Create a Show Desktop Icon in Windows 7
February 2, 2011 Windows 7 Tips
Although it may be perceived as only a minor component within Windows XP, the show desktop icon was actually one 
of the many features that users completely took for granted. Starting with Windows 7 Microsoft offers a wonderful alternative to the Show Desktop icon, which may not be as original but it can manually create a show desktop icon in Windows 7.
Microsoft’s Alternative to the Show Desktop Icon
There is actually a small area of the Windows 7 taskbar which functions in a very similar manner to the Show Desktop icon with regard to Windows Peon the very right of the task bar is a tiny sectioned off area that unlabeled and reveals its purpose when the mouse is hovered over it.
If you click the button it will actually minimize all open programs and will be able to reveal the desktop underneath. If you click it again it will actually be able to restore any windows which are open to their original position. The thing is if you liked the old style desktop icon then you may be able to manually create one and be able to make it function just like Windows did.
How to Create a Show Desktop Icon in Windows 7
To create a Show Desktop icon in Windows 7, begin by opening up Notepad by clicking on Start>All Programs>Accessories>Notepad.
With Notepad open, type in the following lines of code just as they appear below:
[Shell]
Command=2
Icon File=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
Notice that there is no space between the comma and the 3 in line three of the code. Many people make this common mistake.
On Notepad’s dropdown menu, click on File and then Save As. Choose the Desktop as the save location and name the file:
Show Desktop.scf
Notice that you need to save the file with the scf extension rather than the default txt extension. If you did everything correctly, you now have a Show Desktop icon on your desktop.
To pin the Show Desktop icon to the Start Menu, simply drag the icon to the Start Menu Jewel itself. Windows 7 will automatically pin it to the Start Menu.
Now whenever you want to show your desktop quickly, you only need to click Start and then click on Show Desktop. Of course, you can add the Show Desktop icon anywhere you want including a toolbar on the Taskbar.
Although Microsoft provides an alternative, users of Windows XP often prefer the old Show Desktop icon. Luckily, it is possible to recreate the Show Desktop icon manually for use in Windows 7.
Just be careful to type the code into Notepad exactly as shown above. In addition, be sure to save the file with a scf rather than the default txt file extension. Follow the steps above, and you will have a Show Desktop icon that functions just as it did in Windows XP.
