Navigating to the Desktop


  1. sleepless
    Posts : 51
    Windows 10 Pro x 64
       New #1

    Navigating to the Desktop


    When I had Win7 installed, I could easily bring the Desktop to the front (minimize all open windows) by clicking the left mouse button anywhere on the desktop. The Desktop acted like any other window in that clicking on it would bring it to the front of all other windows. I don't remember if this was a special setting or not, because it had been that way for so long. Now that I've installed Win10, clicking on the Desktop does nothing. Clicking on any other window brings it to the front, but not the Desktop. The only way to get to the desktop is through explorer, Win+D, or the Desktop button at the right end of the taskbar. These are fine for when windows are fullscreen and clicking on the Desktop isn't possible, but when the desktop is clearly visible it's waaay easier to simply click on it.

    So is this even possible? If not, is there any software that can do this?

    Thanks for your help.
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  3. sleepless
    Posts : 51
    Windows 10 Pro x 64
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    Can someone please help me with this?


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  4. snickie
    Posts : 94
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit. Ver. 22H2, Xubuntu 22.04
       New #3

    sleepless said:
    Put your mouse pointer at the bottom-right corner and left click. Now all windows will be minimized and show the desktop. If you right clock at the bottom right corner you can select "Peek at desktop". Then you don't have to left click, just move your mouse pointer to the bottom right corner and all open programs will minimize.
    Last edited by snickie; 20 Dec 2016 at 11:13.
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  6. EdTittel
    Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       New #4

    Look for the taskview icon on your toolbar: Navigating to the Desktop-taskview.jpg. If you haven't set up multiple desktops yourself, clicking this option will give you the ability to choose Desktop 1 (where all your stuff is strewn about) and Desktop 2 (with nothing on it -- ergo, an empty desktop). Click Desktop 2 and you've got room in which to work. But you'll need to keep this cleaned off if you want to keep using it this way (that is, to get to an empty desktop). OTOH, you can also click the + (PLUS) sign at the far right at any time to produce a new (and empty) desktop instead. Yes, it's a workaround but a fairly usable one, I hope.
    Happy holidays,
    --Ed--
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  7. sleepless
    Posts : 51
    Windows 10 Pro x 64
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    In my original post, I wrote:


    "The only way to get to the desktop is through explorer, Win+D, or the Desktop button at the right end of the taskbar."

    So yes, I realize there are other options to get to the desktop. What I was asking about is why isn't it possible to access the desktop window by simply clicking on it? Why doesn't it behave the same as any other window - click it, and it moves to the front? It used to work this way, so I thought maybe there was a setting somewher that could change back this behavior. However it appears it was purposefully changed to make it more difficult.

    So what you're saying is that this is no longer possible, correct?
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  8. lehnerus2000
    Posts : 1,811
    W7 Ultimate SP1 (64 bit), LM 19.2 MATE (64 bit), W10 Home 1703 (64 bit), W10 Pro 1703 (64 bit) VM
       New #6

    Just for reference, my W7 does not hide other windows when I click on the Desktop. :)
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  9. Bree
    Posts : 31,666
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       New #7

    sleepless said:
    When I had Win7 installed, I could easily bring the Desktop to the front (minimize all open windows) by clicking the left mouse button anywhere on the desktop...
    Well, I've just tried that on Win7 Pro (I restored a system image just to try it out) and it doesn't happen the way you describe. All the other methods mentioned above do ('peek' at bottom right, Win+D) as well as Win+M. There are also ways to minimise all but the current window - Win+Home and the quirky 'Aero Shake' (grab the title bar and jiggle the window from side to side). All these work in Win10 exactly as they did in Win7. So, if your 'click the desktop' was an obscure feature in win7 I would have thought it should still be there in Win10 (all the others are) trouble is, as far as I can see it doesn't seem to exist in either.

    It does sound like a neat feature though. Are you sure it wasn't a little 3rd-party add-on?
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  10. CountMike
    Posts : 19,518
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       New #8

    There's Show Desktop button in W7 if I remember it right but a right click always produces a menu.
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  12. CountMike
    Posts : 19,518
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       New #9

    CountMike said:
    There's Show Desktop button in W7 if I remember it right but a right click always produces a menu.
    If I put pointer on the taskbar icon of an open program and move it to the popup it temporarily closes all windows to reveal desktop.
    There's also "Show the Desktop" in the right click menu on the taskbar which closes all open windows but doesn't exit programs.
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  13. Edwin
    Posts : 17,838
    Windows 10
       New #10

    Sounds like @Bree might be right, I know Desktop FX from Stardock had a setting for that.
    Or, maybe it was a custom Mouse gesture, most devices now a days can be configured extensively.

    Navigating to the Desktop-000002.jpg
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