Show Desktop Icon in Taskbar? I want it.

[michaeld]

I searched but didn't find the answer.

How can I put the Show Desktop icon in the taskbar? I just want the one small icon like we have in XP. Thanks.

 

[Ajulian]

I dont know how to do that...but you can always use shortcuts
like

WINDOWS KEY + D = minimize all aplications and show the desktop
WINDOWS KEY + M = minimize all open windows

its faster and you dont have to click anything xD

 

[michaeld]

Thanks, Ajulian. I knew about those Windows Key shortcuts; I was looking for the Taskbar Button.

However, looking at the "related threads" at the bottom of the screen I saw this thread, which sort of answers my question.

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/9509-show-desktop.html

Why'd they go and do a dumb thing like that? I didn't even KNOW that thing was a button! It works, but it's far from the optimal location. I tried clicking and dragging it; doesn't work. Anyone know how to MOVE that "button that doesn't look like a button?"

 

[sevsman]

Here it is mate..

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html

 

[michaeld]

Thanks, Sevsman! Greatly appreciated.

 

[copernicus]

The reason it's put in the corner is for fast access to it. It has a zero pixel placement like the start menu. You don't have to aim for the button, just move the cursor all the way to the corner.

 

[michaeld]

Hmm. Now that you put it that way, Copernicus, it seems to make sense. I'll get used to it, I'm sure. Right now it's just so new that it's not natural for me to roll the mouse "that way" to aim for the button.

 

[johngalt]

Well, bottom left is the start button...

Top right is the close button for most maximized apps...

Top left is the default application context menu...

That leaves bottom right - else there would have been a much larger paradigm shift as we all got used to having windows rewritten from those other three defaults above.

 

[osamabash]

thankyou.....
osama Al Bash

 

[garbanzo]

i'm fond of the corner button, but i do wish it could be configured to be more like WIN-M than WIN-D, as the latter makes 3rd party gadgets like rainlendar and samurize disappear, while the former keeps them intact. the only reason i'd want to 'peek' at the desktop is to check my calendar or meters, but the way it's set up now, 'peeking' makes them disappear!

 

[isherwood]

The reason it's put in the corner is for fast access to it. It has a zero pixel placement like the start menu. You don't have to aim for the button, just move the cursor all the way to the corner.

That's all well and good...

unless you're running a second monitor over there. I enabled the quicklaunch bar and have only a large icon for the desktop in it. There doesn't seem to be a downside to this configuration.

 

[Dinesh]

we have it already.

 

[Vector]

we have it already.
View attachment 24799

But that doesn't work exactly like the XP show desktop icon

 

[Tews]

But that doesn't work exactly like the XP show desktop icon

Please understand... its irrational to expect Windows 7 to look or run exactly like XP ...
If you prefer the way that XP is laid out or performs. then use XP, but save yourself a boatload of mental grief and abandon this mindset...

 

[plattopus]

The reason it's put in the corner is for fast access to it. It has a zero pixel placement like the start menu. You don't have to aim for the button, just move the cursor all the way to the corner.

Not with two monitors. I love the Windows 7 show desktop behaviour but it takes me forever to place my mouse exactly over that little sliver of space without going onto my other monitor. I need more practice I guess.

 

[VicVicVic]

The reason it's put in the corner is for fast access to it. It has a zero pixel placement like the start menu. You don't have to aim for the button, just move the cursor all the way to the corner.

Not with two monitors. I love the Windows 7 show desktop behaviour but it takes me forever to place my mouse exactly over that little sliver of space without going onto my other monitor. I need more practice I guess.

I completely agree. When I am using my left monitor and try to hit that small button, the cursor often runs over to the right monitor. Horrible design and I wish I could change it somehow.

 

[VicVicVic]

After about two hours of tinkering, I think I got it figured out. I'll test it on my girlfriend's computer and if it works, I'll write a tutorial. Edit: The tutorial has been posted here - I forgot about this thread, or I would have provided the link here earlier. Sorry!

Vic

 

[Generator]

There is another way without using the Quick-launch bar..



1, Create a new txt document in drive C or some place called 'Show Desktop.txt',

2, Open it and paste the following into it and close and save afterwards:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

3, rename the file from 'Show Desktop.txt' to 'Show Desktop.exe'

4, Drag this new fake '.exe' to the taskbar to pin it,

5, rename the txt file you created in drive C from 'Show Desktop.exe' to 'Show Desktop.scf',

6, Holding down the shift key, right-click on the newly pinned 'Show Desktop.exe' and go properties,

7, In the top textbox of the properties windows (labeled 'Target'), change the path from 'c:\Show Desktop.exe' to 'c:\Show Desktop.scf' and hit apply and close the properties dialog,

8, the new 'Show Desktop' should now work.

You will need to restart the PC for the icon to appear but this will look and function like the good old one used to.

 

[plattopus]

The reason it's put in the corner is for fast access to it. It has a zero pixel placement like the start menu. You don't have to aim for the button, just move the cursor all the way to the corner.

Not with two monitors. I love the Windows 7 show desktop behaviour but it takes me forever to place my mouse exactly over that little sliver of space without going onto my other monitor. I need more practice I guess.

I completely agree. When I am using my left monitor and try to hit that small button, the cursor often runs over to the right monitor. Horrible design and I wish I could change it somehow.

I've solved this problem by changing the positioning offset of my secondary monitor. I have two different sized monitors, with the bigger (primary) monitor on the left and the smaller secondary monitor to the right. I used to line them up in Windows' display properties so that the bottom of each monitor was lined up, but now I have a smaller offset for the second monitor so there's a little bit of space where the primary monitor continues below the secondary one (around 30 pixels, enough just for the taskbar).

So now I can slam my mouse to the bottom right of my primary monitor and it'll stop at the edge.

 

[isherwood]

There is another way without using the Quick-launch bar..

Thanks for that. I imaging this would blend better than the large quicklaunch solution, which has been fine otherwise.