Lost my Show Desktop taskbar icon

[MorseLady]

My taskbar icon that you click when you want to go straight to desktop without minimising windows suddenly disappeared for no reason and I cannot get it back. I have tried system restore and even system recovery. I searched Windows hoping to create a new shortcut to drag onto the taskbar but could not find it.

I can still access desktop by right clicking on the taskbar but it is a bit of a nuisance compared to just clicking the icon.

I feel so stupid, I have been solving quite complex problems on my own yet I cannot do this and it's driving me bonkers!



Forgot to say using Windows XP Home,format and clean install a few weeks ago, no SP1 this time thank you! Not a virus as am fully protected and firewalled.

[NooNoo]

The location of the icon in the properties of show desktop is here:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

In the properties for the task bar do you have show quick launch checked?

[emr]

C:\Documents and Settings\profile_name \Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

This is where it is stored, maybe try looking in another profile and copying it from there?

emr

[MorseLady]

Thank you Noo and emr, problem solved! I pasted your URL into my address bar Noo and it took me straight to where the icon was stored and I then sent a copy to the desktop which I dragged to my taskbar. Yes, Noo, I did have Show Quick Launch checked so the icon must have just decided to quit!

I learn something new every day thanks again.

[NooNoo]

Try keeping the task bar locked... it is very easy to drag those suckers off if you are in a hurry!

Glad you are fixed.

[MorseLady]

I always have the taskbar locked Noo so I don't know why the icon disappeared, but I will know where to look for it next time and thanks again for your help.

[Rellik]

if you ever need to re-create the "show desktop" icon from scratch here's how:

create a text file and paste the following text in it:

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

then rename the text file to "Show Desktop.scf"

[remp]

My shortcut is still there, but the actual icon is missing.. instead I have the generic icon usually used when a file type is not recognized..

Does anyone know how to fix this ?

[futuretech]

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_showdesktop.htm

This from Doug Knox site