I’ve Lost My Show Desktop Icon!
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Q: I seem to have lost my Show Desktop icon on the Quick Launch bar in Windows XP. I really liked having this button, and I want to restore it. How is this done?
A: Clicking the Show Desktop icon will minimize all of your open windows and (you guessed it) show your desktop. It really comes in handy when you just want to quickly get back to a clean desktop.
To get the button back on your Quick Launch toolbar, check out this article from the Microsoft Knowledge Base. After following the steps, you’ll be back in business before you know it.
Besides using the icon, there are also a couple of other simple ways to show the desktop. For starters, try right-clicking on your toolbar. You’ll notice an option on the menu that appears called Show the Desktop.
You can also do this without even touching the mouse. All you have to do is use a small key combo (Windows Key + D) and you’ll be viewing your sleek desktop in all of its glory.
Have a question or subject that you would like to see covered? Drop Brandon a line and maybe he can include it in a future edition of the Gnewbie Gnook! Also, don’t forget our forums (or, if you’re a Latin freak, “fora”) where Gnomies from all around the world congregate to help, be helped, and discuss issues that may or may not have anything to do with technology!
7 Comments
RonStone
October 11th, 2006
at 10:32am
Thank you,
Sanity restored, I wasted 1 hour of my life trying to restore that
pesky little show desktop icon, you have now been added to my favourites, I think I could love you if your male and human,
Thanks again,RS.
Arnie
March 9th, 2007
at 4:32pm
I don’t think all laptops have the windows key…I don’t have one in my Thinkpad T43
shaikh
April 6th, 2007
at 2:39pm
i have deleted my show desktop option what t odo
ee
May 26th, 2007
at 8:11am
Thank you!!!
I had deleted the Show Desktop shortcut in the toolbar and figured I could easily recreate it the same way I had created it originally, but no.
That’s such a useful button, it shouldn’t be so easy to commit involuntary buttonslaughter. Glad to know about the Windows/D shortcut, and thanks for the link to the MS article.
KayCee
December 27th, 2007
at 7:10pm
If the Show Desktop icon is deleted from Quick Launch, the procedure below will recreate the file.
Open Notepad and enter the following text:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
Save the new file as Show Desktop.scf then drag and drop the icon on the Quick Launch bar or whatever location you want the shortcut to appear.
REALLY WORKS!!!
Sincerly: KayCee
Yan
April 1st, 2008
at 10:48am
Great help!!
emad
October 17th, 2008
at 7:28am
why trouble yourself too much
just copy it from any other computer man and drag it to your quick launch
i have done that before