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
    2011-09-09T14:01:40+00:00

    Amen Amen Amen!  I am right now seething that exact same quetion through my teeth.  Why the F does windws insist on on shoving useless little freakin pop up widows and suggestions and extra little surprise features like 'side note' AND make it so that you can expect  to waste no less than 30 -45 minutes of your time going online to find some question/answer board where some other more technologically gifted soul may have been kind enough to share their knowledge of how to fix it.

    I want to put my fist through my computer now every time that stupid window pops up "speed up browsing time by disabling add-ons".  It's a small thing, but it is f'ing annoying!  If I want to disable add ons (which are all disabled anyway beside the tool bar), I will disable f'ing add-ons when I f'ing feel like it!  Using windows 7 is like having a mosquito in your ear!

    WIndows and Microsoft in general has increasingly made using the computer a not so enjoyable experience. 

    Side Not to self:  dump windows, go to mac.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-09-23T15:58:49+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

     okay, what if the turn off aero peek button on taskbar properties tab is grayed out checked, so i cant even uncheck the M$-ing thing?...haven't found that little issue anywhere, so what is it that selected aero peek and then disabled my access to it?

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-11-03T18:51:41+00:00

    Ok... 

    Microsoft support - can you confirm if this issue has been reported to any Windows desktop program managers?

    Here's the real issue for me:

    • I use a laptop with a pointer - Thinkpad X220
    • The show desktop button on the taskbar is directly underneath my browser's scroll bar when my browser (Chrome) is maximized
    • When I select the scrollbar (with a click) and slide the bar down, I'm very frequently reading the content and not paying attention to where the cursor is
    • Win7 allows me to drag the mouse outside of the active window while the scrollbar in that window is selected, which frequently leaves the cursor arrow over... you guessed it! the show desktop button
    • Then, if I'm not paying attention, it's easy to click that button, and see the desktop

    This happens to me ALL THE TIME. And, it's very annoying.

    Also, please note: THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY APPS FOR TURNING THIS OFF. There was 1, but it is not compatible with Win7 SP1. Please don't make assertions without providing links to your MIcrosoft partner's products, eh? Customers may have ended up here after copious web searching and may not care to be sent on additional wild goose chasing...

    In essence, in this case Win7 has reduced WinXP functionality with little clear benefit from having done so. Why?

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-11-10T13:55:38+00:00

    Can you not just right click on it and remove the tick 'peek at desktop' which is on by default?

    It wil not bother you then like it did me.

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