How-To Geek
Quick Help: Downloadable Show Desktop Icon for XP
It’s amazing how often I get the question “I deleted my Show Desktop icon, now how do I get it back?” arrives in my inbox… so I’ve decided to just zip up the icon and provide it here for everybody.
Most of the articles out there tell you how to recreate it by hand using notepad, but I think you’d probably prefer a downloadable file instead.
Once you download and unzip it, right click on the Quick Launch bar and choose Open Folder.
Copy the icon into this folder…
And there we are, the Show Desktop icon has returned.
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Comments (16)
Programmer by day, geek by night, The Geek, also known as Lowell Heddings, spends all his free time bringing you fresh geekery on a daily basis. You can follow him on Google+ if you'd like.
- Published 09/24/07
It is fairly easy to restore the “Show Desktop” button that usually resides in the Quick Launch toolbar, if you have removed it.
Open notepad and paste the following:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
Save the file as “Show Desktop.scf” in C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch where YOURNAME is the username of the account that is missing the icon.
Everytime I use a computer without the “Show Desktop” button I wonder how much time the owner wastes minimizing every window at the end of the day. This will come handy in my pendrive!
I just use the keyboard shortcut: window+D = instant desktop.
My computer screen shows only a background there is no toolbar or icons to click on. I have to control alt-delete to bring up the task manager so I can select a funtion to operate by .
Can you help me restore my icons and tool ber and get rid of this dang background!!
Thanks
Jon
When I right click on the quick launch bar there is no ‘open folder’ option.
“”Everytime I use a computer without the “Show Desktop” button I wonder how much time the owner wastes minimizing every window at the end of the day. This will come handy in my pendrive!”"
Ù?Ù?Actually Showing Desktop Is Not The Same As Minimizing Windows, You Can Show Desktop With The Shortcut Win+D ,But To Minimize All The Windows You Can Use The Shortcut Win+M
So, What’s The Different?
When You Show Desktop And Then You Try To Restore Any Window You’ll Get All The Windows In Your Face
But When You Minimize Them All (Win+M) You’ll Get Them Restored One By One On Clicking
Showing Desktop Will Hid Minimizable & Non-Minimizable Windows
Minimizing Windows Will Only Hide Minimizable Windows
Thanks – this appears to have worked for my XP64 computer – I didn’t delete the show desktop icon – it never existed in the first place..
When my to-desktop corrupted I was searching everywhere for one and now I founf this its too late ! lol
I just press windows key + D
Always worked for me :P
Can’t we just use the windows+D hotkey like Nathan said?
my desktop has dissapeared and when i right click nothing hapens. what should i do??
My desktop and task bar have disappeared. When I restart from control Alt Del, I get a message saying Explorer exe. SHDOCVW.dll is missing.
What do I need to do? Help, I am desperate.
How do I reinstall my Recycle Bin Icon on the desktop. I inadvertantly deleted it.
Many thanks
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I´ve tried that notepad way so many times, but for dunno what reason it never worked.
No is my show desktop button back.
To download it and copy it to Quick start folder is the easiest and fastest way.
thanx
@Lilyan Wolberg
to restore Recycle Bin just right click on the desktop > properties > desktop > customize desktop icons > mark Recycle Bin :) and finaly hit OK!
it’s nice & Easy ^^
your solution was right Mr.Ali Karbassi
WONDERFUL – thanks so much, I don’t know why the Microsoft instructions don’t make it easy like this.