How to Show Desktop in Windows 7 (Quick Launch Alternative)
Windows 7 has do away with Quick Launch Bar which is no longer a feature by default, and does not been shown or displayed on Windows 7 Superbar (Taskbar), although there is hack to enable Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows 7. With the removal of Quick Launch Bar, also missing is Show Desktop shortcut icon, which previously reside in Quick Launch Bar. Show Desktop allows user to quickly and instantly view the desktop by minimizing all opened windows in order to access files or shortcuts placed on desktop.
Although the Show Desktop icon which located inside the Quick Launch Bar have been made obsolete and removed from Windows 7, but the Show Desktop function is still been retained in different location and can still be used, and does exactly what Show Desktop does.
In order to quickly show desktop in Windows 7, just click on the Show Desktop bar at the far right end of the Windows Taskbar and notification area, which is next to the data and time clock (if you don’t hide the clock system icons in notification area). See illustration below for the exact location.
Other than typical Show Desktop feature, Windows 7 also has a feature called Desktop Preview, aka Aero Peek, that temporarily make all opened windows on the Windows 7 desktop transparent when user mouse over the “Show Desktop” button at the far right end of the taskbar.
Related Articles
- Show Desktop Keyboard Shortcut
- Keyboard Shortcut to Run Quick Launch Bar Items or Commands
- Assign Keyboard Shortcut Sequence to Quickly Run Vista Snipping Tool
- How to Enable or Disable (Turn On or Off) Desktop Preview in Windows 7
- How to Enable or Disable Quick Launch Bar Toolbar in Windows 7
- Hack to Disable Quick Launch Bar from Reappearing After Enable Windows 7 Superbar
- Create Unlimited Levels of Menu with Free Launch Bar
- Add and Create Aero Flip 3D Shortcut (on Desktop, Quick Launch or Windows 7 Taskbar)
- Restore, Recover and Show Recycle Bin Icon on Desktop in Vista
- Download BootRacer to Monitor Boot Up Time in Windows System
Entries (RSS)
February 3rd, 2010 01:17
On a vacuum of the Desktop, click-right, to select New, then Shortened In the place of the element, to copy to stick %SystemRoot% \explorer.exe %APPDATA% \Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Shows Desktop.lnk may click on Following to Type Desktop for the name of the shortcut and to click Finish click-right on the new icon Desktop and to select Properties In the Shortened tab, to click to Change icon In the frame to Look for icons in this file, to copy to stick %SystemRoot% \system32\imageres.dll and to click on OK.
To select the icon of it Desktop and to validate by OK In the Properties, the new icon appears. To click to Apply The new shortcut Desktop is created.
Of a click-right on this shortcut , to click to Pin in the Taskbar and we can position it where you want
January 27th, 2010 05:44
Cletus, have you considered that maybe the people writing these articles aren’t native English speakers? The web is worldwide, remember? Give them a break. I can understand the articles just fine.
January 27th, 2010 05:39
In my Windows 7, I don’t even get the full-height button at the right end of the taskbar (possibly because I’m using the Windows Classic theme). Instead, I get a tiny icon that’s a miniature of the screen, same aspect ration, with a teeny arrow or something at its lower left corner. The icon is about 15 pixels high, a huge pain to get the pointer onto accurately.
However, since I learned — from another article here, http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/12/30/new-keyboard-shortcut-keys-hotkeys-in-windows-7/comment-page-1/#comment-633921 — that I can instead use the keyboard shortcut Windows-D to show the desktop, and again to redisplay the window that was open — I don’t care anymore where the Show Desktop button is or how big it is.
January 20th, 2010 08:56
I was in the “why bother” camp at first but after a while it started to irritate me that the Show Desktop button was on the left – why they felt it was important to move it is beyond me. Anyway, thanks for the tip!
January 13th, 2010 10:04
Great info – I had hunted ‘Show Desktop’ everywhere! Thanks for what you do and how you do it. GS
January 13th, 2010 03:23
I don’t mean to be rude but do you guys read these for coherence? “Windows 7 has do away with”??? “Function is still been retained”?? Did you have your 1st grader write this?
January 12th, 2010 10:10
THANK YOU!! I searched Help and couldn’t get the result that told me about the button on the far right. I have always loved the Show Desktop and frequently use it, you have saved me much frustration!
December 31st, 2009 23:19
If you want the old style “show desktop” as well as the old style “quick launch”, check this out:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/01/14/how-to-enable-or-disable-quick-launch-bar-toolbar-in-windows-7/
December 25th, 2009 20:30
THERE IS NO NEED OF ANY ALTERNATIVE, YOU HAVE SHOW DESKTOP IN 7
there is small button next to date and time, click that
December 24th, 2009 14:29
If you wish to add the quic show desktop icon back to your quick launch (where it belongs!) it is quite simple.
Copy the following code into notepad and save to your desktop as ‘desktop.sfc’
[code][Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop[/code]
then just drag it into your quick launch and you have the PROPER quick launch back where it belongs!
(Rule 1, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!)
December 13th, 2009 14:55
The show desktop icon is on the bottom right of the windows 7 taskbar, on the right of the clock. You don’t need to add a special taskbar item.
Ken.
December 3rd, 2009 07:12
THANKS!!! It’s been a major time. My “hand and arm” are rejoicing…
November 24th, 2009 17:43
So, I couldnt find it on my own either. I found that if you right click on the task bar, there is a link for “show desktop” when diferent windows are open. This new desktop button might eventually be faster because:
pretty good design… They should have still had the option to keep the button pinned to the task bar where it has always been!
You dont have to look at what you are doing to show the desktop!! try it! you can just drag your mouse hard right and down and click instantly! you’ll end up on the button everytime! click it again and it “undoes” the showdesktop action.
November 13th, 2009 23:48
Good tip, it can’t be identified easily. I found it by chance hovering over each icon. However, I still believe re-enabling Quick Launch is the more intuitive way to go:
1. If one has actually used Show Desktop before, then it would be expected to be in the same location: bottom left near the Start button.
2. It’s a horrible design to put two of the most used features on the opposite ends of the screen (i.e. Start button and Show Desktop).
3. If most of the common functions are left-justified (e.g. taskbar, Start button, etc.), why is that frequently used function sitting alone at the far right of the taskbar? It’s already annoying to move the mouse across the screen just to show the desktop, it’s even more so when I’m on the laptop using the touch pad.
Anyone know how to move this new button to the left OR remove it from taskbar (I don’t really like having 2 Show Desktop buttons after re-enabling Quick Launch)?
November 13th, 2009 04:27
Thank you! Thank you! I was lost w/o this!!
November 12th, 2009 18:50
[...] How to Show Desktop in Windows 7 (Quick Launch Alternative) [...]
November 10th, 2009 16:16
Thank you! I’ve been looking for the way to show the Desktop for a while!
October 31st, 2009 14:42
thanks for the tip, just googled here!
October 2nd, 2009 17:49
Great Tip, I missed that and was looking for it. Thank you!