Author Topic: Idea: Simple app to show/hide desktop icons with a single click as in Fences (Read 14878 times)

nelsonpole · « **on:** May 28, 2013, 07:53 AM »

In Fences, one can show/hide the desktop icons with a single click. I would like an app that will do that. I want to be able to place its icon in the taskbar so that it is always available. Do not want to have to right-click on desktop, open view submenu and select show/hide ...

skwire · « **Reply #1 on:** May 28, 2013, 08:09 AM »

In Fences, one can show/hide the desktop icons with a single click. I would like an app that will do that. I want to be able to place its icon in the taskbar so that it is always available. Do not want to have to right-click on desktop, open view submenu and select show/hide ...
-nelsonpole (May 28, 2013, 07:53 AM)

Hi, nelsonpole, and welcome to the DonationCoder site. An app called DeskSweeper will do what you want.

http://no-nonsense-software.com
http://no-nonsense-s...rdir.exe?desksweeper

nelsonpole · « **Reply #2 on:** May 28, 2013, 08:29 AM »

Desk Sweeper does not work on my machine. Perhaps, I should have mentioned that I am running Win8.

joiwind · « **Reply #3 on:** May 28, 2013, 11:32 AM »

There's also Sub-Desktop but I can't guarantee that it will work on Win 8 ...

skwire · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2013, 11:35 AM »

I am running Win8
-nelsonpole (May 28, 2013, 08:29 AM)

Ah, that could make a difference since I know that app works on everything up to Win7. I don't have Win8 to test with.

nelsonpole · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2013, 11:40 AM »

Is there a way that I could help?

skwire · « **Reply #6 on:** May 28, 2013, 11:43 AM »

Is there a way that I could help?
-nelsonpole (May 28, 2013, 11:40 AM)

Just keep trying/testing what we suggest. =]

c.gingerich · « **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2013, 08:47 AM »

Test this out for me. It's a quick app that I made. It should hide your desktop icons for 5 seconds then bring them back. If it works for you let me know and I'll make it into a complete utility.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nldkid10k2vbdpd/HMD.exe

nelsonpole · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2013, 09:20 AM »

Could not test your idea.

I get the following at dropbox

Nothing Here
The file you're looking for has been deleted or moved.

c.gingerich · « **Reply #9 on:** May 29, 2013, 09:24 AM »

Oops. I'm syncing a lot of file, I'll attach it. See below.

nelsonpole · « **Reply #10 on:** May 29, 2013, 09:39 AM »

HMD.exe did not seem to do anything.

nelsonpole · « **Reply #11 on:** May 29, 2013, 09:41 AM »

Note: When I opened task manager, the HMD.exe app had not closed

c.gingerich · « **Reply #12 on:** May 29, 2013, 09:45 AM »

Hmm, odd. I went and made a full app. Try this one. Run it to hide the icons, run again to show them. I tested on Windows 7/8 worked on both for me.

http://starpunch.blogspot.com/2013/05/hide-desktop-icons.html

nelsonpole · « **Reply #13 on:** May 29, 2013, 10:09 AM »

I unzipped the file after downloading and placed it on my desktop with a short cut on the task bar. I clicked on it and nothing happened whether I was showing the desktop icons or not. I clicked on it 3 times and when I looked in process explorer each was still open. Maybe the problem is something else I am running?

c.gingerich · « **Reply #14 on:** May 29, 2013, 10:11 AM »

Do you have any other software that "attaches" to your desktop? I am using Fences and it still worked for me. It just hide the icons, the fences still remained.

nelsonpole · « **Reply #15 on:** May 29, 2013, 10:16 AM »

John's Background switcher.

There might be more but I am not sure except that my system runs on an SSD that is drive-C but the desktop is on the old HD which is drive-E

c.gingerich · « **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2013, 10:30 AM »

Well, this is my last try. I attached another test app (see below) that will only work on Windows 8. This will hide the icons for 5 seconds then show again, please give it a try, if this doesn't work I don't know what else to try.

If it does work I'll make a special version out of this for you.

nelsonpole · « **Reply #17 on:** May 29, 2013, 10:44 AM »

I appreciate all the work that you are doing, but I got run time error 14 at line 30.

c.gingerich · « **Reply #18 on:** May 29, 2013, 10:51 AM »

Ok, well that at least is something I can work with. Now I am determined to get it to work! :-) Attached is an app called Window Spy, it gets info about windows open on the system. Unzip it somewhere and run the EXE. Click on the Spy button and then click on your desktop. You should see something like the image below. Can you take a screen shot of that and post it or email it to me? [starpunch.net AT gmail.com]

Ashampoo_Snap_2013.05.29_10h49m21s_001_Window Spy.png

Idea: Simple app to show/hide desktop icons with a single click as in Fences

Oops forgot to attached the app.... but you contacted me via email so it's all good. :-)

c.gingerich · « **Reply #19 on:** May 29, 2013, 01:52 PM »

Can anyone else test Hide Desktop Icons? I would like to know if others are having the same issue.

http://starpunch.blogspot.com/2013/05/hide-desktop-icons.html

4wd · « **Reply #20 on:** May 29, 2013, 06:08 PM »

Desk Sweeper does not work on my machine. Perhaps, I should have mentioned that I am running Win8.
-nelsonpole (May 28, 2013, 08:29 AM)

Worked fine here on a netbook running Win8Pro + ClassicStartMenu. All icons disappeared and then returned to Desktop, (mind you there are only two of them

).

skwire · « **Reply #21 on:** May 30, 2013, 07:41 AM »

Worked fine here on a netbook running Win8Pro + ClassicStartMenu. All icons disappeared and then returned to Desktop, (mind you there are only two of them ).
-4wd (May 29, 2013, 06:08 PM)

Good to know. Thanks for the report, 4wd.