Show Desktop Just by Clicking on it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ellen
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E

Ellen

Is there a program or hack that will let me show the desktop in xp just
by clicking on it (assuming that open windows are not maximized)?

Thanks.

Ellen
 
You mean like clicking on the 'Show Desktop...' link in the 'Quick
Launch' toolbar?

(Right-click on an empty part of the Taskbar and chose 'Toolbars' >
'Quick Launch' to display the 'Quick Launch' toolbar including the 'Show
Desktop...' link)


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
No, Tim. I mean exactly what I said. If any number of windows are open
(but none are maximized, so that part of the desktop is visible), I'd
like to click on the desktop and have the open windows be minimized.
Maybe I asked the wrong question and should be looking for something
like minimize all?

Anyway, thanks for your reply.

Ellen
 
Well it's me that doesn't understand..... how does what you just said
differ from clicking on the 'Show Desktop...' link?



==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
P.S. Aside from the 'Show desktop...' link in the 'Quick Launch'
toolbar, there is also the WinKey+M key-combination that minimises all
open windows as well...


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
Hi Tim,

Thanks for the keyboard shortcut!

The only difference is that I don't have to use the mouse to go down to
the show desktop icon. I like to minimize mousing (as well as
windows) to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which I have had in the
past.

Ellen
 
Also, check out the 'Shortcut key' box in a shortcut's properties page
(under the shortcut tab).

If you specify a key combination in this box for any shortcut on the
Desktop or 'Start Menu' , and by simply pressing this key-combination
you call up the program (or other target of the shortcut).

This can be useful if the shortcut is used a lot and space is all but
used up on your desktop.

Many mouseclicks can be saved in this way.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
Thanks for the info about the shortcut keys. On a laptop, how do I use
the D or M keys? If I click control escape, I get the start menu, but
nothing happens when I try M and D brings up the documents list.

Also, the properties that are accessible from the show desktop icon
don't have a box for a shortcut key? is there a place in the registry
for this?

Ellen
 
Ellen said:
Is there a program or hack that will let me show the desktop in xp just by
clicking on it (assuming that open windows are not maximized)?

Thanks.

Ellen
Click to expand...

Hi Ellen,

Let me address the "hack" possibility last. Your Windows XP system already
has a program which includes a "Minimize All" capability. There are at least
7 ways to access that capability that I am aware of.

1. Right-click a blank area of your taskbar and click "Show Desktop".
(Hard to hit the 3 pixel wide space between buttons some times. :)
2. It's easier to Right-click the clock and click "Show Desktop".
3. Click Show Desktop button on Quick Launch bar (if you use that toolbar.)
4. Hold Windows logo key (win-key) down and press M to Minimize All.
5. Hold win-key down and press D to show Desktop.
6. Put a Show Desktop shortcut on your desktop.
7. Put a Show Desktop shortcut on your Start Menu

With items 1 and 2, after you Show Desktop, the right click menu item
changes to "Show Open Windows", which reverses the Minimize All. With items
4 and 5, hold win-key plus SHIFT key and press M to undo Minimize All. With
items 3, 6 and 7, the Show Desktop button or shortcut is a toggle between
Minimize All or Undo Minimize All.

I found an interesting item in the Windows Tips section of the registry,
which still has the tip from older versions of Windows:
[begin cite:]
HKEY_lOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips
Tip #11
You can minimize all open windows at once; just use your right mouse button
to click an empty area on the taskbar, and then click Minimize All Windows.
[:end cite]

(Hello Microsoft? It doesn't say that anymore, it says Show Desktop! :)

BTW: (By The Way,) after you right click to get that menu, you can either
left or right click the Show Desktop or Show Open Windows item.

Note that when you Minimize All to Show Desktop, "All open windows and
dialog boxes are minimized. Minimized windows appear as buttons on your
taskbar, but dialog boxes do not appear as buttons. To restore all windows
and dialog boxes to their previous state, click [Show Desktop] again."

The quick launch Show Desktop button is located here on my system:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Quick Launch\Show Desktop.scf
(I'm guessing SCF stands for System Command File.)
(Right click the button and click Properties to find its location.)

You can right click the Show Desktop button on the quick launch bar and
click copy, and then either paste a copy of the button to desktop or start
menu, (it is only 79 bytes,) or Paste Shortcut, which would be 491 bytes.
(With a hard drive cluster size of 4KB, either file "size" would use up 4KB
space on the drive, so it doesn't really matter. :)

(Besides Quick Launch, there is also a taskbar "Desktop" toolbar.)

So far, none of the Show Desktop methods directly address your initial
question. Double clicking a Show Desktop shortcut on the desktop is not
single clicking the desktop itself, and you would have to position the
shortcut in a corner of the desktop where it could be seen while various
non-maximized windows are partly covering the desktop. You could change your
Folder Options (General tab) to use the "Single-click to open an item (point
to select)" option, so you could single click the Show Desktop shortcut,
(and all other shortcuts, in all other folders too,) but that would still
not be clicking the desktop itself.

Possible Hack. I'm at a dead end as to HOW to do it, but it seems to me,
that since there is a Show Desktop item on the taskbar right click menu,
that there should be a way to add a Show Desktop item to the Desktop right
click menu, possibly by accessing the above mentioned "Show Desktop.scf"
file. (Attention hackers! Your mission, should you decide to accept it... :)

So, there ya go! For what it's worth.
--Richard
 
Ellen,
With a desktop full of open windows - try pressing (the special
key with the Windows logo on it) WinKey+D is the same as clicking on the
"Show Desktop" icon.

(*Remember - it's the "Win Key" plus "D" - NOT CTRL plus "D")

Also - and very similar - WinKey+M minimises all open Windows (very
subtle difference between this and "D").

Other WinKey combinations include :

WinKey = Open Start Menu

WinKey+E = Open an Explorer window

WinKey+R = Open the Run dialog

WinKey+Pause = Open the System Properties

WinKey+F = Find: All Files

WinKey+Ctrl+F = Find: Computer

WinKey+M = Minimize all open windows

WinKey+D = Show/Hide Desktop

WinKey+Shift+M = Undo minimize all open windows

WinKey+Tab = Cycle through taskbar program buttons

WinKey+F1 = Open Windows Help


Concerning shortcut's 'hotkey' combinations;

Open up a shortcut's properties page (right-click on a shortcut then
choose 'Properties').

Then, under the 'Shortcut' tab (along the top), in the box labelled
'Shortcut key:' type a letter on it's own to specify that you want the
combination to be CTRL-ALT-LETTER (Control key + Alt key + Your chosen
letter)

Or;

Type your chosen letter while pressing on the 'Shift' key to specify
that you want the combination to be CTRL+SHIFT+LETTER (Control key +
Shift key + Your chosen letter) .

Click on the [ok] button to close the 'Properties' page.

Then, you can press on your key combination to open up any shortcut you
have done the above to, including programs, documents or internet
shortcuts....

If you are still having problems with anything here, please tell us
about it.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
================
It was obvious to me 20 years ago, that since clicking on any other object
'brings it to the top', the same would usually be more convenient than all
the (7) other ways, and should apply to the desktop, a useful object in its
own right. I have thought of no dis-advantage to that, except that Ms did
not think of it (in the last 20 years).
I suspect someone knows how to define a click on the desktop to be the same
as Window+d. ;-)
================
 
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