“Fences” by Stardock is a free desktop management program for you desktop shortcuts. If you have to spend time looking for things on your desktop, you have way to many shortcuts and should consider downloading Fences.
One way to better manage your shortcuts is with an small app called Fences.
Here is my desktop before fences. I don't have a lot of icons but I like grouping my icons by use. Which is exactly what Fences allows you to do.
Perfect!
Fences corrals your icons into windows on your desktop making things easy to find.
Fences are just windows that you create and label to keep your programs, documents and other shortcuts organized.
Transparency settings allow you to make the borders seamless, so the desktop looks neat and is organized the way you want it.
You can choose from an existing fences layout (there are several)or create your own as I did. This appealed to my sense of design.
To create your own use your right mouse button to create new fences. On the desktop, depress the right mouse button, drag it to draw a rectangle and release this creates a fence.
Then select create fence and give your fence a name. Then drag your Icons into the fenced in area. You can edit how your fences look (color, text and transparency). You can also select which fences to hide and which to never hide.
This is my desktop nice and organized! 
If you want to hide your fences double click on the desktop and they disappear to make them reappear double click again and they return.
If your icons don’t fit in the fence you created, the fence will put a scroll bar so that you can scroll through your icons. If you need a scroll bar, maybe you really do have too many shortcuts.
The desktop background is a photo from the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton New Jersey taken early this spring.
On my wish list for improvements;
- I wish it took less steps to create a fence.
- I wish that you could create rules that would allow you to add certain shortcuts or program icons to fences you have already created without dragging them.
Stardock are you listening?
Otherwise I really like this little program and recommend it to help contain desktop clutter.
You can download it from the Stardock's website or download.com.
I have bookmarked this and will put on my to do list. I have been hoping for something like this. What a great little program.
Appreciate you sharing this little gem of an app.
Joan: Thanks for your comment. I just love this little app.
James: It is a gem. Thanks for reading!
Caryn - That looks like a great app for someone who has a crowded desktop. I usually like to keep my icons to a minimum on my desktop.
I used the Beta of this, kept getting messages that the beta had been updated go to the link and get the latest version. It than said that I had the latest version. I'll go now to stardock and see if it is now no longer beta. I did like it when it was working.
Now I couldn't see the reason for it until I read tha part about a scroll bar if you had too many- that might make it worth it. Is there any catch to using it? Anything you have to sign up for or anything like that?
Robert: We should all keep our desktops like yours! As you can see mine is crowded with all the fun tools of my trade.
Jim: It is out of beta now and so far so good. I am trying it out on a co-worker next week he really needs the help. Can't even see the desktop for all of the shortcuts!
Prest: No catch it is really, really free. No need to sign up to use it just download the app and build your fences. Once the fences are built. Right click on the desktop and arrange you fences (they give you some choices and they work well). The scroll bar is hidden until you need it then it appears when you mouse over it. You can change the colors with slider bars you don't have to use black. Have fun!
I tried it, downloaded OK. But when I tried to use it, it raised a box saying it has to close. I tried changing settings, tried turning off the firewall, nothing helped. So I uninstalled it. Oh, well.
Prest: Boo Hoo. I have installed this on three machines and works fine on all three. I think you should let them know by visiting Stardocks website and leaving a comment on the forum.
Thanks for sharing - will check it out!
Caryn,
Very nice I like tools that clear the clutter. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Caryn. I've never heard of this but I know I can use it. Cool!
Norma, Rebecca and Rick:
Your welcome. I liked it figured you all would too:) Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!