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Your desktop is filthy, and you know it

[Update: It has been brought to my attention by several people that there is a much easier way of doing this, but I don’t care. I put a lot of work into this tuna casserole, and you can just eat it and like it! Where would we be if we always took the easy way out? Huh? NOWHERE. That’s where.]

If you were me, and you aren’t, but if you were, then your desktop would look like this:

Rory_desktop

I have this thing about cleanliness, but I don’t have the time or patience to be constantly cleaning up my desktop, and the result is a cluttered mess that stresses me out and makes me wish I were dead. Yeah. Dead. I said it.

It turns out that there’s a really easy way to clean up, and it’s just a registry setting. It basically makes it so that, although you have a desktop, you just can’t see it. Does that make sense? Not really? I guess not, but the alternative makes me wish I were dead, so to hell with comprehension.

If you would like your desktop to be all clean and pretty like mine, then you can download the registry files here.

There are two (2) files in the Zip file:

– The file named “Clean_Desktop.reg” cleans your desktop – just double-click on this file to run it

– The file named “Dirty_Desktop.reg” restores your desktop to the higgledy-piggledy mess that it was before - just double-click on this file to run it

You might have to log out or reboot to see the changes.

Legalese

Rory Blyth of Neopoleon.com takes absolutely no responsibility for anything that you do with your computer, either with the files provided above, or with your own private parts. If you screw something up, or if you get your computer pregnant, it’s your own damn fault, and you should go to jail.

You may not sue Rory. You may not sue Neopoleon.com. You may, however, send Rory gift baskets, but not if they have candy bars that have coconut in them. You may also send Neopoleon.com gift baskets, but you shouldn’t because it’s just a web site, and it really has no interest in you whatsoever. All it wants to do all day is web site. That’s what it does, and your sick advances aren’t going to change that.

By reading Neopoleon.com, you hereby do officially agree that Rory is better than you are, and you also give up any rights to a television spin-off.

Any actions taken which might be deemed to be in opposition to the Law that has heretofore been laid down will result in your being eaten alive by my extensive team of Voodoo cannibal lawyers. Don’t mess.

You have been warned, but some of my lawyers might come by later just to kick your ass for fun.

Published Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:13 PM by Rory

Filed Under: ,

Comments

 

Aaron said:

I see IE and FireFox, but no NeoFox. Have you abandoned the browser?
March 13, 2005 11:57 PM
 

Jason Olson said:

I don't know Rory. There's a crap load of quick launch icons I see there. What, no keyboard shortcuts in the Start Menu?
March 14, 2005 6:10 AM
 

Richard Tallent said:

And just look at that pig-sty of a Notification Area! Worse, each little icon represents some nasty little process sitting there cluttering up *megabytes* of perfectly clean volatile RAM 0's with strewn-about 1's... Ugh. Where's a good RAM-cleaner when you need one?

And Rory, for your messy hard drive filled with little bits and pieces of undeleted files littered about, might I recommend freeware utility Eraser (http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/default.php)? There's something satisfying about a stack of platters filled with smooth 0's all the way around...
March 14, 2005 8:21 AM
 

Paul said:

I hear you Rory. I've even been in trouble at work for having a filthy desktop. Something about my wallpaper being "innapropriate for the workplace".
March 14, 2005 8:34 AM
 

Ray Booysen said:

Hey Rory,

Great tool. Makes my desktop tons better. What is the background you are using. Beautiful.
March 14, 2005 8:34 AM
 

Matt said:

Forgive my ignorance, but how is this different than right-clicking on the screen, selecting active desktop and then removing the checkmark by 'show desktop icons'?
March 14, 2005 2:03 PM
 

Rick said:

"Forgive my ignorance, but how is this different than right-clicking on the screen, selecting active desktop and then removing the checkmark by 'show desktop icons'?"


I was wondering this as well, and just coming to post it....
March 14, 2005 3:16 PM
 

Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP] said:

I agree with the comment about your notification area. It's absolutely horrid. To me, that's the sign of a dirty desktop.

How much of that crap do you actually use? I'm actually surprized with all the maladies that you have, you haven't succumbed to an eplieptic fit yet as a result of all the little flashing lights.

=)
March 14, 2005 3:19 PM
 

Rory said:

Matt -

"...how is this different than right-clicking on the screen, selecting active desktop and then removing the checkmark by 'show desktop icons'?"

This way's harder.
March 14, 2005 3:49 PM
 

Randy said:

What happens if I happen to be drinking a latte while reading the site, encounter something that makes me laugh, thereby forcing me to shoot coffee out my nose? Any legal recourse?

Better yet. Don't answer that. I'd rather not know... I keep forgetting you know where I work :D
March 14, 2005 4:26 PM
 

Jeremy Brayton said:

I assume this is different than right clicking on the Taskbar, selecting Tools, then Desktop. I use this as a sort of StartMenuEx where I can store icons in nice little folders and browse to them as needed. Never mind the fact that I have files cluttered literally EVERYWHERE on the damn PC, the Desktop makes it easy for me to remember I have way too many to keep up with.

Unlike you, I need to see the cluttered desktop to remind me how cluttered my life is.
March 14, 2005 11:35 PM
 

Mark Anthony Spiteri said:

I totally agree - I Like a clean Desktop too :) Guess I am not the only clean desktop freak around hehe
March 15, 2005 3:28 PM
 

TrackBack said:

Looking for a little weekend programming fun?
March 16, 2005 2:47 PM
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About Rory

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