Topic awaiting preservation: Desktop Won't Refresh Automatically

OK, so on my new laptop (Windows XP), I've recently discovered a rather annoying bit of behavior on the desktop. If I drag an icon to the desktop, create a new text document, create a shortcut, whatever ... it won't show up until I hit F5 to refresh!

Even if I delete something, it won't go away till I refresh.

It's really rather annoying and I'd love to hear a solution. Searched the Asylum, searched Google, can't come up with anything relevant.

Tried the Auto Arrange settings, turned Web content on and off, looked through Tweak UI ... no change.

Anyone have any ideas?

OK, I discovered this guy has the same problem, but I can't pay $10 to find out if there's an answer.

And this guy on Windows 2000, but no one's answered him.

At least I know I'm not alone. I feel comforted.

I've got no real or backed up idea on this, but have you tried to turn off Active Desktop, that is if you have it enabled.

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I've seen this error on some networks that were using roaming profiles.

Did you connect your laptop to your domain at work?

If not, then try to run the system file checker.

I did find this page on Google click here - url hidden to avoid HSBOD

The page claims you have to register, but just scroll to down and you'll see the replies.

It says basically the same thing I already posted so try sfc and see how that goes.

Nothing suggested so far seems to be working.

(BTW, home is work. I just have my three computers networked together.)

It's a per-user setting, apparently. I created a new user, logged in as him, and the problem didn't exist.

I keep finding more people with the same problem, also on Windows 2000, with one forum post dating back to 2001. No one ever has an answer, though.

It's got to be a registry setting somewhere. If I could only discover what that setting is ...

Anyway, I'm trying System Restore now to see if I can find when the problem started.

Holy F-ing hell!

System Restore can't restore to any of the points I choose! Really useful feature, eh?

I'm really beginning to despise XP. I should've installed 2000 like my other computers.

OK, I made a decent attempt at resolving the problem, going through every little setting for Display, Explorer, TweakUI, Group Policies, etc. I created another new user and copied the problem user's settings over and the issue existed with the new one, too.

Never could figure out where the problem was. Probably some torqued registry key somewhere. In the end, I just deleted my user and recreated him from scratch. Not a big deal in the end, since I had just set all my settings recently, so it was a fairly quick procedure the second time around. Kept a close eye on everything, though, testing as I went, but the problem never resurfaced.

Perhaps someday someone will happen upon this thread and offer a solution that has pained a sad few of us ...