Desktop icons do you use them gaming shortcuts?

Comixbooks

Fully [H]
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Jun 7, 2008
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Should I just delete all of my Desktop Icons it's always a mess with games I haven't played in 2-3 years.
Once in a great while like a Origin game I'll click on the Icon to lauch a game but usually it's just eyecandy that doesn't get touched.
If the monitor looks small using my 21.5" Asus I use a 24" for gaming.

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Can you do that with an existing install?

Right click Desktop > View > Uncheck Show Desktop Icons.

One thing is I don't have nearly the same amount of games installed at one time. Probably 2-3 max at a time and I just launch them using their respective launcher.
 
I just have alot of stuff because of my slow internet connection is slow.
 
Worst part is I have a ton of desktop icons if I reenable them but I just don't see them.
 
I store my game and launcher shortcuts on my taskbar -
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I started doing this way back before even Steam was a thing, because I was tired of having a cluttered desktop, and hated looking through the start menu.

I also breakdown the games in the menu to online only and everything else
 
I have all of the icons. Mostly apps though. I also have a quick launch bar, with a show desktop icon. Best feature ever, no matter how many windows are open just one click and I can see the desktop and open whatever app I want. I also disable combining task bar items and always have labels enabled. Any change MS did to the UI since windows 98 was for the worse.
 
When it comes to games, I usually only spawn icons for things like launchers and games that for whatever reason do not make use of them Most of my non-game icons are relatively frequently used applications like Firefox Give that most of my games require launchers of some sort, like Steam, BattleNet, Rockstar, GOG Galaxy, Itch.io etc... not to mention open source launchers like Playnite or Lutris, so those are who get the shortcuts of one kind or another. There are a handful of exceptions - such as the emulators Cemu, Citra, RPCS3, and Yuzu , single-title launchers for MMOs like Final Fantasy XIV or Star Citizen etc- but generally it less cluttered to link to things that will launch/filler my games for me. The actual location of the icon or its style differ depending on which OS I'm using (ie Windows or Linux) and how I have things set up.
 
If the shortcut is just going to launch a launcher then open the game I don't see the point. But I have my launchers on other monitors ready to launch any game.
I guess it makes more sense if you just have a single monitor, although I would more likely just click the launcher then click the game than minimize everything to see the desktop and click the game.
 
I just use Steam for all of my games. I have no desktop shortcuts at all. Just use the "Add non-Steam Game to Library" and you're good to go. With UWPHook, you can add Windows Store games, too. If it needs another launcher (a la Epic or Origin), those launch automatically. You can even jazz 'em up by adding your own box art and icons.
 
I just use the start menu. ClassicShell Hybrid menu FTW. The games I play a lot show up in the menu first. Otherwise ALL non-steam game shortcuts get moved to Start -> Games -> ______ and I go from there. Of the currently 2 games I play on Steam, I just start from Steam in the tray.
 
lol,

the last time I had an actual game icon/shortcut on desktop was before steam or any other launcher was started.

Since the introduction of steam/origin/epic etc.

it’s only been the launcher icons on my desktop. Everything I play or use is then opened up through them.
 
There are a few things that I do not get when it comes to the latter and modern desktop. I will be expressing more of the modern now.

With Windows, and some other OS's, there is a justified left tendency. This is asinine due to the flow of the eyes and pointer, but also that Start is parallel with the shortcuts. Also, when all the "shortcuts" are "within" the application such as Steam, and whatever gaming client, they become unnecessary on the desktop. It is a link, to a link, and to another link. Hitting the Window key and typing can lunch any program better than pointer placements and clicking for some apps, and even OS control. Ever since Vista, most of the launching can be quick and easy; and most of all, I love how some recommend typing a Run command when you can just bring up the app by typing in some of the app name, rather than the whole file name (or even through pointer manipulation). Like Computer Management can be loaded by right clicking start and selecting Computer Management, even if I wanted Disk Management. Powershell is the same, as the link is right clicky there.

The desktop "work" space is another particular thing. I always place the Recycle Bin on the lower right side, and any working link or file is upper right. When I am done I can start tossing them as I delete them with shift input-depending on the importance or not so as to recycle, or remove. So, all I ever have is a Recycle Bin in the lower right.

My Start has always been clean. Even my Program Groups from Windows 3.x days were very clean. I have the tiles placed that are commonly used and wanting to be accessed. 23 in total and that is it. I hide the Search field in Taskbar, since you have the same function with Start/Windows Key searches (just wasting space), and never use a pinned app to the taskbar (wasting space again). However, I enable every icon in the Notification area, but only have the ones I need to be enabled and showing. For example, Microsoft Cloud is capable of showing in the Notification area but it is disabled. So as to notify me if it is loaded, which it should not be, only if and when it does. My phone is similar. So, is my iPad.

Clean.....dunno, just always was like that but yet I have no obsessive compulsiveness. It just felt very Muad'Dib to do it that way.
 
I keep a few shortcuts for games on the desktop but only a few and they're the games I tend to play the most. I rarely have icons for games already in launchers like Steam, GoG or Origin simply because I have to have the launcher open to run the game. I use Rocketdock for launching my most used applications and put the three launcher shortcuts there as I don't allow any of them to start automatically.

I don't hold with the idea of leaving the desktop empty. I don't really care about looking at the background because I don't have a computer just so I can look at the background but whatever program I'm using at the time. There's no reason for me to not use the desktop for the very reason it's there. The desktop, virtual or real, exists as a workspace. I keep some shortcuts on it for regularly used things. I keep a number of files on there for quick reference or for notes. I'll move stuff on and off the desktop as needed for whatever I'm working on because it's easier to have it there and in once place. Once I'm done with whatever files or shortcuts I'll move or delete them as needed. For me the desktop is about usability and efficiency and to ignore it as if it doesn't exist is plain insanity to me.
 
I put my game shortcuts in rocketdock, then make Size 16px (really small) with a zoom of
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68px (large zoom) with zoom width of 4. Then hide the text until I hover over the shortcut
 
I just tried Rocketdock the drag and drop thing is really nice but how do I retain the original desktop image?
Do I have to register the program? Ok I see it works for some stuff EA games but others it uses whatever it wants.
 
I just tried Rocketdock the drag and drop thing is really nice but how do I retain the original desktop image?
Do I have to register the program? Ok I see it works for some stuff EA games but others it uses whatever it wants.

It is a steam game that links to the app id? If so can add item with rocket dock and find the games executable file which should have an icon now. If you dont like the icon you can go and search for a replacement online which are png files and usually higher res.
 
pretty sure i have a ton of shortcuts but don't use them because i never look at my desktop. pretty much always have chrome windows open on all my monitors. i do use the start menu side bar thing a lot which has all my games on it instead of having to go through the steam/EGS clients.
 
I just launch everything through the keyboard.

Windows key - start typing the name of the game, hit enter.

Done.
 
I either launch games directly through the launchers like Steam and Battlenet or I hit the Windows key and start typing the name of the game.

My desktop never shows as I always have many windows open and tiled across my monitors!
 
I have tons of icons on the desktop, mostly stuff I rarely use, so I can easily find them when I do need them. I also place notes on the desktop, text documents that I write stuff down in. Half of the things there are probably just clutter and no longer relevant or needed. Just like on my real world desk.
 
I didn't know people still use desktop shortcuts for games. Ever since launchers have been a thing since around Half Life 2 and shortly before i've gotten rid of all desktop icons. I am literally allergic to any icons on my desktop.
 
In nowadays, there are few peoples use desktop icons. In fact, I have only 9 icons on my desktop because I don't want to add some of them to my taskbar. In windows, 10 search bar is in the taskbar and Cortana is also available. So it is just a process of few seconds to open any application without adding them to the desktop.
 
I run all my games from their respective launchers, I always right mouse click the launcher to launch the latest games, if that is what I want to play.

iRacing I have all my applications grouped on the display, because I do have to manage four-five programs along side iRacing. (simcommander, fanalabs, crewchief, tradingpaints, etc..)
 
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