One of the new wizards that is built into Windows XP runs every 60 days. It is called The Desktop Cleanup Wizard. Many people like me want to instruct their computer what to do and when to do it. I sure don't want XP to tell me what icons to have on my desktop even if I don't often use the icon or if I never use it. This is the first program that bombards you with warning messages and balloons that pop-up from the System Notification Area. I don't need Windows to tell me that my desktop needs "cleaning." The first thing I wanted to do was turn off this irritating Wizard.

Basically the Desktop Cleanup Wizard looks for old or seldom-used icons. Any it finds are copied into the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder, and then this folder is stored on the desktop; Odd wouldn't you say?

Now to turn off that irritating Wizard:

1. Right-click the Desktop.
2. Choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
3. Click the Desktop tab.
4. Click the Customize button. The bottom part of the Desktop Items dialog box is where you can subdue the wizard.
5. Remove the check mark in the box next to Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard Every 60 days.
6. Click OK and the wizard should be gone.

Just because I don't like this wizard doesn't mean I don't like the idea of getting the less used icons off of my desktop. On my 98SE desktop I created an icon named Icons Not Often Used on my desktop and moved the old icons to this folder. Now when I want one of the icons that I have cleaned off of my desktop I click on the new Icon and there are all of the old icons ready to shortcut me to the program. Having said this, I think you may want to manually use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard and you can.

To run the Wizard manually:

1. Right-click the desktop.
2. Choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
3. Click the Desktop tab.
4. Click the Customize Desktop button.
5. Click the Clean Desktop Now button.
6. Click the Next button. Here you are told which icons have not been used or when last used.
7. Click the Next button.
8. Click the finish button. Now those icons will vanish.
9. Close the Desktop Items and Display Properties dialog boxes. Now there is a folder on your Desktop called Unused Desktop Short-Cuts. Open it and there are all of the icons that were getting too old for Windows to want them to be seen. CER