Taskbar Icons

Mel Culbreath · Post by **Mel Culbreath** » 19 Oct 2002 12:21 pm

I have a couple of questions for you:

1. Using Windows XP, how do I create an icon on the Quick Launch section of the Taskbar that will take me directly to the Desktop?

2. I have a shortcut on my Desktop for Games. I created a shortcut to Games on my Taskbar and now I can't remove it. Any ideas how to remove it?

Thanks

Mel

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 19 Oct 2002 1:44 pm

Right-click on the offending icon.
a new window will open with options as to what to do.

Select "Delete"
The offending icon WILL go away.
This action will NOT remove the program from your computer, but ONLY remove it from the desktop.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 19 Oct 2002 2:08 pm

In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click the icon for the program you want to add, and then drag it to the Quick Launch portion of the taskbar located next to the Start button.

The icon for that program appears next to the other Quick Launch icons on the taskbar.

Mel Culbreath · Post by **Mel Culbreath** » 19 Oct 2002 6:19 pm

Thanks Bill & Joey.

Your suggestions solved my problems.

Mel

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 20 Oct 2002 6:57 am

Mel,

I have always wondered how you create the *desktop* shortcut on the *quick launch* bar. I have deleted it by accident a couple of times over the years on different Microsoft OS's and I have never been able to figure out how to get it back. Were you able to? Let me know, I would love to figure this out.

Mark

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Sho~Bud Pro I, Fender D-8 (C6&E13) http://www.darkmagneto.com

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 20 Oct 2002 7:25 am

It likely could be I'm missing what you're asking, Mark, but it could be this simple---create shortcut on desktop. Drag it into quick launch taskbar. Done.

----naw, sorry, I now read your post as being about restoring the icon that minimizes all windows and returns you to your desktop.

Here is what I get when I right-click the icon and read its properties. This is W95, IE5.

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Mic...\Quick Launch

Don't imagine that'll help much.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 20 October 2002 at 08:29 AM.]

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 20 Oct 2002 8:40 am

Mark,
In XP, just find the Desktop Folder in EXPLORER.

(mine's at C:\Documents and Settings\Joe\Desktop)

Drag and drop it to the Quick Launch Menu.

Jeff Agnew · Post by **Jeff Agnew** » 20 Oct 2002 10:47 am

Mark,

I have always wondered how you create the *desktop* shortcut on the *quick launch* bar.

<ol>[*]Open Windows Explorer.
[*]Select Windows/System/Show Desktop (You may need to search for this file if you're on NT/2K/XP - it's not always in the same location.)
[*] Make a copy of Show Desktop.
[*]Drag the copied file to your Quick Launch bar.[/list]

One problem is that if you move Show Desktop to the Quick Launch bar, it does not create a shortcut. So, if you delete it from the bar you might actually have deleted it from your drive. But try searching the HD first to see if there is a resident copy. If you can't locate it, try searching for "SHOWDE~1.SCF", which is the DOS name.

Finally, if you can't find this file, you can create the Show Desktop SCF file on your own in a text editor. An SCF file is simply a Windows Explorer command file.

Do this:
<ol>[*]Open a text editor and enter the following lines:

<code>[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3</code>

<code>[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
</code>

[*]Save this text file as "SHOWDE~1.SCF".
[*]Follow the steps in the first procedure above to place the file on your Quick Launch bar.[/list]

Hope this helps.[This message was edited by Jeff Agnew on 20 October 2002 at 11:48 AM.][This message was edited by Jeff Agnew on 20 October 2002 at 11:49 AM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 20 Oct 2002 10:54 am

My understanding is that the Quick Launch taskbar was added in IE 4.01 SP2 as part of Active Desktop. I'm not sure if it comes with IE 6, but it does not come with IE 5.*.

I had my work NT machine rebuilt a couple weeks ago with IE 5.5 and had to uninstall it, install IE 4.01 SP2 to get the taskbar, then reinstall IE 5.5 SP2.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 20 Oct 2002 10:58 am

Hmmm--well I'm running 5.0 and I've got it. Could I have grandfathered it over from 4 when I installed 5?

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 20 Oct 2002 11:16 am

Jon, probably so. Maybe XP comes with it pre-installed. Windows 95, 98, and NT do not, however.

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 20 Oct 2002 1:13 pm

Yeah, XP comes with it installed. And yes, I think once you remove that "Show Desktop" file from the quick launch bar then it is gone. It's ok, I was very curious and I have been stumped for years on that one.

Mark

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Sho~Bud Pro I, Fender D-8 (C6&E13) http://www.darkmagneto.com

Mel Culbreath · Post by **Mel Culbreath** » 20 Oct 2002 7:35 pm

Mark,

Seems I didn't actually delete the "Show Desktop" shortcut from my taskbar. Instead, I had somehow turned off, or hidden, the "QUICK LAUNCH" bar. By right clicking on the TASKBAR, pointing to TOOLBARS and clicking on QUICK LAUNCH to cause it to be checked, I was able to see the "Show Desktop" shortcut icon again.

Mel