"Dead"/ Unusable Space on Desktop Fix?

[scubaboyc]

Hi,
Long story short, while trying to get rid of some phantom folders/ thumbnails; I cleared the data on the Gallery. I did not foresee the side effect of it removing the album widgets I was using on the desktop.
Now when I try to put anything there, be it a widget or app shortcut, it either wont put it there or it tells me the homescreen is full. As far as I can tell, the tablet still thinks the widgets are there. The "dead" spaces are exactly where the album widgets used to be.

Does anyone know how to fix this without doing a factor reset?

Would clearing the cache/ data of the Launcher do the trick? (I don't want to make matters worse).

Thanks

 

[J515OP]

Did you place the widgets before updating to Android 4+? The newer versions of Android have cushions at the top and bottom of the screen that pad in vertical mode so when you rotate to landscape mode everything fits. This sound like what you are describing.

 

[scubaboyc]

Yes, I set it up after the ICS update. There's a dead space right in the middle of 1 of the homescreens where one used to be.

 

[leeshor]

It sounds like the deleting of files was your first mistake

There are a lot of files that look useless but are cache system files that really ARE needed. About the only thing that comes to mind as a fix is the dreaded factory reset. There are no uh oh and no o crap buttons or recycle bin.

 

[scubaboyc]

After reading your post leeshor, I cried, like a baby
BUT, totally freaky - I held my finger down on where the widget used to be and the "Remove" at the top popped up. I was able to swipe whatever remnant was there away and put a fresh one in it's place.
Now I just need to hunt around for the rest of them.
Never would have thought of that.
Thanks for scaring me