Icons on the desk top

It's really a matter of personal choice.

Some people make the mistake of storing programs on the desktop, and this is generally not considered a good idea. However, for temporary use, eg when downloading a program installation file the desktop is a quick and effective temporary storage area and allows you to anti-virus check it before running it to install the program proper in a folder of your choice on the hard drive. After the program has been installed, either delete the desktop file, or store it in a folder you could name "Downloads" somewhere on your hard disk for later use if necessary.

Back to shortcuts, I know people with many shortcuts on their desktop, eg 90 or more. I wouldn't go that far, as I tend to prefer an uncluttered desktop, but as I said, it is a matter of personal choice.

Does it affect PC performance? Not on newer more powerful computers. All the icons have to be retrieved and displayed each time the computer is switched on, but for most computers nowadays that is very fast.

Hope this helps.


Mark

Thanks guys

Xp by default on allows 500kb of cache memory for desktop Icons. you can change this in the registry.

Change the Icon Cache Size (All Windows) Popular
If you desktop icons are redrawing too frequently or are corrupt, it could be because the icon cache is full. Try increasing the size by changing this setting.

This tweak can be easily applied using WinGuides Tweak Manager.
Download a free trial now!

Open your registry and find the key below.
Create a new string value, or modify the existing value, called "Max Cached Icons" and set it to "2000". This will increase the maximum icon cache to 2MB.

Restart Windows for the change to take effect.




(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
Max Cached Icons REG_SZ "4096"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion...



Registry Settings
System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
Value Name: Max Cached Icons
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Value Data: 100 - 4096 (default = 500)


Related Tweaks


Repair the Icon Cache (All Windows)
Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk