#302449 - 23/09/2007 07:14
Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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My "Show Desktop" icon in the system tray no longer works. This particular routine is unusual, in that it is not an ordinary shortcut to an application. Instead, it (apparently) calls up a bit of code embedded in Internet Explorer. Microsoft's knowledge base has a routine for re-creating the Show Desktop icon that writes the following to the "C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" directory: [Shell] Command=2 IconFile=explorer.exe,3 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop There is also a "Guided Help" option on the Microsoft website that does it all automatically. I have done it manually, and I have used the Guided Help option. As near as I can tell, both methods create the proper file in the proper location, but Show Desktop doesn't work. Does anybody have a fix for this? tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302450 - 23/09/2007 15:47
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Does the key combination Windows-D still work to show it?
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#302452 - 23/09/2007 19:34
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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addict
Registered: 18/02/2002
Posts: 658
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Well whenever I have this problem (and I used to often on my old Dell laptop for some reason) I did basically the same thing as you, ie, followed the directions on the link you provided. But you sort of lost me with: Quote:
Microsoft's knowledge base has a routine for re-creating the Show Desktop icon that writes the following to the "C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\QuickLaunch" directory:
I just open a blank notepad file, paste that bit of code, and save the file as Show Desktop.scf to my desktop. This creates the Show Desktop shortcut and I just move it back into my Quick Launch toolbar.
Sorry if you already tried this!
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#302453 - 23/09/2007 19:43
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: visuvius]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
Sorry if you already tried this!
Yes, I tried it manually the first three or four times, then used the little Microsoft applet (which does exactly the same thing as doing it manually, except it's just clicking on dialog buttons -- standard "wizard" stuff) and the end results were the same either way.
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302454 - 23/09/2007 19:46
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
doesn't have one of those fancy-schmancy Windows keys.
Hah! I found an old USB keyboard that SWMBO left behind, plugged it in, and sure enough, the "'Windows' - D" trick does show the desktop.
What does that mean, and is it anything I can use to my advantage?
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302455 - 23/09/2007 21:35
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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Perhaps the file asociation for .scf files is broken. To check/repair it run regedit then look in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.scf -- it should look like the following:  If that looks okay then copy/pasting the following into a .reg file and double-clicking might change your computer's behaviour in this instance (this is a guess... it might bugger it up totally). Make a System Restore Point beforehand:: Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile]
"NeverShowExt"=""
@="Windows Explorer Command"
"InfoTip"="prop:DocComments"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\CLSID]
@="{57651662-CE3E-11D0-8D77-00C04FC99D61}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\command]
@="explorer.exe"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[ShellFile(\"%1\",\"%1\",%S)]"
"NoActivateHandler"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\ddeexec\Application]
@="Folders"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic]
@="AppProperties"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shellex]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{57651662-CE3E-11D0-8D77-00C04FC99D61}"
Edited by AndrewT (23/09/2007 21:45)
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#302456 - 24/09/2007 03:40
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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Cool, never used that one. I used Windows-M all the time, but I like Windows-D better as hitting it again puts things back. And as to what it means, I assume D = show desktop, where M = Minimize all.
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#302457 - 24/09/2007 05:49
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
it should look like the following:
It looks exactly like that.
Quote:
If that looks okay then copy/pasting the following into a .reg file and double-clicking
I did that, but when I double-click it, it just opens the file in notepad. Looks like that file association at least is incorrect. How do I fix it? Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/File Types/Advanced is as far as I know to go, what am I supposed to associate with *.reg files, and how do I go about it?
tanstaafl.
Edited by tanstaafl. (24/09/2007 05:50)
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302458 - 24/09/2007 06:34
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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It could be that your Windows is hiding file extensions and you created somefile.reg.txt?
An alternative is to run regedit and use File->Import
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#302459 - 24/09/2007 12:49
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
It could be that your Windows is hiding file extensions and you created somefile.reg.txt?
If you want to save a file from notepad without the .txt extension, put quotes around the filename: "somefile.reg"
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-- roger
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#302460 - 24/09/2007 12:58
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: lectric]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
I like Windows-D better as hitting it again puts things back.
Okay, that is awesome. Even the icon does that, which I didn't realize.
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Bitt Faulk
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#302461 - 24/09/2007 15:57
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
Perhaps the file asociation for .scf files is broken.
I tried to help Doug debug this privately, and that's the conclusion I came to as well.
More than that, I think the file association for many files types somehow got broken on that machine.
I know it's not a question of the file getting named .reg.txt , because the first thing he does on any new machine (like me) is to turn off extension-hiding.
So there's something fishy going on there, I just have no idea what.
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#302462 - 24/09/2007 16:09
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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"Repair Associations" option in TweakUI?
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#302463 - 24/09/2007 23:00
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
It could be that your Windows is hiding file extensions and you created somefile.reg.txt?
I'm pretty sure that is not the case. The instructions that Microsoft gives on recreating the icon specifically warns about this, and as Tony said earlier I always have my file extensions displayed. Also, the applet that Microsoft provides that creates the file automatically would most likely do it correctly, and neither the manually created nor the automatically created icon works.
Interestingly enough, Windows hides the .scf extension even though filetype extension display is turned on in Explorer. SCF, I believe, stands for Shell Command File, and these seem to be "special" files. The icon is not an ordinary shortcut pointing towards an executable, but seems to be part of the executable itself.
Looking at the filename from a DOS prompt does show the .scf extension, and a peek at my Windows Registry does seem to indicate that the .scf file association is intact.
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302464 - 24/09/2007 23:05
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
More than that, I think the file association for many files types somehow got broken on that machine.
Well, I know for sure of only one broken association (*.reg files opening with notepad rather than executing) and I am pretty sure I broke that one myself. I don't remember the exact circumstances, but at one point I wanted to see what was inside a *.reg file (likely one that you sent me!) and there is a pretty good chance that I opened it with Notepad and failed to turn off the "Always use this application to open this type of file" check box.
Can you tell me what I have to do to fix that association?
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302465 - 25/09/2007 00:07
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Open an Explorer window (double-click on My Computer, for instance), click on the Tools menu and select the Folder Options menu item. Click on the File Types tab and find the entry for "REG". There should be a button that says "Restore". Click it.
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Bitt Faulk
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#302468 - 25/09/2007 11:48
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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If it's non-standard, the "Advanced" button changes to "Restore". If the "Restore" button is not there, it's already set to the default. If you want to change it to something else, that panel is where you do it from. It ought to be reasonably obvious at that point.
This was under Windows XP Pro, so I suppose that it's possible that it might be slightly different elsewhere.
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Bitt Faulk
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#302469 - 25/09/2007 21:36
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
If it's non-standard, the "Advanced" button changes to "Restore". If the "Restore" button is not there, it's already set to the default.
That doesn't seem right... Neither my computer at home nor my computer at work show the "Restore" option, yet my home computer says :"Opens with Notepad" for the program associated with *.reg files, while my work computer says "Opens with Registry Editor". They can't both be the default. Can they?
As I said before, I am pretty sure I broke the *.reg association myself through carelessness in viewing a *.reg file. How can I make my home computer associate "Registry Editor" (whatever that is!) with the *.reg files?
And above all, how can I get my "Show Desktop" routine to work? If/when I get the *.reg file association thing fixed, I'll try the *.reg script that AndrewT posted above, and see if that fixes it. I have to confess that I don't even begin to understand what that script does.
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302470 - 25/09/2007 21:42
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Somewhere up above, someone suggested using TweakUI and fixing your default associations. I think it was a good suggestion. Have you tried that yet?
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#302472 - 26/09/2007 02:15
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
Somewhere up above, someone suggested using TweakUI and fixing your default associations. I think it was a good suggestion. Have you tried that yet?
Perhaps I'm just not smart enough to own a computer... but I can't find anything in TweakUI that has anything to do with repairing file associations.
What am I overlooking?
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302473 - 26/09/2007 04:16
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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enthusiast
Registered: 29/03/2005
Posts: 364
Loc: Probably lost somewhere in Wal...
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Isn't it as easy as shift-right clicking a .reg file, choose open with..., choose program..., pick regedit from the list (or browse...), and be sure to check the box: always open wih this program? (or something like that, i have dutch windows at work).
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#302475 - 26/09/2007 16:23
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: Phoenix42]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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I don't think he's got a problem with installing TweakUI, I think where his problem lies is finding the option to repair default file associations buried in the extensive TweakUI property screens.
I'm on Vista at the moment and can't look it up myself. Anyone?
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#302476 - 26/09/2007 18:49
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: Schido]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Quote:
pick regedit from the list (or browse...)
Yes... but is regedit the program I want? That's been my problem to date -- I don't know what program to use for the *.reg file association.
Re: Tony: You are correct, I have had TweakUI installed for years, I even updated to the latest version last night, but don't see where it can correct/repair file associations.
tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#302477 - 26/09/2007 19:03
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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Quote:
I don't know what program to use for the *.reg file association.
I'm probably missing a vital piece of background information here but there's no necessity for the *.reg association. You can manually import a *.reg file:
Start -> Run... regedit will get Regedit up on your PC.
From there: File -> Import... and browse to the *.reg file you want to import.
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#302478 - 26/09/2007 19:08
Re: Windows XP problem: "Show Desktop" icon no longer works
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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I know he doesn't need the file association for regedit to make regedit work.
But my worry is that the thing that's broken is the association for .SCF files, and that's why the microsoft KB fix isn't working for him.
If the association for SCF files is broken, maybe other file associations are broken on the machine as well, pointing to an even larger problem. That's why I think the TweakUI "fix default file associations" trick is worth trying.
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