Windows 7 has a "Show Desktop" shortcut which I moved to the Quick Launch Bar. When I have a couple of programs running on the Windows 7 Desktop, I can click on Show Desktop shortcut to minimise all running programs and return to the Windows 7 Desktop with a single mouse click when I want to launch another program. No need to minimise all running programs one-by-one to reach the Desktop. Is there a similar shortcut available or other trick to Show Desktop in Windows 8 with a single click?
Or you can make text file named: Code: Shows_Desktop.scf with the content: Code: [Shell] Command=2 IconFile=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,105 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop
I totally didn't expect it was still there due to new hot corner and no visual cue of the button. The "missing" desktop button was the only thing that made me feel uneasy about Windows 8. I was accepting that I have to live without it, and use Win+D all the time. Thanks so much.
Actually, Windows 8 has the "Show Desktop" icon in the folder "C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" (along with the equally elusive "Window Switcher").
The icon can't be pinned to the Taskbar. But clicking the lower right corner should work even if no button is visible. I now remember something I worked out a couple of months ago. I thought I had already posted it here, but apparently not. There's a way to streamline keystroke Desktop access down to a single 3-function key, using just the tools that Windows 8 provides. If you configure it this way, you can have one keyboard shortcut do three things: 1. The first time you press it, from a Metro App, it switches to the Desktop mode. 2. If you then hit the key a second time, it minimizes all the windows. 3. Then if you hit it a third time, it restores the windows. And if you're already in desktop mode, it will just perform functions 2 and 3. Find the "Show Desktop" icon in the folder C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch Copy and paste it into C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Accessories\System Tools Now, in that folder, right-click the "Show Desktop" icon and select "Properties." Click in the "Shortcut Key" pane and press one of the 12 function keys, or one of the 4 operation keys + - * / on the numeric pad, and click OK. That key should then work 3 ways, as I described above. Most of the other keys can also be used as shortcuts, but then you have to hold down Ctrl + Alt every time you use them. On the other hand, if you use a function key it won't work this way when you're in an app that assigns that key a different purpose.