Last Updated on March 13, 2026
If you are not a fan of the Windows 11 taskbar like many of us are, you are probably looking for ways to make it behave or look like Windows 10. For some reason, Microsoft decided to lock down the taskbar so you cannot customize it like you could in older versions of Windows.
One of the most useful features of the previous versions of Windows was the show desktop button which could be found on the Quick Launch toolbar which Windows no longer uses. Windows 11 has a show desktop button, but it’s hidden at the very right side of the taskbar and is not obvious unless you happen to know its there. And with newer builds of Windows 11, you might find that the button is disabled, and you need to enable it in the settings. In this article, we will be showing you how to add a show desktop button to the Windows 11 taskbar that is easy to see and use.
Create the Show Desktop Shortcut
1. Right Click Your Desktop
The first step in creating a show desktop button is to create a shortcut to the location on your computer that stores this specific system command. To begin, right click on a blank area of your desktop and choose New followed by Shortcut. Then copy and paste the exact text string below into the location box and click the Next button.
%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD98-0000947B0257}
2. Name Your New Shortcut
You must give the new shortcut a recognizable name such as Show Desktop before clicking the Finish button. Windows requires a label for every desktop item you create. Now you will have a brand new shortcut sitting on your desktop that looks exactly like a standard yellow file folder.
Customize and Pin the Taskbar Icon
1. Open the Shortcut Properties
Leaving the icon as a plain yellow folder makes it blend in with your regular files. If you would like to change the visual icon for your new shortcut, you can right click on it and choose Properties. This opens a dedicated configuration window where you can modify how the shortcut behaves and looks.
2. Select the Classic Desktop Icon
Next you will need to click on the Change Icon button located near the bottom of the properties window. Choose one of the available built-in icons that are displayed on the screen. You can also click the Browse button if you know the exact hard drive location of another custom icon file you would like to use. You can easily find and choose the old fashioned show desktop icon that you should have available on the default screen.
3. Apply the Visual Changes
Once you choose your preferred icon file, click on the OK button to lock in your selection. You will immediately have your new show desktop button ready to go right on your screen. The graphic updates instantly without requiring a system reboot.
4. Pin the Button to Your Taskbar
To add your new show desktop button to your taskbar, simply drag it to the exact location on the taskbar where you want it to go. Release the mouse button to pin it permanently. Now whenever you need to minimize all of the open applications on your screen, you can just click on your new custom button. You can also click it again to maximize all of your open programs instantly.
As you can see, its very easy to add a show desktop button to the Windows 11 taskbar and you can even use this button in Windows 10 as well.
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