Access hidden desktop icons

Helpline Q&A Directory

When I am working I always seem to hide the desktop item I need. Is there a way of accessing these desktop items without having to close or minimise all the windows I've got open?

Try creating a Desktop toolbar. Right-click a blank part of the Taskbar and select Toolbars, Desktop. This will add a Desktop toolbar to your existing Taskbar. If you have your Taskbar horizontally oriented along the bottom or top of the screen this will probably make it a bit too crowded for convenient use. You can either reposition the Taskbar on the left- or righthand edge of the screen (click and drag from a blank part of the Taskbar to the preferred side) and make it wider so you can read the button captions, or move your new Desktop panel off the Taskbar altogether.

To create a separate Desktop toolbar, just click and drag from the panel on the Taskbar to the desktop. This will create a floating window containing all your Desktop items. You can make this window stay on top of the other windows by right-clicking a blank part of the window and selecting Always on Top. Windows that are always on top can be a bit of a nuisance, so a better alternative is to make your Desktop toolbar work like the Windows Taskbar.

Drag the Desktop toolbar to an edge of the screen and it will attach itself there. If you right-click a blank part and select AutoHide and Always on Top, the toolbar will stay hidden until you move the mouse to that edge of the screen. It will then pop up and provide you with single-click access to everything that is on your desktop.