This tutorial will show you how to create a Show Desktop shortcut in Windows 11.
Show Desktop (Win+D) can be used to minimize and restore all of your open windows at once. The show desktop feature helps to take a quick look at what’s on your desktop behind all the open windows.
By default, you can click/tap on the far right corner of the taskbar on the main display to show the desktop and minimize all open windows, and click/tap on it again to restore all minimized windows.
It can be hard to use Show Desktop from the taskbar since it's so small, and you can only see its indicator if you hover the pointer over the far right corner of the taskbar on the main display.
If you like, you can create a Show Desktop shortcut to make it easier to use where you like or pinned to the taskbar.
Here's How:
1 Right click or press and hold on an empty area on your desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.
2 Copy and paste the location below into the location area, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD98-0000947B0257}3 Type Show Desktop for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
You can name this shortcut anything you like.
4 Right click or press and hold on the new Show Desktop shortcut, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)
5 In the Shortcut tab, click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
6 Copy and paste the location below into the line under "Look for icons in this file", and press Enter. (see screenshot below step 7)
%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll7 Select the icon highlighted in blue above, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
You can use any icon you want.
8 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
9 You can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to Start menu All apps, add to Win+X menu, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy usage.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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