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sjordi
User level: Level 2 (182 points)

External disk icons pile up when moved on macOS desktop

Hi,

Until macOS 26 and previous versions, it was possible to select icons from different external disks on the desktop and move them around to align them. Now if you select two or more disk icons and move, they pile up at the same place and it's not stacked, so it's barely possible to separate them again.

Doing the same thing with files on the desktop behaves correctly, files keep their positions relative to each others when moving around. Not disks.

Is there a way to go back to the normal basic behavior to be able to organize external disk icons on the desktop?

Any option? Or is this behavior now imposed on the users?

Thanks for any clue.

Posted on Oct 12, 2026 9:21 AM

5 replies

neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9 (72,871 points)

Oct 12, 2026 12:18 PM in response to sjordi

This annoying behavior with volume/disk icons is a native Finder layout bug rather than a deliberate choice imposed by Apple. Finder treats dynamically mounted entities (like external disks and network shares) slightly differently than regular files. When moving a selection of multiple disk icons simultaneously under specific view options, Finder fails to compute their relative positional layout matrix, compressing them into a single grid point (overlapping on top of each other).


Since there is no "revert behavior" switch, you can bypass or fix this bug using the following options:


Adjust Your Desktop View Settings (The Primary Fix)

The glitch usually happens when your desktop is set to a partial sorting state. Forcing a true custom placement setting typically breaks the bug's cycle:

  • Click on an empty space on your desktop.
  • Press ⌘ + J (or right-click the desktop and select Show View Options).
  • Ensure Stack By is set to None.
  • Set Sort By strictly to None (if it is set to Snap to Grid, it often triggers the pile-up bug during multi-icon drags).
  • Try moving your multiple disk icons now. Once they are arranged to your liking, you can right-click the desktop and choose Clean Up to quickly force them neatly into the nearest grid locations without breaking their relative structure.


More info from Apple: Sort and arrange items in the Finder on Mac - Apple Support


Clear the Corrupted Layout Cache

If the disk icons continue to aggressively collapse into a single spot even with sorting disabled, your desktop's layout registration file (.DS_Store) is likely corrupted. Resetting it forces Finder to rebuild how it handles icon coordinates:

  • Open the Terminal app (via Spotlight search or in Applications > Utilities).
  • Type cd Desktop and press return.
  • Type rm .DS_Store and press return.
  • Restart your Mac or relaunch Finder (Option + Right-click the Finder icon in your Dock and select Relaunch).
  • Your icons will temporarily rearrange, but they will no longer glitch-merge when dragged together



neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9 (72,871 points)

Oct 13, 2026 8:56 AM in response to sjordi

On macOS 27.0.1, I can replicate the 'grouping' but not the stacking after drag-and-drop.


Original drive icon locations:



Drives selected and drag started:



Dropped on the Desktop:



The relative positions are NOT maintained, but the icons are not stacked on top of one another after the move.


See if the problem is present when you boot in safe mode. That process performs some system cleanup and clears caches, and also disables 3rd party extensions that may cause problems.

 

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support


If that does not correct the issue, test in a new user account. A newly-created user account will have all settings at default, and if the issue does not occur in that new account then it provides guidance on what may need to be changed to correct the issue.

 

Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

 

Once the testing is complete, the new account can easily be deleted.

 

Delete a user or group on Mac – Apple Support


Those steps will help to isolate the problem.

HWTech
User level: Level 9 (78,350 points)

Oct 12, 2026 1:23 PM in response to sjordi

I never access my Desktop except through a Finder window.


If I need access to an external volume, I will make sure to enable "External Drives" for the Finder Sidebar in the Finder's Settings. This way those items are also easily accessible in the Save/Open dialog boxes.

sjordi Author
User level: Level 2 (182 points)

Oct 14, 2026 9:28 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Thanks again.

Unfortunately I have the same behavior in Safe Mode, as well with another new account (both normal and safe mode on this one).

I'm an IT and software engineer and I can tell you I have zero utility messing up with the desktop.

Safe mode doesn't load them anyway.

So it's probably a bug. I'm going to try to send it to Apple.

sjordi Author
User level: Level 2 (182 points)

Oct 13, 2026 8:49 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Hi,

Thanks for your detailed reply.

Unfortunately I'm already compliant with everything there. Including removing the .DS_Store.

Besides macOS27, I never had such a behavior. All disk icons moved together while respecting their positions relative to each others.

Here is how it behaves



Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256374914