removing desktop icons

[islandman]

Like most other people I suspect, I've gathered a few icons on my desktop. Rt clicking gives an opportunity to delete them. If I do, do they simply leave the desktop or do they take with them everything they are associated/represented with? For example, when i subscribed to talktalk, I gained three icons. One I use to connect and one of the others checks the system when connection fails, but the other one means nothing to me. also, there is a Quicktime and Media Player icon which I don't recall using.

[vehelpfulguy]

If an icon is a short cut (has a little arrow in the bottom left) then you can delete it and it will only delete the icon.

Non-shortcut icons MAY delete other files (a Word document for example will delete the actual Word file).

Why not create a new folder on your desktop (right click, select NEW, then New Folder) and give it any name you like.

Then drag any icons you no longer use into that folder.

That way they are still there if you need them, but they are not cluttering up your desktop.

[vehelpfulguy]

If your desktop is cluttered with personal data files (like word documents or excel spreadsheets, or personal digital pictures then why not drag them into My Documents.

Under Windows XP everyone has a My Documents folder and this is where you should keep all your personal files.

You can move files into My Documents easily by just dragging the icon over the folder and letting go.

[islandman]

I've done that now thanks.