Solved How do I keep the Win 10 the desktop icons/layout appearance when upgrading to Win 11

My wife's PC is running Win 10 Pro and I want to upgrade it to Win 11 Pro. Here's the headache: she has her favorite background installed and numerous app/folder/document icons scattered all across the desktop, top to bottom, left to right. No rhyme or reason to me but she knows where every icon she needs is located and not have to hunt for it.

She will not upgrade to Win 11 unless she can have the same desktop she has in Win 10.

My project, should I undertake it, is finding software, or some other way, to keep her current desktop appearance on upgrade. I know I can upgrade and keep all her documents and apps, but how can I keep her desktop so I can migrate it to Win 11 and have it appear that nothing has changed?

The Win 10 forum suggested 'Fences' but I don't want to group her icons, just restore her original desktop.

rzn6jw said:

The Win 10 forum suggested 'Fences' but I don't want to group her icons, just restore her original desktop.

Click to expand...

You don’t have to group icons with fences, it will ask if you want to, but just say no on install/setup, that you will create your own fences, and just don't. It can also just remember where everything is when a snapshot is taken. If you’re simply upgrading, nothing should change anyway. But please don’t hold me to that. There is probably simpler free software that can remember your settings, I just don’t know what it is. If Stardock still sells lifetime licenses, Fences4 is quite cheap.

I love fences, and I would predict that if your wife tried a few fences on her desktop, she would also.
Wait until others chime into your question, they will have other methods, possibly.

ReIcon, DesktopOK, Iconoid (ReIcon has portable version)
Install the app, backup and save the desktop positions, upgrade to 11. If positions are moved, restore the backup file using the app.

If she's that picky about her icon positions you can always take a screenshot of her desktop and save it.. Then after the upgrade verify everything is in the wanted spot.

rzn6jw said:

keep her current desktop appearance on upgrade.

Click to expand...

glasskuter said:

f she's that picky about her icon positions you can always take a screenshot of her desktop and save it.. Then after the upgrade verify everything is in the wanted spot.

Click to expand...

You just took the words out of my mouth young Lady.

You can also take a screen shot of the desktop without the Icons showing and save the background picture to a separate
drive. you can then replace the background with the one she likes.

I wonder whether this utility would help? MIDIOX

I've never tried it. I sort my icons, and don't rely on them being in random locations.

I once worked with a very organized (more likely compulsive) guy who had dozens of icons in random locations on his desktop. His tasks were fairly complex, and he relied heavily on having quick access to the applications. I was tempted to do a sort, but I never succumbed to the temptation. He probably would have quit the job.

Great. Think I will give Fences a try and Relcon or DesktopOK as a backup.

Thanks again.

rzn6jw said:

Great. Think I will give Fences a try and Relcon or DesktopOK as a backup.

Thanks again.

Click to expand...

There is a process to save a backup for fences that you can use if you reinstall or for unexpected complications. If you give me a short time I will place it in here for you. It involves storing the backup (snapshot) folder and a registry key backup. very simple I would guess, you seem to know as much to handle it.

After installing Fences4:

To save a snapshot:

- Right click on your desktop select "View" then select "Configure Fences"




- When Fences4 opens, go down to "Layout & Snapping"
- Click on “Take Snapshot”
If you rename a snapshot (right click on snapshot), it will not be removed if you select Fences4 to save a daily snapshot. Fences4 keeps a set amount of snapshots. I disable this feature as I like to manually take snapshots.





Backing up Snapshots: (After you're happy with the layout)

Snapshots are stored in C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Stardock\Fences\Backups\
(You will need to replace YOUR USERNAME with your user account name on your PC)

- Copy the "backups" folder and store it somewhere for future use.

- Open Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Fences
- Right click on fences and "export" the key to the same place as the backups folder you saved (or somewhere).



Redo this backup process if you ever make future changes. it is just a better process and pretty much ensures a positive result if you ever reinstall Windows.

If you ever reinstall Windows, & after reloading Fences 4:
- Replace the contents of the backed up Snaspshot folder, into the newly installed Snapshots folder. (C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Stardock\Fences\Backups\)
- Click (or right click) and run the exported registry key.
- Reboot
- (might not be needed) Open Fences4, go to Fences4 "Layout & Snapping" (as above)
- Right click on the desktop snapshot you want to recover (you can name these when you take a snapshot)
- Select "Restore Snapsahot"




You can set Fences4 to take regular snapshots and keep a certain amount in the backups folder. Then, you only need to restore a snapshot that you need to if something goes wrong. (Like you auto organizing the icons for your wife )

I believe that I haven't left anything out.
Cheers @rzn6jw

One of the things I like about Fences4, is the ability to create a fence that automatically stores any new icons or files that go to my desktop. I can then move those to any fence or drive that I want to.
There are quite a few automatic options, like creating fences that will automatically store certain file types into a fence when they go to your desktop (which can then be moved at my own leisure).. etc etc