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CeIIular —
Show Desktop
Published: 2009-08-11 23:50:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 220316; Favourites: 294; Downloads: 166740
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Description
Requires .NET Framework 4.0Compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
DOWNLOAD LINK
Description
'Show Desktop' is a small portable application, inspired by Windows 7 Aero Peek, that creates a small rectangular button at the right side of the user's taskbar that not only replaces the original Windows 7 Show Desktop Button, but also adds tons of features. For those using Windows Operating Systems, 'Show Desktop' is fully compatible with Windows XP and Vista, and provides all of the features that can be found on the Windows 7 Show Desktop Button, and more.
'Show Desktop' is greatly customizable, in that it allows the user to change the application's settings to their liking.
'Show Desktop' also gives the access to Shutdown options directly from the Show Desktop Button. These options allow the user to easily switch users, log off, lock, sleep, shutdown, restart, and hibernate their computer straight from a menu accessible from the button itself.
Features
• Show Desktop Button addition for Windows XP, and Vista; Show Desktop Button replacement for Windows 7
• 'Aero Peek' support for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 with customization.
• A redesigned and easy to use Exclusion Manager to exclude certain programs from being peeked through
• Shutdown Options
• 'Toggling the Desktop' and 'Minimize Windows' features that allow the user to choose the method in which open windows are minimized.
• Ability to change the delay before when 'Aero Peek' is invoked
• Support and automatically adjusting feature for different taskbar sizes and positions
• (NEW) Drag and Drop feature where all windows are minimized when a file is dragged onto the Show Desktop Button
• (NEW) Option to have the application run on Windows Startup
and more...
Show Desktop XP is exclusive to Aero Xtreme 7 XP . You may NOT package it with a theme or any other work without my or IanITAInc 's permission. However, if you want to feature 'Show Desktop', you can simply simply post a link to this page.
Credits
Created by CeIIular and IanITAInc
Many thanks to IanITAInc , PeterRollar , ptukey , s0be1t for extensive testing.
Wallpaper used in preview: eCO by lassekongo83
Related content
Comments: 675
Exactly! And I am sure that he has rebooted by now...
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Yep, but then again it has only been 2 days 
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Very nice!
I just pimped your app at WinMatrix (winmatrix.com), hope you dont mind!
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Great program - I love how you can choose between minimizing all windows and toggling the desktop.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it works properly with the way I've configured my taskbar - I have it set so that it isn't locked, so the program doesn't fill up the whole height of the taskbar. Also, it covers up part of my clock for some reason. Here's a screenshot: [link]
Awesome program, though - I love what you've created so far!
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Use TClock instead and add some spaces in the custom format field. This will give you space between the Show Desktop button and the date and time. Try it. If you want the TClock custom format code to have your time and date look like Windows 7, let me know and I will post it here for you...
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Ya, it doesn't cover the top part of the taskbar when its unlocked. Thats a bug I just haven't gotten around to yet.
The reason it covers part of your clock is because your clock is really close to the right side of the screen, and they end up overlapping. The only thing that I can think of is changing your visual style, or getting rid of LClock(but I don't think this would make much of a difference).
And thank you, glad you like it
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Great!,
Can you include "show desktop" as a Task-Switching when press Alt+Tab like Vista?
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I've actually thought about it but I really don't have the time to add that on top of the features that I'm already working on. But you can expect that in a later version.
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Might I ask you some technical questions?
I am writing my own replacement for explorer, and while still using explorer in the meantime, have enjoyed your little app quite a bit. It's flawless, and even adapts to whatever theme I am running perfectly due to it's alpha.
Anyway, I was wondering what API calls or method you used to call the desktop windows away and then have them return as they were (explanation or just a link to the relevant MSDN pages would suffice).
I would like to add a show desktop function to my shell with this functionality.
Thanks, and great work.
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I got a little lazy and just settled for keybd_event function [MSDN ], all you do is use the function to press "Win" key and "D". The Hex codes are a little hard to find but it get the job done
Hope that helps
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I thought you might enjoy seeing how I used the program to help create my desktop experience, since it's not just a mimic of Windows 7 (I've got real Win7 on my other comp for that).
[link]
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Oh thats sweet, are you using LClock to open the startmenu?
What chrome theme are you using?
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This is great 
But please just add 2 options:
1) Option to hide tray icon
2) To save settings to ini file instead of registry (so it could be real portable)
Thanks!
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Option to hide tray icon and accessing the menu by right clicking the button will be available in the next version.
The reason settings are not saved to an .ini is because I wanted to make a standalone with no dlls or anything, just the exe. And saving settings to an .ini will kill the whole purpose of that.
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And I found one bug. Options for showing desktop are inverted. "Toggle desktop" functionality is on 2nd radiobutton where is writen "Minimize all windows...", and "Minimize all windows..." doing toggle desktop from 1st radio button.
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i just downloaded it and they're working correctly
"toggle desktop": basically hides every window including sidebar gadgets and everything else ON the desktop, showing the desktop
"minimize all windows": it just minimizes average windows
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I think you don't understand what I mean
Toggle functionality mean pressing that button do toggle action. First click show desktop, second click back state before clicking it (maximize all). Understand now?
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toggle desktop should do the same thing as pressing Win key + D and minimize all windows should do the same thing as Win key + M
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Yes, that's what I talking about. But on your application it is not right that 
On you application it is like this:
Win+D = "Minimize all winows..."
Win+M = "Toggle Desktop..."
And that should be like this:
Win+D = "Toggle Desktop..."
Win+M = "Minimize all windows..."
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What?
Ok, let em ask you a question,
what do you think toggle desktop should do and what do you think minimize all windows should do.
Because me and *InTime69 have tested it for weeks on 5 different computers and 3 OSs before we released it.
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I already wrote what I think toggle desktop should do. Pressing "Show Desktop" 1st time should minimize all windows, pressing "Show Desktop" again sholud maximize all minimized (state before pressing 1st time). That's mean toggle.
Minimize should just minimize all windows, no matter how much times it is pressed.
I just sad, your app has inverted functionality of Win+D and Win+M. I did not sad it's not working. App works, but inverted
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Oh I see what you mean, perhaps i should change it from "minimize windows" to "minimize and restore windows" because the function is right, its just the name that is confusing.
let me tell you what it does
toggle desktop: SHOWS the desktop when clicked (Win+D) and brings all windows back when clicked again (Win+D)
minimize all windows: minimizes windows when clicked (Win+M) and restores them when clicked again (Win+Shift+M)
Now do you understand? its just the name thats a little misleading
i hope that clears everything up
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Yes that's it. I just have problems with english
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Sorry for the misunderstanding, it's easy enough to figure out which radiobutton does what so I don't need to change it now. but it will definitely be changed in the next version.
Thanks man
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Great update! I really like the new options, except for not being able to hide the taskbar icon. But in Windows 7 isn't this button for Aero Peek? Maybe you could make it so that there's an option to have the button activate the Aero Peek app: [link]
But, anyways, very cool!
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it will be possible to hide the tray icon in the next version.
And the Aero Peek feature might be in the next one. But I don't want to make a lot of promises, so i'll just say there will eventually be one.
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Oh, sorry, it looks like maybe you're already doing that?
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Hey, Cellular, cool project. I wrote an Aero Peek DLL as an extension of my 7Peek project, if you want to try to implement it. Download it from: [link]
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Wow thats pretty good, but I'm actually making one myself. But seeing yours gave me a lot of ideas.
PS: Why don't you also post your other works here on dA? Your apps, especially ViClock, are impressive and a lot of people would use them.
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Actually, I want to release some other apps, I just haven't gotten around to it. Check out my new blog, where I will do the majority of my development announcements and uploads: [link]
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great idea and even better realization - good work!
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Works like a charm and is real cool, but can you PLEASE make it so I can hide the taskbar icon? Maybe have like a real long hotkey or something to re-enable it? idk, but the icon just bugs me!
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Ooh, seems that a lot of people want that. I'll try to include it in the next version. And Thanks
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Well, those of us technical enough to want something like this are probably tweaker's, and like a neat and tidy taskbar. Its not imperative, but at least for me, I love this app and plan on running it, but not if it takes up taskbar realestate
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Thats definitely me right there too
But one or two icons can't hurt
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Ideally, it would be great if the options menu could be available by right clicking the actual peek button...
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Even better of an idea. Utter brilliance! I second this
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the new settings GUI is really awesome, but i think you should decrease the the interval of the splash screen, i mean even there's an option to hide it, it takes much time than it need ( but it's background blur looks cool
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You're right, 7 seconds is way too much but if its less, sometimes it doesn't load on older computers.
I used the gdi+ resizing thing to blur it, thanks for that one
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i see, it is still cool anyway, and the most important thing that you made a Hide Splash option for it
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Most importantly, is that everybody gets to see the splash screen at least one. Then they can hide it!
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very nice! the older one was really good, but this is freaking nice! btw, didn't found any problem until now.
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Getting better and better now all it needs is the peek function and it will be PERFECT. well done dude.
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That would be difficult but you never know...
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