Desktop Icons - Hide or Show

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    Desktop Icons - Hide or Show

    Desktop Icons - Hide or Show

    How to Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 7 in Windows 8
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8

       Information
    This will show you how to easily hide or show all icons (ex: files, folders, shortcuts) on your desktop in Windows 7 and Windows 8.






    OPTION ONE

    Hide or Show Desktop Icons using the Desktop Context Menu


    1. Right click or press and hold on a empty area of your desktop, then do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.

    2. To Show All Desktop Icons
    NOTE: This is the default setting.
    A) Click/tap on Show Desktop Icons to check it. (See screenshot below step 3)
    3. To Hide All Desktop Icons
    A) Click/tap on Show Desktop Icons to uncheck it. (See screenshot below)
    Desktop Icons - Hide or Show-icons.jpg
    B) Save your current theme in Windows 7 or Windows 8 to help prevent these settings from being reset after you log off and on, or restart the computer.



    OPTION TWO

    Hide or Show Desktop Icons using a BAT File Download


    1. To Show All Desktop Icons
    NOTE: This is the default setting.
    A) Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
    Show_Desktop_Icons.bat


    Download

    2. To Hide All Desktop Icons
    A) Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
    Hide_Desktop_Icons.bat
    3. Save the .bat file to another location other than your desktop, and run it.
    NOTE: It would be hard to see the .bat file on your desktop if already set to hide.

    4. If prompted, click/tap on Run.
    NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

    5. You will now notice a command prompt quickly open and close, and your screen flash while applying the changes to your registry and restarting explorer.

    6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file(s) if you like.
    That's it,
    Shawn












  1. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 x86 ultimate
       #1

    when my computer restarts, the icons come back. why? i want them out of my screen in and out windows.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,975
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Doc Achmed,

    Did you make any changes to the theme?

    Try setting the icons how you want them as hidden, then save your current theme to see if that may stop this.

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
      My Computer


  3. aem
    Posts : 2,698
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit
       #3

    Hide Desktop Icons - via Regsitry


       Information
    Ever wanted to wonder off and not needing to lockscreen? Or using multiple monitors, but want to show your beautiful wallpaper but can't when you lockscreen? You're want is now realised with this simple registry add-on.

       Note
    Remember this tutorial, if you want to get things back to normal again


    Steps:

    1) Click Start > type regedit in the search box and hit Enter to bring up the registry editor.

    2) Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > Explorer
    Desktop Icons - Hide or Show-noname.jpg
    3) On the right hand pane, right-click and New > Binary Value. Name the key as "NoDesktop" and add in the value of "01 00 00 00". See attachements.
    Desktop Icons - Hide or Show-noname1.jpg
    4) No need to restart pc, logoff and on again is fine, for it to take effect.

       Note
    You may need to auto-hide your taskbar also to have that total stealth look. To do this just right-click taskbar > Properties > and tick "Auto-Hide the taskbar", like so.


       Information
    If you want to revert this effect, just go back and delete this registry key.


    Happy stealthing.
    Last edited by Brink; 05 Jan 2010 at 12:16. Reason: moved and fixed images
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 557
    Windows 7 x64 Ultimate SP1
       #4

    Brink said:
    Hello Doc Achmed,

    Did you make any changes to the theme?

    Try setting the icons how you want them as hidden, then save your current theme to see if that may stop this.

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
    Hit it on the nose Brink.

    I disabled the feature in registry and the icons came back. Saved the theme and it worked.


    Laptops, full of useless toys
    Nice going bro.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 71,975
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #5

    That's great news Zardoc. I'll add a note in the tutorial for this. :)
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 39
    Vista
       #6

    Is there a way to make an icon/shortcut to hide/show gadgets? Like way you can make one to call 3D Flip? C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe DwmApi #105
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 557
    Windows 7 x64 Ultimate SP1
       #7

    Brink said:
    That's great news Zardoc. I'll add a note in the tutorial for this. :)
    Hey Brink,

    It isn't as great as I thought. After 2 or 3 reboots, the icons come back. This seems to be a common problem with laptops and I have also seen this happen with PGP shortcuts to desktop that vanish after a few reboots.

    It's hard to repro since it doesn't happen every time.

    I can't get my hand on what would cause a reg hack to re-activate itself.

    I'll keep looking.

      My Computer


  8. Posts : 71,975
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Do you have any included OEM software (ex: dock or toggle key pop-ups) common to laptops running that may be interfering with it?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 557
    Windows 7 x64 Ultimate SP1
       #9

    No Brink, none of that (at least that I have seen)


    OK I've tried a fix and it works.

    Brink, if you want to modify your tutorial on desktop icons and add (force hide of desktop icons)

    One thing that doesn't work (well not like one would want) is to use the Local Group Policy Editor. If you go to user configuration/Administrative Tasks/Desktop and enable ''Hide and disable all items on desktop'' it will keep icons hidden (won't affect Gadgets) but you will loose right click menu on desktop. So that's a no go.

    Here is the fix based on 2 different registry commands. One exits (the one that will change the reg key when you right click on desktop and disable desktop icons) and the other you may need to create (it's the one that Aem talks about above to unlock double screen saver but gives the same result for hiding icons also). One won't work without the other.

    Here is the simple way. First hide desktop icons (as shown in basic tutorial)

    Open Notepad and paste this command and save as HideDesktopIcons.reg

    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
    "HideIcons"=dword:00000001
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
    "NoDesktop"=dword:00000001
    Double click to activate. Log off and back on. Should be fine.

      My Computer


 
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