Does anyone know how the #$%#^ to remove desktop icons from my computer?

[liberalhistorian]

My four-year-old computer (HP, using Windows ME) has been running really slow lately, so I've been trying to do some maintenance. I know very little about computers, which is more than my parents and my son know, so it's up to me, unfortunately. An IT guy at work told me how to delete/uninstall software, so I've been trying to do that with stuff I've hardly used and don't need.

There are a ton of icons on my desktop that I don't need (I don't even know what the hell more than half of them are, they exist courtesy of my son I suppose), and I can't find anything under software or documents for them in order to remove them. I know they're slowing down my computer also and I simply can't figure out how the double-bleeping $#%#$%^^$ to remove them. And I don't have the patience to figure it out (how anyone has the patience to deal with computers, I'll never know!!!!!) I know we have a lot of the techno-savvy crowd here, anyone know what to do? I will be forever in your debt!

[blackcat77]

1. Right-click on them and choose Delete

You'll still have to delete the programs themselves with Add/Remove, but that will get the garbage off your desktop.

[liberalhistorian]

4. That's just it, I can't find

them under the Add/Remove in the control panel. How can that be?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

9. Some programs, because of the way they install themselves, don't

...which means you have to go to the start menu, look for the program there, and if you find it, see if there is an "uninstall" option.

If not, you might have "junk remnants" like the desktop icons of programs you no longer have. Sometimes a poorly-designed uninstaller will leave all kinds of junk files behind...like the desktop icons for programs you've already uninstalled.

[liberalhistorian]

11. I think that's what a lot of them are,

because some of them were never installed and others I had uninstalled but the icon never went away.

[Metatron]

2. Right click on the icon and click delete

That should do it :)

[benito]

3. msconfig

Start > Run > type msconfig and click OK
Click on the startup tab.
You'll see all the programs running in the background. If you're *SURE* you don't need it, uncheck it. Leave your virus protection program checked!

Reboot.

[liberalhistorian]

8. Okay, thanks,

I'll try it!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. If you want to keep the programs...

And not screw anything up, first right-click and "cut". Then "delete".

That's the safest way.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

6. You want to ONLY remove the icons, not the programs...right?

Windows XP has a clean-up desktop function when you right click on an empty area of the desktop, select "arrange icons by" and then select "run desktop cleanup wizard"...don't know if ME has something similar.

If you want to remove the program AND the icon, you have to go to "Control Panel" and then "Add or Remove Programs."

If you want to keep the program and just kill the desktop icon, single-click it (hold down the control key to select multiple) the drag them to the trash can.

:toast:

[supernova]

7. Are you trying to remove just icons

or whole programs you don't use? Removing icons clears very little space.

You'd do better to delete old documents and programs you don't use anymore.

To delete programs, you'll have to go to:

Start->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove programs.

[liberalhistorian]

10. I'm trying to remove both the icons and

the programs. I can't find the programs under the Add/Remove, though, that's what puzzles me!

[dave502d]

12. This is one way.

Right click and hit properties,than desktop.than Customize Desktop,than Clean Desktop Now,hit next,take the check out of the ones
you don't want.