How do I use Desktop Resetter?

Desktop Resetter can be used in a 'basic' mode or it can be configured for a power user. (See the settings section for advanced features.)



Basic Operation
In basic mode, you just lay out the desktop how you like, and then press the 'Remember' button of Desktop Resetter.

When you find that your icons moved or your windows may have shrunk from a resolution change or from another user, just press the 'Reset' button, and everything should be fixed instantly.

Desktop Resetter remembers the positions of icons, the positions and sizes of windows and popup windows, and the postion of the Application Switcher. It only works with windows and icons in the Finder, not of other programs. (Yet?)



Application Switcher (OS 8.5 and higher)

The Application Switcher tends to move during res changes as well, Desktop Resetter can restore this for you too.



Multi-Resolution MonitorsDesktop Resetter stores the information for multiple resolutions, so you can have a different layout for each resolution and then you can restore each one's positions for each resolution. You can see your current resolution in the Desktop Resetter main window.

Sets are not currently supported by Desktop Resetter, but this is already in the works. This way you will be able to keep different layouts of windows and icons on the desktop and then restore them by set later on. The appropriate windows and icons will be shown/hidden.



Technical
Desktop Resetter remembers items by name, so if the name of an icon or window changes, then it won't be able to restore its information. You will have to 'Remember' the layout again. This is a quick process, so if you keep Desktop Resetter handy (in the Apple menu or on the desktop), you can quickly access it.

Desktop Resetter currently only remembers and resets open items, so if you remember a layout and then close one of the remembered windows or move one of the icons off of the desktop and into a folder or disk, Desktop Resetter will not re-open the window/fix the icon. This will probably be and added feature of version 2.1.



Popup Windows (OS 8 and higher)
Popup windows also get their information recalled, which can be handly since these windows tend to be squashed one way or another.


Regular Window




Popup Window




Popup Window That Needs Desktop Resetter

Popup windows are remembered from left to right. These windows are remembered by their pixel positions of the monitor. Sometimes, the left edge of popup windows are the same, so there is no way for Desktop Resetter to know which one was leftmost. Either way, the size anfd the title tab are always accurately restored.



Multiple Monitors
Multiple monitors are semi-supported in this version. The icons and windows will be remembered, but the popup windows may not totally be restored correctly. Please note, the current resolution shown in the main window of Desktop Resetter reflects the resolution of the main monitor only. Either way, it stores the information for all connected monitors.


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