I can't get it to work. LOL (It's just that kind of day.

I downloaded the program, placed it in a folder, created a shortcut, placed that in my quick launch, right clicked, gave it a shortcut key (I used CTRL + ALT + D, also tried H first too.) and nothing. If I run the program from the folder it's in, it works. So somewhere the shortcut key isn't working. :(

Great idea though! I don't show my desktop icons, but occasionally something is saved there that I do need to see and this would be easier than navigating to the desktop folder. :)

wickedcupofjoe

Oops. Meant to write (Ctrl+A), (Delete).

strabes

The following will do exactly the same thing: , . But seriously, why not just get rid of the icons on your desktop? They just make one's desktop look ugly and messy. In windows one can use the quick launch bar (or better, the start menu) for launchers and keep files in the user folder. When I used windows the only icon on my desktop was the recycle bin. To each his own, but that's my 2¢.

strabes

Nice find. Simple and works great. You can also set it up to work with your application launcher of choice. Run it the first time, it hides the desktop icons. Run it the second time, it shows the icons.

jarhead

thanks for the ahk code. Works great...though it is a bit slow.

mrknowitall

As far as my desktop, my most important apps lie on there with folders I like to keep track of. I do use my start menu, but the list of apps I have and use is HUGE and I tend to stay as far from "All Programs" as bloody possible out of fear for my RAM. I have a grand total of 28 icons on my desktop, none of them images or documents. I get away with it because of my high screen resolution, only good thing about my computer.

Then again, my biggest folder on my computer sits on my desktop:
"Need to sort" 20.2GB

metaslugx

You can also toggle your desktop icons by assigning a hotkey in autohotkey to:

PostMessage,0x111,29698,,,ahk_class Progman
PostMessage,0x111,28931,,,ahk_class Progman
Return

zzyzx

@wickedcupofjoe: I've had that problem with a different program. It isn't (probably) the program; it's Windows... I'm pretty sure. I have a little script for locking my laptop (many laptops don't have the Windows key, so you can't do the Win-L to lock them). I had it in a folder and the shortcut (Ctrl-Alt-Z) didn't work. On the quick launch, and it didn't work. On the desktop, and it's fine. Go figure. I have no idea why it's this way since it's the only keyboard shortcut I've ever used and I've never looked into this function at all.

hnkelley

Hmm, interesting. I've actually been toggling desktop icons on and off a bit recently, so this will be rather convenient...Thanks for the find -- will try!

Descent

Life got easier when I started treating my electronic desktop like it was made of wood. Only things on it are files I am working with currently, and they get saved to the server when finished. The desktop doesn't get cluttered.

dagwud

@wickedcupofjoe:
Unfortunately Windows doesn't check the quick launch shortcuts for hotkeys... not sure exactly why.

You should be able to put the shortcut into the start menu somewhere, although you often have to logout and back in for the shortcut key to work.

The only time the shortcuts work right away is on the desktop...

The How-To Geek

Oh, I like this so much. I've been trying out different types of layouts for my desktop lately and it seemed that no matter what I did nothing was just right. This just took care of all of that. The only thing on my screen now is the background pic!

To tweak this even further, since I'm a mouser not a typist, I made a toolbar (left on the screen) for the desktop and one for my computer (top of the screen) and selected autohide for both of them. Quick launch and Gdesktop are already hidden.

This also forced me to cleanup my desktop, take those files that I'm done with or won't need for a while and put them away. This and Shock Aero3D are definitely my two new favorite toys!

MrWashy

My choice for decluttering my XP desktop is Iconoid [www.sillysot.com] which I've been using for the last year. I've got it configured to reveal my icons with a simple single-click on the desktop, and for them to automatically hide again after a couple of seconds. You also can use it to set your make your icons' background transparent (or any color).

iGlobalize

My favourite app for hiding desktop clutter is the recycle bin ;) Although I do like Dropcloth, a "blackout all but your current window" app should have been built into Vista (under Accessability, I guess) but it wasn't.

Al Iguana

Now I don't know if this works with Vista but it might. To all you XP users sorry if this seems offensive but you ALL NEED TO TAKE YOUR ANTI DUM PILL TODAY!!!!!!!!!

Right click on a open portion of your screen, go to "Arrange Icon" then click on "Hide Desktop Icons"....

Can you say " Doh " Boys an Girls!!!

Tombpsyco

@Tombpsyco: Well, since I'm a "dum" XP user (want to retract that statement... or at least spell it correctly?), I thought I would point out to things... or is it two things?

Anyway, as far as it working with Vista, if you go to the How-To Geek link provided above in the post, you will see a nice big screen capture showing that "Doh" it does work with Vista.

And as far as how to do this in XP, when I right-click on my desktop, and go to Arrange Icon By, there is no such animal as "Hide Desktop Icons"...

[www.mediafire.com]

Besides, who wants to have to right-click every time they want to hide/show icons?

jarhead

@jarhead:

There's something very wrong with your xp box then. Did you happen to use any tweaker programs?

This is how it should look
[img295.imageshack.us]

LordDaMan

@Tombpsyco: Wow, I never knew that existed. Well, that saves me from trying out these apps then!

mcv2