Hide all Icons on the Desktop

[Steinbach]

I like neat and clean desktop but there are many shortcuts which i need time to time. Tell me any way i hide my desktop icons.

[Anand D.]

There is a very simple way to show you how to temporarily hide all desktop icons (including My Computer and Recycle Bin) for whatever purpose you want it.

1. Right-click on your desktop.


2. Select Arrange Icons By.

3. You will see a Show Desktop Icons with a check on it; click that and your desktop icons are now disappeared.

4. To return the appearance of your desktop items, repeat steps one through three.

[Flux]

There is a more elegant way to hide all icons on the desktop in XP. You can automagically hide all your desktop icons from view so your desktop is completely clear, and you will still have one click access to all your desktop icons.

Simply right click on your task bar at the bottom of the screen and click on “Toolbars” and then click on “Desktop”. This adds a small “Desktop>>” item to the task bar. When you click on the “>>” all your desktop icons are displayed, including their descriptions. Now, to hide your desktop icons, just right click on your desktop, click on “Arrange Icons By”, and then click on “Show Desktop Icons” (to remove the check mark). That’s all you need to do.

If you choose to, you may move the “Desktop >>” toolbar to the top or either side of your desktop by simply clicking on and dragging the “Desktop>>” to the location you want it. I personally do not like this method because when you move the "Desktop >>" toolbar it displays the icons. But you can play around with re-sizing the tool bar if you want to try it.

[Orlando]

Too much clutter on the Desktop when you have the Active Desktop enabled?

This How-To Article shows you how to hide the Desktop icons when you are using the Active Desktop.


Hide Desktop Icons

1. Right-click a blank spot on the Desktop and select “Properties” from the menu that appears.

2. Click the “Effects” tab.

3. Check the “Hide icons when the desktop is view as a Web page” check box. This will cause the icons to be hidden if you have the Active Desktop enabled.