# desktop icon

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 23, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521 "2003-04-23T04:15:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fishhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@Fishhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishhead)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/1 "2003-04-23T04:15:18Z")

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My work computer has a desktop icon on the toolbar at the base of the screen that essentially closes all windows so that I can seem my desktop. How do I get that on my home computer? (Win 95)

Thanks ahead of time,

Fishhead

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**Author:** ![Fishhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@Fishhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishhead)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/2 "2003-04-23T04:16:38Z")

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Uh, I mean “see” not “seem”.

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**Author:** ![bcullman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bcullman/32/8207_2.png) [@bcullman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bcullman)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/3 "2003-04-23T04:35:33Z")

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Right click an open area of the window taskbar at the bottom of your screen. select “toolbars -\> Quick Launch”.

The quick launch bar contains the desktop icon that minimizes all windows at once.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/4 "2003-04-23T04:45:50Z")

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[Instructions from the Microsoft website…](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;190355)

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/5 "2003-04-23T05:42:35Z")

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Also, if you have a keyboard with one of those special “Windows” keys, then you can hit **Windows + D** to show/hide the desktop.

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**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/6 "2003-04-23T12:24:14Z")

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Odd…'Windows" + “M” will “Minimize all”…the same thing.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/7 "2003-04-23T13:24:48Z")

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Just trying that now, Windows+D works more like the icon in question, since hitting Windows+D again, brings everything back up.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/170521/8 "2003-04-23T14:52:14Z")

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AFAIK, you can’t put the icon on the toolbar in Windows 95. Instead, you right click on the toolbar and select “Minimize All Windows.”