Feature Request: Remember desktop icon layouts for different monitor configurations in Windows 11

Hi everyone,

I'd like to suggest an improvement to how Windows 11 handles desktop icon positions when switching between different monitor configurations.

My setup

I use a Windows 11 Education laptop in two different configurations:

• At my desk: A multi-monitor setup with three displays connected through a docking station.
• On the go: Only the laptop's built-in display.

The problem

Whenever I switch between these configurations, Windows does not reliably preserve my desktop icon arrangement.

Icons that were carefully organized for my multi-monitor setup are moved or rearranged when I switch to the smaller laptop display. When I reconnect the external monitors, the original layout is not consistently restored.

My current workaround is to reduce the desktop icon size by approximately two steps using Ctrl + mouse wheel when working on the laptop screen. This makes the icons fit somewhat better, but it does not actually solve the problem.

Windows 11 already has a setting called "Remember window locations based on monitor connection", which is useful for application windows. However, there appears to be no equivalent built-in feature for desktop icons.

Suggested improvement

I would love to see Windows 11 support monitor-specific desktop icon layouts, including:

1. Automatic layout detection: Recognize different monitor configurations, such as a docking station with three monitors versus the laptop display alone.
2. Separate saved layouts: Remember desktop icon positions for each configuration.
3. Automatic restoration: Restore the corresponding icon arrangement when connecting or disconnecting external displays.
4. Per-configuration icon settings: Optionally remember icon size and spacing for each layout.
5. Manual save/restore: Provide a built-in option to save and restore desktop layouts when needed.

Ideally, this functionality would be integrated into Windows itself rather than requiring third-party utilities.

Why this matters

Switching between a docking station and a laptop-only setup is a common workflow in modern workplaces. Having to reorganize desktop icons or adjust their size every time is an unnecessary inconvenience.

Windows already recognizes monitor connections and can remember application window positions, so extending this concept to desktop icons would be a natural improvement.

Questions for the community:

• Has anyone found a reliable built-in solution for this in Windows 11?
• Is Microsoft considering monitor-specific desktop icon layouts?
• Would others find this feature useful?

Thanks for reading!