Fences: Turn OFF auto-arrange icons

from Stardock Forums

I find that there is "usually" a lot of value in the spatial arrangement of a group of icons. I also find it "quite" annoying to have the application override my arrangements. Within a Fence, the icons should stay as I arrange to include any relocating of the fence. To be frank, this one weakness is a total show-stopper for me to find Fences useful. (As a guess, this behavior would be common sense to just about anyone, and it isn't present because of budget or schedule reasons?)

62,199 views 21 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. This feature were requested by others before. I have forward your request to the Stardock Support Team for their review and recommendations. We really do appreciate your feedback, Thanks

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 1

This feature were requested by others before. I have forward your request to the Stardock Support Team

I came here because I wanted to turn off auto-arrange, as well... Seems this feature has been requested for some years now and still hasn't been added. :annoyed:   If the answer is "no" then just say so, as things stand I guess I won't keep my hopes up...

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

I wish that this was disclosed on the website.  If I knew that I could not rearrange my icons how I want them and to stay in that position would not be possible, I wouldn't have downloaded and installed this app.  Completely worthless to me at this point. 

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SparkyPete, reply 3

I wish that this was disclosed on the website.  If I knew that I could not rearrange my icons how I want them and to stay in that position would not be possible, I wouldn't have downloaded and installed this app.  Completely worthless to me at this point. 

 

I agree I also cannot use the software as it is now, makes no sense for me as well.

 

A simple tool to arrange the icons on the desktop as "I" want it, no automatic sorting and arranging. It is realy a "drama" ...   ;-)

 

And it should work with more than 1 screen  - I have 3 monitors right now. My laptop and 2 external screens

 

Best regards,

 

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Is there any movement on this turning off of auto-arrange?  I am demoing Fences4 now and when I move an icon to another place within the same fence, it snaps back immediately to near where it was originally.

I looked at earlier posts on this and there have been people requesting up to ten years ago.

Can I configure Fences4 to do this ?

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Bansaw, reply 5

Can I configure Fences4 to do this ?
In a fence - yes, in a folder portal - no. For fences, be sure to right click the fence and select "sort by" none. Sorting in folder portals obviously follow explorer sorting rules.

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Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting JanOscar, reply 6

Quoting Bansaw,

reply 5

Can I configure Fences4 to do this ?

In a fence - yes, in a folder portal - no. For fences, be sure to right click the fence and select "sort by" none. Sorting in folder portals obviously follow explorer sorting rules.

Thanks for the response.

However, I do have that option selected.  Is there any other Fences4 configuration tweaks I need, because "sort by: none" is just snapping the icon back into place.  

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello Bansaw,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. From your video, you're trying to move that icon to stay at the bottom row, yes? If that is the case, no, that cannot be done. Fences, currently, have no option to disable "auto arrange". It always arranging icons starting from the top left etc. There were lots of feature request made by others on this. But, so far no news on this one yet.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 8

Hello Bansaw,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. From your video, you're trying to move that icon to stay at the bottom row, yes? If that is the case, no, that cannot be done. Fences, currently, have no option to disable "auto arrange". It always arranging icons starting from the top left etc. There were lots of feature request made by others on this. But, so far no news on this one yet.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Thanks.  Its baffling why this feature has not been introduced.   I've seen threads going back 10 years requesting this feature.

I have Fences on 30 day trial, and the lack of this feature is impacting my decision to buy it.  I want to be able to spot a shortcut quickly, not spend time eye-scanning the whole fence.

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Bansaw, reply 9

I want to be able to spot a shortcut quickly, not spend time eye-scanning the whole fence.
Wouldn't creating another fence containing your most frequently used shortcuts solve your issue? It does for me.

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting JanOscar, reply 10


Quoting Bansaw,
reply 9

I want to be able to spot a shortcut quickly, not spend time eye-scanning the whole fence.

Wouldn't creating another fence containing your most frequently used shortcuts solve your issue? It does for me.

true, that might work, although it does make the Fences footprint a little larger.

I'm just interested in why they didn't implement this feature.  Fences does some tricky Windows magic to sit between the OS and the Desktop, surely this feature by comparison is easy to include.

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Ok  so why is this so hard to do? Turn off auto arrange so Icons can be placed anywhere in the Fence Window?  I started with 2.11.  Just upgraded to 4.0 so what gives?  It would be nice to get an answer as to when or why not for this feature.  thanks

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Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello, wmwotawa2

Sorry to hear you are having issues.

To be clear your saying you can't un check auto arrange to turn off in v4 ?

 


AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting CookedMustard, reply 14

All I wanted to do was place my Recycle bin in a funny place outside of a fence ;-; Guess I never can with this app
Of course you can. You just have to make sure Fences is unlocked (right click on your desktop and choose view) and then you can place/drag the recycle bin wherever you want on your desktop. The screenshot is from Windows 10, but in Windows 11 you have to click view more options to access that setting.


Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

What is the status of this feature?  It has been 3 years now and I have to agree with other comments posted.  This is one of the reasons I got the software to help me put icons into buckets and arrange the way I want.

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting shuston, reply 16

What is the status of this feature?  It has been 3 years now and I have to agree with other comments posted.  This is one of the reasons I got the software to help me put icons into buckets and arrange the way I want.

Sorry, but, nothing new to report on this one.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Is this at least on or remaining on the development list? This is a major enhancement that I believe would be meaningful to many users.

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Nothing new to report on this request.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top

Nothing on this one. But, if you wish to have different icons within the same Fence. You should try those tabs available in Fences 6.

From what I understand, those icons needed to be auto-arranged, if not, Fences will have issue on multiple screens system where those Fences will jump from monitor to monitor with different resolutions when those monitor get connected/disconnected. Those Fences will need to rearrange and resize themself properly when those monitor connected/disconnected and changing resolution to suit which ever monitor/s still active. If it is not auto arrange, Fences will have hard time to track which icons stay where and some Fences can not be resize to make sure the icons stay where they are. I think that will make it a lot more messy.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant