January 25, 2016

Disabling the Peek Desktop Button

Filed under: Main — Tags: , — admin @ 12:01 am

Windows 10 and Windows 7 feature a Peek Desktop button. It can really bug the bejeebers out of you.

The Peek Desktop button is located in the lower right corner of the screen, next to the time display, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The Peek Desktop button's location.

Figure 1. The Peek Desktop button’s location.

The button is designed to hide all open windows on the desktop. You can either click the button to hide the windows or you can point the mouse at the button. Click the button again, or move the mouse, and the windows are restored.

Incidentally, the Win+D keyboard shortcut does the same thing.

The issue I have with the Peek Desktop button is that it works when the mouse is pointed at the button. So the action is passive: When I’m writing, I may jostle the mouse over to point at the button. In an instant, my document is gone and I get angry. I have to move the mouse to return to work, which is frustrating.

To fix that problem, change the button’s function from Peek Desktop to Show Desktop: Right-click the button and choose Show Desktop, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Changing to Show Desktop.

Figure 2. Changing to Show Desktop.

You may have to remove the checkmark by the Peek at Desktop command to enable Show Desktop. Once done, jostling the mouse doesn’t banish every dang window. The button still functions, but you must click it.

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