task" button. This might cause the desktop to crash, but that is OK; it will restart. You can then uninstall Iconoid from the control panel.

4. Does Iconoid support multiple monitors?
   Sort of but not really... Iconoid treats multiple monitors as one huge screen so it stores icon positions for all monitors at once. It can not save settings for individual monitors.
5. Why does the background still show when I've set Iconoid to make the background transparent? Or... How do I turn off Active Desktop?
   There are several possible reasons:

   • You have active desktop enabled.  When active desktop is enabled, the desktop is controlled by Internet Explorer which overrides several of Iconoid's settings.  To disable active desktop:

     Windows XP:	Right click the desktop Select "Properties" Select the "Desktop" tab Press the\"Customize Desktop" button Select the "Web" tab Uncheck all listed items. Also insure that Right Click > Arrange Icons By > Lock Web Items on Desktop is not checked.
     Windows 2000:	Right click the desktop Select "Active Desktop" Uncheck "Show Web Content".
     Windows 98:	Right click the desktop Select "Active Desktop" Uncheck "View as Web Page".
     Windows ME or Windows 2003:	??? Probably similar to one the above.

   • If you are using Windows XP, insure that 'Show Desktop Icons' is checked.  This can be done by right clicking on the desktop, selecting 'Arrange Icons', and insuring that there is a check mark next to 'Show Desktop Icons'.
   • You may be running other 3rd party software that affects the desktop.
6. Why does Iconoid not save and restore my icon positions correctly?
   This almost always is a result of running other software that has a similar function and which conflicts with Iconoid.  Window managers, virtual desktop software and similar utilities often conflict with Iconoid.  Try running Iconoid alone and see if the problem persists.

   Also insure that auto-arrange and align to grid are not set in the desktop context menu (right click menu on the desktop).

7. Does Iconoid work with Vista and Windows 7/8/10/11?
   Yes, Iconoid works on Windows 7, 8, 10 & 11. It has not been extensively tested on 8, 10, and 11 but it seems to work.
8. Is there a version of Iconoid for 64-bit windows (x64)?
   Yes, 64-bit support is built in.

   This is not the port that Phil did previously but it is based on his work. Thanks again (and again!) to Phil at Highresolution Enterprises for help with this.

9. Can I save the icon positions to a file and restore them later?
   Yes, Use the Export and Import buttons on the Options tab. Be aware that this saves all Iconoid settings, not just the saved icon positions.
10. The hot-keys conflict with another program. Can I change the hot-keys?
    Yes.  Use the Hot Keys button on the Options tab.

    

11. I use another program called ________.  Will Iconoid work with it?
    I don't know.  Try it and see.  I have not tested any other programs for co-existence with Iconoid.
12. How do I show the icons when I have 'Always Hide' checked?
    Click once on the desktop. If you have the option enabled in the Hiding tab, the icons will be shown and will stay visible until a few seconds after your cursor stops moving on the desktop. The exact number of seconds is configured on the Hiding tab.
    

    You can also assign a hot key using the Hot Keys button on the Options tab.
    

13. I only want the ________ function and don't care about the rest. Can you make a program that only does _______?
    No. Iconoid is no longer being changed.

    There are already a large number of freeware programs available that do most of the individual functions of Iconoid. Look for other download sites that have Iconoid and you will probably find similar ones. I no longer keep up with them, so I can't recommend one over another.

    Iconoid uses very little system resource, so unless you are on a very slow system, it should not be noticeable.  Even on a very slow system, you probably won't notice it.

    Iconoid does have some command line switches so you can use it in a batch file. Use Iconoid -help or Iconoid64 -help for a list (and ignore the webshots one).