Prevent Lion’s Spaces from Automatically Changing Order

4:37 PM, Sep. 20th, 2011 · by Jim Tanous · MGG Answers

Question:

Mark Writes: I use 4 Desktops (a.k.a. “Spaces”) in OS 10.7 Lion. Lately, I’ve been noticing a problem. Desktops keep changing order and I find that what was once Desktop 2 (for example, iTunes) is now Desktop 3, and things like iCal, which I keep open on its own Desktop, moves from Desktop 3 to Desktop 4.

I have tried to move them around in Mission Control but I have yet to find a way to change the order. Rebooting is the only way I’ve found to reliably reorder the desktops.

Have you seen this issue? Do you have any solutions that would allow me to drag and drop the desktops at the top to put them in the right order or keep the order from changing?

Answer:

Yes! The answer is found in System Preferences > Mission Control. Uncheck the “Automatically rearrange spaces based on most recent use” box. Your Spaces/Desktops will now stay in the order that they are opened (in the case of full-screen apps) or created (in the case of Desktops).

Uncheck this box to keep your Spaces in order