How To Show Desktop

Windows has given a handy icon to help you figure out how to show your desktop. While this little trick is not flashy, it is a handy way to minimize all your windows at once. It can come in handy if you need to conceal something you are working, or looking at, rather quickly. You can also use these same tricks to show all your open windows. There are three different ways you can show your desktop.

For this to work, you need to be using Windows XP.

1. In the Quick Launch toolbar (to the right of the “Start Menu”), click on the circle with a pen. When you hover your mouse over the icon, it will say “Show Desktop.” Simply click the button and all your windows minimize at once. Click again to restore all windows at the same time.
2. Hold down the Windows Logo key on your keyboard and press the letter “D.” This will show your desktop. Press again to bring back up all your windows.
3. Right click in your Windows taskbar, which is at the bottom of your screen. Choose “Show Desktop” from the menu that appears. Right click in the taskbar a second time and choose “Show Open Windows” to reverse the process.

Right clicking on the taskbar brings up options to customize your toolbars. If you do not see your “Quick Launch” toolbar, right click in the Windows taskbar and move over “Toolbars.” Click on the “Quick Launch” option, which puts a checkmark next to it, to bring up that toolbar.

Resource:

Microsoft Support: Show Desktop