Quickly Minimize All Windows from Keyboard

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Here’s an unsolicted tip for those who DON’T have a Windows key on their keyboard. I got tired of taking my hands off the keyboard & using the mouse to click “Show Desktop” or right click the taskbar. Try this:

1. Navigate to your Windows folder on your primary hard drive & find the icon that says “Show Desktop”.

2. Drag it to either the start menu or your desktop with the right mouse button.

3. When you release it, you’ll see a context menu. Choose the option that says, “Create shortcut here”.

4. Right click the new shortcut & choose Properties. You’ll see a property sheet with two tabs.

5. Choose the shorcut tab.

6. Find a box that’s labelled “Shortcut key”. Put the cursor inside the box.

7. Use either an Alt+Ctrl or Alt+Alt+Shift combination along with either a number or letter. e.g. Alt+Ctrl+M.

8. Click OK or Apply.

Now from now on, whenever you want to minimize all windows or unminimize all windows, just press your shortcut key.
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Hope this helps someone.

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Hmmmm…wonder if this would work for a DUN connectoid ?

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It’ll work for any .exe file (so far as I know). I have DSL & have a file Wrdial.exe that connects. I’m actually not sure what file DUN uses to actually activate a connection, but if you find out, please post it.

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A post on the MSNEWS server asked how to start a DUN connection in a DOS batch file. Was answered with a pointer to MSKB. Found there was RUNDLL command line.

No surprise here. I knew DUN Connectiods were virtual critters.

Can’t recall the KB article number but search on DUN with “command line” should pull it up.

And, yes, a desktop connectoid takes the hot key assaignment and it works. But not on the Quick Launch bar.

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Here’s the MSKB link:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/ar…p?LN=EN-US&SD=g

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There is an easier way:
I found this on a previous thread….
If you have a “micrsoft Natural KB” use the WinLogoKey + M to minimize all then Shift+WinLogokey+M will restore
(check MS KB Q126449 )
–Tim

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Sorry,
I didn’t see your note in the original post that mentions “If you don’t have a windows key…”

By the way… If you create a shortcut and then asscoiate a KB shortcut with it, then later if you delete that shortcut the KB shorcut seems to be diabled and you can’t use the same key combination for a different shortcut. Any ideas on how to “reclaim” that keyboard combination??
–Tim

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Hi Tim:

No, you’re shortcut should not be disabled. You should be able to reassign a keyboard shortcut, regardless of whether the “old” shortcut icon is deleted. If it’s not sticking, I notice that sometimes with Win 98, you have to just press Ctrl+the letter for the Alt+Ctrl+letter shortcut. Weird, but MS must be afraid of allowing users to use Ctrl+letter & then calling MS support & complaining they can’t cut, copy & paste, etc.

Hope this helps.

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