Windows 7: Remove Show Desktop Button

Anonymous
2009-11-24T19:11:46+00:00

Why does Microsoft insist on giving us useless features that we cant disable without going through x hours of troubleshooting and re-programming?  The current thing for me is the annoying Show Windows Desktop Button in Win 7 thats attached to the start bar and serves no practical function other than to look tacky. 

For those of you who don't know this already, the same function can be achieved by pressing the windows key+d. 

Personally, I find this feature to be inconvenient even for novice users due to its inconvenient location in the bottom right corner; essentially as far away from the start button as physically possible.

I'm a rather advanced user and I decided to switch back to Window$ from Ubuntu after 7 came out because of the performance improvement and support for adobe cs4.  (though thats another story entirely)

I suppose the question I have is where can this little 'feature' be found in the registry so I can remove it?  (or if there is an easier way to remove it i'd be interested in that as well, though Im nearly certain it doesn't exist)

Also as a side note to Microsoft:  Perhaps an update to make this icon movable and removable via gui would be nice, seeing as how im sure several other people do not like it and have less experience than I do in programming and customization.

Edit: Im not interested in 'disabling' the active feature of it, I want to remove it entirely.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2011-02-22T00:45:20+00:00

Hello,

Unfortunately, this is by design.  However, there are 3rd party applications that would definitely accomplish the task at hand for you.  I apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you,

Aaron

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-10-18T19:57:53+00:00

    I personally love how it was on Windows XP or earlier versions of Windows.

    So im writing this for people like me.

    I like to have it next to my START button or somewhere pin on the Taskbar on Windows 7.

    Here is how to achieve that...found (here)

    To re-create the Show desktop icon yourself, follow these steps:

    1.       Click Start, click Run, type notepad in the Open box, and then click OK.

    2.       Carefully copy and then paste the following text into the Notepad window:

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

    3.       On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the file to your desktop as "Show desktop.scf". The Show desktop icon is created on your desktop.

    Now my tweak...hehehehe ;)

    4.       Move the Show desktop.scf in a safe location.. I put mine in the Program Files folder “C:\Program Files\ Show desktop.scf”

    5.       Click Start, click Run, type notepad in the Open box, and then click OK again.

    6.       Leave it BLANK...but this time save as .exe not .scf file.

    7.       On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the file to your desktop as "Show desktop.exe".

    8.       Now drag and drop the Show desktop.exeto the Taskbar.

    9.       Right Click on the Show desktop.exe that’s on the Taskbar,. Right Click on Show desktop and click Properties.

    10.     Replace Target with **"C:\Program Files\Show Desktop.scf"**dont forget the “quotes”

    11.     Restart your PC and here you go a fully working SHOW DESKTOP button.

    1.     Now if you don't like Aero Peek.
    2. ****Right-click on Taskbar and select "Properties". Now uncheck the option "Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop".
    3.     Click on Apply button and it'll disable Aero Peek feature.

    CHEERS...hope i was of any help.. ;)

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-09-30T08:36:54+00:00

    The show desktop button is in a stupid place plus it looks like **** in non-aero themes. It makes no sense to put it in the tray; it should be near the Start button if anywhere. Anyway, the door2windows.com solution does not work for Windows 7 pro 64 bit. It gets rid of the show desktop icon all right, but it also wipes out the entire tray area. The whole Windows 7 toolbar/tray is a terrible design. Even after hours of reconfiguring, researching registry hacks, and installing 3-rd party software it's only barely usable. But don't bother telling Micro$oft, because all they'll tell you is "make sure you have the most recent drivers installed" and "it's by design".

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-07-31T21:19:09+00:00

    The real culprit for new (2010) software are vendors that ignore the "Causes Validation Event" as the mouse cursor drags across a label or other tool on the windows form. [The value for Causes Validation should be false unless there is a specific reason to use event handling for the tool that appears on the windows form.] If, for instance, the operating system cursor (usually arrow) is different from the cursor selected by the software vendor, this property causes the cursor value in the label property window, say "NoMove2d", to be generated, but Microsoft compounded the problem because Microsoft generates the new cursor "NoMove2d" without transferring the original coordinates of "Arrow" to "NoMove2d" as a starting point for a smooth transition. Consequently, the "NoMove2d" then appears in a "clock tick instant" at the highest screen coordinates(lower right), whereupon it generates the event handler for "Show Desk Top" as the next mouse move event happens. The operator does not know what hit him!!!!! Older software does not have a fix, and I should note that before 2010, there was no consequence for ignoring "Causes Validation."

    The testing department at Microsoft dropped the ball on this. Probably they tested software where this feature wasn't ignored, and consequently; they were oblivious to the event taking place. Now I think they simply duck the issue. What this 2010 change means is that older software is not really backwards compatible. They should have never put anything with an event handler at (0,0) or (max,max)!

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-07-30T21:24:53+00:00

    A totally agree with you people, complaining about the damn Show Desktop button!

    Imagine how "useful" is when using multiple displays and you mouse cursor gets stuck in the right bottom corner when moving from one screen to another.

    For those who are using the Recycle Bin and a clean desktop, here's a little tool that will place the Recycle Bin in the system tray: http://www.e-sushi.net/minibin/

    It's really useful!

    In order to remove the Show Desktop button do the following:

    Use this tool first: http://www.door2windows.com/windows-7-show-desktop-button-remover-remove-windows-7-show-desktop-button-with-one-click/

    then this one: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/remove-and-restore-show-desktop-button-with-showdesktop-remover

    But the cursor still gets stuck to the right bottom of the screen when you move it to the next screen.

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