How to restore Show Desktop icon in quick launch bar?
I think many of you might accidentally deleted the Show Desktop icon in the quick launch bar. I also did accidentally deleted the Show Desktop icon at quick launch bar. Finally i found the solution to re create or restore this Show Desktop icon in quick launch bar again.
Just follow the steps below and you will restore Show Desktop icon back in your quick launch bar:-
- Click Start -> Run -> type Notepad and enter
- Copy the contents below to your Notepad and save as Show Desktop.scf
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop - Once the file created, drag the file to the Quick Launch bar.
You will see the icon above if you restore the Show Desktop successfully - Done! You just restore Show Desktop icon.
Note: By default Notepad save all document as txt file. To save your file as .scf file extension, type the full file name together with the extension and simply select the “Save as type” from txt to “All files” and click “Save”
There are another way to restore show desktop icon in quick launch bar:-
- Click Start -> Run and type regsvr32 /n /i:U shell32.dll and enter
- Done! You just restore your Show Desktop icon
Posted at October 3rd, 2006 by chua
If you think this article helps you to solve your problem and clear your headache, feel free to buy me a drink :)
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I followed the directions to recreate the show desktop icon on the quick lauch bar, but both methods end with the same results. An icon is recreated and the hoverover text is “show desktop” but nothing happens when it is clicked.
What am I missing?
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Did u click it on your desktop?
if yes, then it wont have any effect cuz you already in the desktop.
Remember to drag that icon to your Quick Launch Bar and open few program,
then you click on it, you will see the difference.
November 23rd, 2006 at 9:37 am
My 12 year old daughter lost the whole registry setting to make show desktop icon to function. I got the icon back but the .scf defaulted to a Sims 2 mod. I tried to restore all the reg settings, but with no avail. WOW! I couldn’t even make such a mess, but my daughter did. Google and MS searches show how to get the icon…but what about how the .scf functions!! HOw do I tried restor .scf reg settings by referencing my othe pc’s. How do you reset explorer to even dafault to execute the .sfc commands??
November 23rd, 2006 at 1:58 pm
THanks for ur help i restored my show desktop button thank you very much
November 29th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Thank you so much. I got my icon back. It was really a great stuff.
December 15th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
VERY NICE, Perfect and now I don’t have to minimize 20 programs to find my icons.
Thank you.
December 15th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
Thanks for the hint and the lesson. I guess you call that a “batch file” from the old DOS days. Most excellent !! Thanks
December 18th, 2006 at 6:02 am
Great stuff! Got the icon back on the quick launch bar and it’s working. This is a much better solution than what those idiots have on the official Microsoft website!
Congrats and thanks!
December 29th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
It worked and the icon automatically appeared. Thanks so much. I accidently deleted my whole computer using logmein. I had all my files in a 45GB folder i was trying to backup. I used some recovery program to recover the folder. I still have no way to backup to reinstall windows.
January 10th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
I get the icon back. Thank you so much!
January 14th, 2007 at 11:04 am
I am no technocrat. This was easy and took me less than 3 minutes. It does what it says it will do. I used to press (alt option - M) to do the same thing. Thanks…
January 21st, 2007 at 1:11 am
to Robert..
in order to clear your desktop from programs, press windows icon + D
to bring it again do the same
January 31st, 2007 at 11:38 am
My show desktop icon come back! Thank’s for the steps.
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Failure. Both of your suggested methods bring back the ICON, but not the functionality. When I click the show desktop icon now, I get a security warning asking if I want to open or save the file. (Name: Show Desktop.scf Type: Windows Explorer Command, 79 bytes) Choosing save makes a new copy of the file; choosing open returns to the same dialog box again. Opening the file through Notepad confirms that the commands are correct. Hitting the windows key + D properly minimizes all my windows and shows the desktop. Do you have any idea what is going wrong?
February 12th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
I have just tried it and it worked very well, if it doesnt at the first time just desactivate your quick launch icons then lauch them again it’s gonna work.thanks for the help
February 27th, 2007 at 4:11 am
Start/Run
regsvr32 /n /i:U shell32
does the same thing
March 3rd, 2007 at 11:26 pm
You rock dude, thanks!
March 9th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Worked well for me once I carefully followed the instructions and right-clicked on the Windows toolbar then selected “Toolbars” and clicked on Quicklaunch which had been previously hidden.
Thanks for the help!
March 20th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
dear chris, am facing the same problem.. clicking the icon just opens a dialog bax with open & save options.
i cant say just how frustrating this is, but i have just spent more than 5 hours trying to resolve the issue. if u have done omething to correct the problem, pls o post.it,
regards,
al.
March 28th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
It worked! I tried Option 2 & then followed Riad’s advice. Thank you both for the assistance! =0)
March 30th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Worked, THANK YOU!!
April 28th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
I lost me Show Desktop icon after deleting files from a user acccount that I didn’t want no more, This solution is quick and easy and it works.
May 11th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I had just tried it and its really works,a great advance solution tips to share with. Thanks for the help
May 14th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
that was gr8 solution…
i had been lookin for it..
that was easy but couldn’t find out myself…
thats the same when you open the “show desktop” in notepad,
just drag it to notepad, and u’ll see…..
and more u can change the icons by changing the values…
IconFile=explorer.exe,”x”
giving various values for x… dats fun…
May 15th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Great Job..I restored my Desktop Icon..I am so happy too…
Thank you/
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Great!
been looking for this for a while now..
took less than 10 seconds, thanks a lot.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
thanks the icon came back but the function that is suppose to do is still not working.
How do u make it work again?
June 25th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Thanks for the tip. It worked well for me. I am glad to have the icon back. Thanks.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I tried the second option and it restored the icon, but after rebooting it restored all of my XP settings to their defaults. It even tried to restore Office again and started asking for disks. Is there any way to reverse the registry change without harming the system?? I used the restore function and it brought me back to my original screen (without the desktop icon) and then the next time I rebooted it reverted back to the defaults again and I had to restore again….Help!
October 8th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Dear Chris and Al,
When creating your txt file, save as and make sure the file extension is .scf
It may be worth trying the following after saving as well:
My computer
Tools
Folder options
View
Untick the box “Hide extensions for known file types”
Apply
Ok
Know check the .scf file you have created. it may look something like this
“Show Desktop.scf.txt”
Try renaming the file “Show Desktop.scf” making sure once applied the .txt extension is not showing.
Hope this helps!
November 8th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Thank you, this was a quick and easy fix for my windows XP system. I had it back within 3 minutes!!
November 25th, 2007 at 3:42 am
thanks soooooo much, i deleted mine by accident ages ago and it has been bugging me ever since. I owe you a huge thank you!
December 10th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
thanks a lot ! lo my show desktop is restored.
January 14th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Thanx man it worked real good.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:16 am
THANKS SO MUCH. (:
February 9th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
WOW that was amazing!
ur a god
thanks so much
February 23rd, 2008 at 4:16 am
I DID ALL THAT,FIRST AND THE SECOND WAY,AND MY SHOW DESKTOP ICON ISNT WORKING?NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN I CLICK ON IT!
February 24th, 2008 at 12:27 am
thank you
March 14th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I DID EVERYTHING YOU SAID BUT I DONT KNOW WHERE THE QUICK LAUNCH BAR IS….IM LOST….PLEASE HELP…THANK YOU
April 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Dude thanks for the tip just like u said i acedently deleted mine dont ask how but i just did, BUT thanks man for the lesson i learned sumthing new today
May 1st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Go to Start and click search
Choose All files and folders
Type in - show desktop
Search
Wait for results
Choose file
When Icon comes to desktop drag to quick launch.
Excellent!
May 13th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
GREAT JOB..
i finally restored my icon..
thanks ya!!!
May 18th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
ive created the .scf file, dragged it to the quick launch and that didnt work, tried double clicking, that didnt work!
May 21st, 2008 at 7:27 am
I LOVE you!!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 am
I’ve tried these two techniques and nothing works. I used to enjoy this feature but one day it sopped working and is still dead. Any ideas?
John
June 11th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Hey
After I had run the “regsvr32 /n /i:U shell32.dll” and pressed Enter I went to the C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR-USERNAME\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch and I found the ShowDesktop ShortCut and dragged it to the taskbar! AND IT WORKS.
Regards
Morten
June 19th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
thanks so much u made it so simple & easy
July 8th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Worked like a charm, thanks for the info