# Desktop icon

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002 "2006-02-25T00:09:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![username\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c0e974/32.png) [@username\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/username_taken)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002/1 "2006-02-25T00:09:18Z")

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Hi everyone- first time caller, long time listener. Anyway, how do I go about getting back the ‘show desktop’ icon on the quick launch bar in Windows XP home? I’m cleaning up a computer and swear I can’t think of a way to get it any sort of desktop shortcut. I’m sure it’s something simple I’m missing. Right clicking on anything that says desktop gives no shortcuts. Thanks a bunch…can I say hi to my Mom?

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**Author:** ![Doom\_Slinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Doom\_Slinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doom_Slinger)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002/2 "2006-02-25T00:51:46Z")

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[Here’s](http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=190355) a Microsoft Knowledge Base article that addresses your issue, I think. Enjoy!

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002/3 "2006-02-25T01:04:04Z")

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Hold the Windows Start button, then press the “M” key.

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**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002/4 "2006-02-25T01:04:57Z")

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The file you need is called “Show Desktop.scf” (or just “Show Desktop”), and will be in:

Documents and Settings&lt;username\>\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

Find this file, and drag it to the Quick Launch bar. What’s probably happened is that the username you’re using now doesn’t have the shortcut file in the appropriate directory.

If you don’t have it anywhere on your system, you can recreate it:

[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/190355/en-us?FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/190355/en-us?FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH)

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**Author:** ![username\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c0e974/32.png) [@username\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/username_taken)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desktop-icon/346002/5 "2006-02-25T01:06:37Z")

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Thanks, Doom Slinger- that worked great.