Icon Anchor review
A free, portable Windows utility for saving and restoring desktop icon positions.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Icon Anchor is a small Windows utility for people who want to save desktop icon positions and restore them when those icons move. It suits solo users and small teams who prefer a portable tool over a broader desktop organization suite. Layouts can be saved separately for different screen resolutions, so users can restore an arrangement associated with a particular display resolution. When restoring, the utility can place new icons in available grid spaces and ignore icons that have been removed.
Its narrow focus is the main distinction. Icon Anchor saves and restores layouts; it does not provide automatic sorting. That makes it a fit for users who want to preserve a manually arranged desktop, rather than people looking for a system that continuously organizes icons or manages other parts of the desktop. The resolution-specific files also make saved arrangements portable as files, without claiming support for multi-monitor setups.
The utility is free and open source, and its executable can run without installation or administrator privileges. It does not use the registry. It supports Windows 7 or later in 32-bit or 64-bit versions and requires .NET Framework 4.0 or later. Layouts are stored as text files beside the executable, or in the user's local application data folder if the executable's folder is not writable. Choose Icon Anchor if you need a lightweight way to preserve desktop icon positions on Windows. Choose another type of organization tool if you need automatic sorting or support beyond Windows.
Icon Anchor pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Saves and restores desktop icon positions with resolution-specific layouts
- Can fit new icons into available grid spaces and ignore removed icons
- Portable executable needs no installation or administrator privileges
- Where it doesn't
- Windows only, with no support for other desktop platforms
- Restores saved layouts rather than automatically sorting icons
- Focused on icon positions, not broader desktop organization
Icon Anchor fact sheet, pricing and score →
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