Dec 26 2020 03:51 PM
Hello,
Is there anything i can do by showing/hinding desktop icons using a hotkey.
I tried different softwares but i encounter some problems that are not on my taste. Maybe i can use powershell. If somebody knows a way please i need some help
Thanks!
Dec 26 2020 11:11 PM
Hello @lucifer224,
If you want to use only hotkey, I believe you need to use third-party software as it seems not possible natively in Windows. Though, you can create a batch script for registry change HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoDesktop:1.
I found a PowerShell script, but unfortunately that allows only to show Desktop icons, not hide.
I highly recommend you to post to PowerShell community to get more ideas and get this resolved:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/powershell/ct-p/WindowsPowerShell
Hope this helps!
Dec 27 2020 06:41 AM
Hi,
I found a way and tested it myself on latest Windows 10
here it is:
Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Turn the Desktop Icons On or Off (howtogeek.com)
Dec 18 2023 02:34 PM - edited Mar 10 2024 09:31 AM
Late reply, but I found a solution that can be used with a keybind and doesn't require any downloads or installations.
I'm going to assume you know some basics, and won't need step by step.
If you do need step by step, let me know and I will make one.
Create a .ps1 file call it "ToggleShowDesktopIcons.ps1" and edit it to read:
$source = @"
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
namespace DesktopUtility
{
class Win32Functions
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindowEx(IntPtr hwndParent, IntPtr hwndChildAfter, string lpszClass, string lpszWindow);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr GetDesktopWindow();
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, uint Msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
}
public class Desktop
{
public static IntPtr GetHandle()
{
IntPtr hDesktopWin = Win32Functions.GetDesktopWindow();
IntPtr hProgman = Win32Functions.FindWindow("Progman", "Program Manager");
IntPtr hWorkerW = IntPtr.Zero;
IntPtr hShellViewWin = Win32Functions.FindWindowEx(hProgman, IntPtr.Zero, "SHELLDLL_DefView", "");
if (hShellViewWin == IntPtr.Zero)
{
do
{
hWorkerW = Win32Functions.FindWindowEx(hDesktopWin, hWorkerW, "WorkerW", "");
hShellViewWin = Win32Functions.FindWindowEx(hWorkerW, IntPtr.Zero, "SHELLDLL_DefView", "");
} while (hShellViewWin == IntPtr.Zero && hWorkerW != null);
}
return hShellViewWin;
}
public static void ToggleDesktopIcons()
{
Win32Functions.SendMessage(Desktop.GetHandle(), 0x0111, (IntPtr)0x7402, (IntPtr)0);
}
}
}
"@
Add-Type -TypeDefinition $source
[DesktopUtility.Desktop]::ToggleDesktopIcons()
Code edited by: @Pyro2k6
Save Exit.
Now create a shortcut of the script (Right click> Send to> Create shortcut desktop) and bind a shortcut key
Restart your PC.
The bind you chose should now toggle show/hide desktop icons.
or just run the .ps1 script.
I believe the shotkey bind will only work when the shortcut is on the desktop.
Alternatively:
To hide the shortcut, place it inside:
"C:\Users\"Your Username"\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start
Feb 07 2024 11:46 PM
@NolandC - I wonder why Microsoft haven`t added the hide-icons-feature to the presentation mode settings?
There you can turn of the screenprotector, chose another background and chose volume level- when it`s turned on - it should have been an option to hide the icons as well.
How do we reach someone that can fix it as a built in Windows feature?
Mar 09 2024 01:47 PM
@NolandC hey, i tried the method you described, but i just get a short cmd prompt window with some red text, but cant seem to get it to work? what am i doing wrong?
Mar 09 2024 01:48 PM
@Pyro2k6 here's what it says:
source : Die Benennung "source" wurde nicht als Name eines Cmdlet, einer Funktion, einer Skriptdatei oder eines
ausführbaren Programms erkannt. Überprüfen Sie die Schreibweise des Namens, oder ob der Pfad korrekt ist (sofern
enthalten), und wiederholen Sie den Vorgang.
In C:\Curseforge\scripts\ToggleShowDesktopIcons.ps1:1 Zeichen:1
+ source = @'
+ ~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (source:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException
Add-Type : Das Argument kann nicht an den Parameter "TypeDefinition" gebunden werden, da es NULL ist.
In C:\Curseforge\scripts\ToggleShowDesktopIcons.ps1:46 Zeichen:26
+ Add-Type -TypeDefinition $source
+ ~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Add-Type], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddTypeComm
and
Der Typ [DesktopUtility.Desktop] wurde nicht gefunden.
In C:\Curseforge\scripts\ToggleShowDesktopIcons.ps1:48 Zeichen:1
+ [DesktopUtility.Desktop]::ToggleDesktopIcons()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (DesktopUtility.Desktop:TypeName) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : TypeNotFound
Mar 09 2024 01:55 PM
thanks to CHATGPT i made a fixed version of the code:
$source = @"
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
namespace DesktopUtility
{
class Win32Functions
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindowEx(IntPtr hwndParent, IntPtr hwndChildAfter, string lpszClass, string lpszWindow);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr GetDesktopWindow();
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, uint Msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
}
public class Desktop
{
public static IntPtr GetHandle()
{
IntPtr hDesktopWin = Win32Functions.GetDesktopWindow();
IntPtr hProgman = Win32Functions.FindWindow("Progman", "Program Manager");
IntPtr hWorkerW = IntPtr.Zero;
IntPtr hShellViewWin = Win32Functions.FindWindowEx(hProgman, IntPtr.Zero, "SHELLDLL_DefView", "");
if (hShellViewWin == IntPtr.Zero)
{
do
{
hWorkerW = Win32Functions.FindWindowEx(hDesktopWin, hWorkerW, "WorkerW", "");
hShellViewWin = Win32Functions.FindWindowEx(hWorkerW, IntPtr.Zero, "SHELLDLL_DefView", "");
} while (hShellViewWin == IntPtr.Zero && hWorkerW != null);
}
return hShellViewWin;
}
public static void ToggleDesktopIcons()
{
Win32Functions.SendMessage(Desktop.GetHandle(), 0x0111, (IntPtr)0x7402, (IntPtr)0);
}
}
}
"@
Add-Type -TypeDefinition $source
[DesktopUtility.Desktop]::ToggleDesktopIcons()
Mar 10 2024 08:59 AM
Mar 10 2024 09:19 AM
@Pyro2k6 I'm not sure why it wasn't working when you tried maybe an update broke it.. I'll edit the post with your new code. Thanks :) Also the batch file isnt required. You can just make a shortcut of the script and bind a short key to that.
Apr 11 2024 12:36 AM