Quick Help: Restore Show Desktop Icon in Windows Vista
I’ve received dozens of emails asking how to restore the show desktop icon once you’ve deleted it, so I have a solution for everybody: I’ve zipped up a copy of the shortcut, and you can download it here.
To put it back into the Quick Launch folder, open up explorer and then type in the following into the address bar:
shell:Quick Launch
Now just unzip the file and copy it into the folder, and you’ll have the show desktop shortcut back (the one with the real icon)
Note that I have no idea if this will work for 64-bit Windows, or if you have Vista installed somewhere other than your C: drive. Please let me know if it doesn’t.
The Geek is the founder of How-To Geek and a geek enthusiast. This article was written on 08/14/07 and tagged with: Desktop Customization, Windows Vista
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Hi – Your tip for restoring “show Desktop icon” is great. It only saves one click but that means 1000s per year and it’s easier.
What I did was extract to desktop, then dragged to the tray.
It also has the advantage of returning you to last page visited with one click. Thanks, Wayne
Men,you are a genius ,thanks a lot for you idea!!!!!
it help me a lot,i m having a big problem for unnistall nero 7 from my pc,i have wvista and is a laptop,i had tried everything but…,nothing works..,so if you can help me with this…,thanks one more time.
omg i was looking for this all day, thnx so much!
You’re da man.
Great – works like a dream (which is more than can be said for vista)
From an XP fan
Brilliant – I found various other geeky solutions but yours was a dream! Thank you!!
If Windows had archangels , you’d be one of them !!
Please let know Microsoft they are stupid not to make this restore easier!!!
They should be paying you for helping their users !!!
Thanks!
Hey men Thank you very much!!! That’s a problem that happens a lot… your are great!!!
ohhhhh..thanks God for you and your zipped copy of that shortcut…you saved me!!
I looked everywhere for this and just kept getting the old icon. Your fix worked perfectly!!! Thanks you!!!
This was the best and the easiest solution on INTERNET. Been struggling with this for weeks now. This should be the first hit in google for “Show Desktop Vista”. Thanks so much!
this is what i’ve been looking for..thank you so much!
Thank you so much, that’s brilliant!
You can also try this…
Copy and paste the following lines into a Notepad file.
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
Save the file to your Desktop as Show Desktop.scf
For some reason it dosent work. If you could suggest any other ideas — please help!!
Thanks!
Thanks heaps!!!!!
Thanks alot
Great! I have 64bit Vista and it works perfectly. I missed that nifty little icon on my toolbar!
Thank you so much, I deleted it and didnt know what it was called, I cried!
Now its back again and life is so much easier and your the biggest star in the Universe!
Peru W
thank you SO much. i deleted the ’show desktop’ icon from my quick launch because i thought it was pretty useless since we could “windows key+d’ it anyway. but as soon as i deleted it, i realised how DEPENDENT i was on it! i just can’t get out of the habit of clicking it on the quick launch bar.
genious solution and so simple. thanks !
Too sweet and simple for words.
Thanksagain.
It really does work, thanks a lot.
Excellent!!!!
I’d given up on ever seeing it again!!!!!!
I looked all day without success for help on restoring these icons, UNTIL I entered the proper key words, “desktop icon vista.” Your site showed up, and my problems were solved in one minute. THANKS!!!!
thx alot ,,,, that’s great
Phew, thanks, you”ve saved my life!
Hey….Thanks a ton…It surely works
Thanks a million. That was gr8
Thank you soooo much! It worked great, was looking everywhere and everything else showed something complicated that didn’t work! This took me 1 minute to do and it worked like a charm! Thanks =D
Wow, THANK YOU!!! I had already tried about three ways and nothing! But this fixed my problem in a snap. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks a lot bud!
Wooow , Thanks 10000000 million
thhhhhhhhhhhhhank you so much man !!
you did it
woow , thanks a lot , it works !!!!!!!!
Brilliant!!! that’s exactly what I was looking for! simply and quick – GREAT JOB!!
Yay, fast and easy.
Thank you very much, it was fantastic.
Thanks a lot!!!!
Thank you.
Thanks a lot…..bravo
Unfortuntely, this doesn’t work for Windows 7 Beta (I don thave Vista) but I am unable to copy the show desktop to the taskbar.
Sam, in Windows 7 Beta this feature is on the far right of the Taskbar, past the System Tray. There isn’t an icon in this version. You have to actually mouse over it to see it.
Just quick and great!
Hey thanks a lot. Works great!
Thank you so much. It’s very helpful!
Thanks, very helpful
Wayne , you are a godsend. Thanks!!
Thanks accidently deleted of my girlfriends laptop, got me out of a real jam
Thanks for this – works just fine!
rYAN –> Although, your instructions brought XP’s ‘Show Desktop’ icon, it was perfect too!
It works with Vista Home 64-bit just fine – thanks!
My vista crashed last fall and when they restored it the flip3d is gone. How can I get it back? It is getting more difficult with my new job and I need it.
Thanks
Laura
My vista crashed last fall and when they reinstalled everything the flip function was gone. How can I get it back?
Thanks Laura L
Thank you for this. I have no idea how the original one got deleted and it was frustrating to go to click there and realize it was gone and have to do extra clicks.
Thank you, sir. I typed “Show Desktop Windows Vista” in my navigation bar and was directed to your site. I read that you haven’t confirmed that it worked on Vista 64-bit. I use that platform, and I’m most obliged to say, it works! It does work for Vista 64-bit and has opened my eyes on how windows should adapt to possible scenarios. If it wasn’t for you, I’m sure Microsoft would have had a lot of problems peaking in their mailboxes.
Sincerely,
James Schultz
Works perfect in Vista 64 bit Ultimate!
Thks!!
soo good idea
i learn with u this: shell:quicklunch
very good
i m a developper and i appresie that
thks again
Thank you so much, what a gift it is to have the Show Desktop icon back!
)
The icon worked, but I still do not have the 3D function. How or where can I find it to reload it?
Laura
Hey man this is really wonderfull thanks a lot its amazing, Keka(Wow)
Regards
Naresh
ur a genius cuddie
yeaaahh!! the Geek, you are DA GEEX!! thank you!
it works.. thanks alot
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Excellent – & so easy too.
Thanx
I have Windows Vista 64-Bit, the download doesn’t work. It’s a blank file.
Never mind it works, read directions wrong, thank you so much!
I recently deleted the ’show windows’ on the quick launch toolbar. Since then, all the windows are now on the left hand side and only two show up at a time. If I have more than two windows open there’s an up and down arrow I have to click to show more. All in all, it’s really annoying. I’ve tried to moved the windows back to the right side without any luck. Is this because I deleted the ’show windows’ from the quick launch? Either way…how do I add that back to my quick launch and how do I get all my windows to go back to the right side? Your help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!
I”m sorry, I have a correction. Since I deleted the ’show windows’ all the windows are now on the RIGHT side and only show up two at a time. I want to get the windows back to the left hand side right next to the quick launch toolbar where they all are side by side and not only two with an up and down arrow to shift through them. Thanks so much!
It does work for Vista 64bit, thanks very much
Thanks. It’s great tool with easy tips