Windows 10 Desktop Icons (what's Up With?)

Hello, I am new to Windows 10. I do not wish to have to keep switching windows (desktops) when I can just group my icons. I don't want them in folders since don't have many of them.
Windows 10 does not appear to respond to not checking the "Align icons to grid" or "Auto arrange icons" box. I seem to remember having the same sort of problem with Windows 7 at one time. There was a solution then, is there one now with Windows?

 

It's under the View right-click Context Menu.

 

Seems I'm either being unclear or misunderstood. Anyway, I'll start again. Even though I have both the "align to grid" and "auto arrange" boxes unchecked my icons keep being returned to their "left side columns" location after reboot. How do I keep them as I have arranged them?

 

Are the options under Sort by also unchecked?

 

Yes, they are also unchecked.

 

Just occasionally I get this problem after accessing the PC from another system on the LAN using a remote desktop app, Teamviewer in my case. Is this machine ever accessed remotely? I have never had this problem on any of three Win 10 systems here in any other circumstance. Might be a good idea to run the system file checker - open an elevated command prompt (or Windows PowerShell) and type sfc /scannow