[Windows 10] Show Desktop Icon – Pin to Taskbar

The taskbar includes desktop peek button in the extreme right, and when you move your mouse over it or click on it, it shows your desktop by bringing it to the front. However, in Windows 10, the peek button is extremely narrow and can be difficult to use. Instead, you can create a Show Desktop shortcut and Pin it to the taskbar.

Pin "Show Desktop" Icon to Taskbar

Method 1: Using a Explorer shortcut to Show Desktop (toggle)

Create a shortcut to the following target:

explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD98-0000947B0257}

Right-click on the shortcut and click Properties

Click Change icon

show desktop icon - pin to taskbar in Windows 10

Select the desktop icon from shell32.dll. Rename the shortcut as Show Desktop, and right-click the shortcut and click Pin to taskbar.

Method 2: Using a Script to Show Desktop (toggle)

Copy these two lines to Notepad, and save as toggledesktop.vbs in a permanent location, like C:\Windows



dim oSh: set oSh = CreateObject("shell.application")
oSh.ToggleDesktop

Create a shortcut to the script file, prefixing the shortcut target with WScript.exe. For example:

wscript.exe c:\windows\toggledesktop.vbs

Customize the shortcut icon as in Method 1, and name the shortcut as Show Desktop.

Right-click the shortcut and click Pin to taskbar

You may now delete the desktop shortcut.

show desktop icon - pin to taskbar in Windows 10


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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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