To immediately clear your screen, press the Win + D keys on your keyboard, which acts as the default built-in shortcut to instantly show your desktop. If you prefer a clickable icon that you can pin directly to your taskbar like classic versions of Windows, you can manually build a custom shortcut in just a few steps. How to Manually Create a “Show Desktop” Icon
If you want a dedicated button to minimize and restore all of your open windows at once, follow this quick guide: 1. Create the Base Shortcut Right-click on an empty space on your desktop. Hover over New and select Shortcut. In the location box, copy and paste the exact code below: explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD98-0000947B0257} Use code with caution. Click Next.
Type Show Desktop as the name for your shortcut and click Finish. 2. Change to the Classic Icon
By default, the shortcut will use a generic folder icon. You can change it to the classic desktop look:
Right-click your newly created “Show Desktop” shortcut and select Properties. Under the Shortcut tab, click the Change Icon… button.
In the text box under “Look for icons in this file,” paste this file path and press Enter: %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll Use code with caution.
Scroll through the list, select the classic blue desktop icon, and click OK. Click Apply and then OK on the properties window. 3. Pin it to the Taskbar (Optional) Right-click your finished shortcut.
Click Show more options (if you are on Windows 11), then select Pin to taskbar.
You can now drag the icon to your preferred position on the taskbar or safely delete the original file from your desktop if you only want it on your taskbar. Alternative Built-in Methods
If you do not want to create a new icon, Windows already provides hidden shortcuts to do this out of the box:
The Taskbar Corner: Click the tiny, thin vertical sliver on the very far-right corner of your taskbar (past the clock). If it is not working in Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and ensure Select the far corner of the taskbar to show the desktop is checked.
Power User Menu: Press Win + X on your keyboard (or right-click the Start menu) and select Desktop from the pop-up list.
If you would like to know how to adjust this shortcut or create icons for other specific system tools like “This PC” or “Control Panel,” please let me know! How To Create & Add Desktop Shortcut Icons In Windows 11
welcome everyone to this video today I’m going to walk you through how to quickly and easily add desktop icons here in Windows 11. YouTube·Full Speed Mac & PC Create Show Desktop Shortcut in Windows
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