Desktop Icon Backup Manager review

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Desktop Icon Backup Manager is a Windows utility for saving, restoring, and managing desktop icon positions. It suits solo users and small teams who want to preserve a preferred arrangement, particularly when screen resolutions or monitor setups change. Backups can be tagged, searched, and filtered, making it easier to find a layout later. The product is open source and free, and is distributed as a portable executable with GPLv3-licensed source code.

Its focus is preservation rather than desktop organization: it saves layouts but does not automatically sort items. Before restoring a saved arrangement, users can preview icon position changes. Saved positions can be adapted to different screen resolutions, and layouts can span multiple monitors. Users can also compare saved layouts and view backup statistics. These features make the utility more useful for maintaining alternate arrangements than a simple single-state backup tool, while keeping its scope firmly on icon placement.

For recurring workflows, the application can auto-save on exit and auto-restore on startup. It also supports command-line options for backup and restore automation, including use with Windows Task Scheduler; backups can be imported or exported as ZIP archives or folders. That combination is a fit for Windows users who want repeatable layout preservation and are comfortable with a utility centered on saved states. Choose another desktop organization tool if you need automatic sorting, or if you use an operating system other than Windows.

Desktop Icon Backup Manager pros and cons

• Where it wins
  • Preview layout changes before restoring a backup.
  • Adapt saved positions across resolutions and multiple monitors.
  • Search backup history and automate tasks with command-line options.
• Where it doesn't
  • Windows only; no support for other desktop platforms.
  • Saves layouts rather than sorting or organizing desktop items.
  • Requires choosing or automating backups to preserve layouts.

Desktop Icon Backup Manager fact sheet, pricing and score →

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update