Description of the "Show Desktop" Feature in Windows (262088)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q262088

SUMMARY

You can use the "Show Desktop feature" included with the versions of Windows listed above to minimize or restore all of your open programs, and easily view the desktop. To use this feature, click Show Desktop on the Quicklaunch toolbar on the right-side of the taskbar.

MORE INFORMATION

To view the Show Desktop button if you are running a full-screen program such as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation in Slide Show mode, you can press the Windows key or press CTRL+ESC. When you click Show Desktop, your programs are all minimized or restored, depending on their current state.

NOTE: In Windows 2000 Professional, the programs that are running may be returned in reverse order. This means that the program that was previously in the foreground, returns behind programs that were previously behind it.

NOTE: If the Show Desktop icon is missing, and the Show Desktop.scf file is present in the Windows\System, or WINNT\System32 folder, you can add it to the Quick Launch Bar by performing the following steps:

Click Start/ Find /Files or Folders, or Start/ Search /For Files or Folders and seacrh for *.scf.Drag the Show Desktop file from the c:\windows\system folder to the quick lanch bar to create a shortcut for it there.NOTE: If the Show Desktop icon is missing from the Quick Launch Bar, you can recreate it by following this article:

190355 How to Re-create the Show Desktop Icon on Quick Launch Toolbar

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:12/20/2004
Keywords:kbinfo KB262088
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