Make an icon to "press" Windows + M?

ikjadoon

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 21, 2006
Messages
308
Hi. I'm looking for a way to create an icon/button similar to "Show Desktop". However, I only want to minimize Windows, not applications. Windows + M does that. However, it is an awkward combo, as you can try and see for yourself.

Is there a way to make an icon to do this?

Thanks!

~Ibrahim~
 
Only want to minimize windows... uhmmm... applications run in windows sooo... minimizing the visible windows onscreen would minimize the applications that are represented by those windows... hmmm...

Doesn't quite work, does it?
 
I'm a little confused also. In Windows, applications pretty much are windows. If you simply want a better way to do "Win+M" get a good gaming keyboard. The good ones let you create macros out of the wazoo so you could have a single macro key assigned to "Win+M" and so you only have to one key to do it. I've setup my Sidewinder X6 to do these types of things and it works great.
 
I always liked the "windows key" + D

It shows the desktop, and a second time, puts your windows back where you had them.
 
Crap. Sorry, I should've explained.

Windows Sidebar is an application that DOES NOT run in a window. Hence, when you click show desktop, it also minimizes the Sidebar. I don't want it to do that. I want the Sidebar to stay open, even when I click Show Desktop. Windows+M only minimizes Windows.

That is an option. But, hopefully, I won't need to.

Thanks!

~Ibrahim~
 
Crap. Sorry, I should've explained.

Windows Sidebar is an application that DOES NOT run in a window. Hence, when you click show desktop, it also minimizes the Sidebar. I don't want it to do that. I want the Sidebar to stay open, even when I click Show Desktop. Windows+M only minimizes Windows.

That is an option. But, hopefully, I won't need to.

Thanks!

~Ibrahim~

Fairly certain there's an "Always On Top" checkbox somewhere in Sidebar's configuration settings ... pretty sure that would make it immune to Wkey+M.
 
Fairly certain there's an "Always On Top" checkbox somewhere in Sidebar's configuration settings ... pretty sure that would make it immune to Wkey+M.

Well, you're not wrong. There is. But it is ALWAYS on top. That means 100% of the time, I lose 1/5 of my screen to the sidebar. Like, it makes the word "full-screen" null. It is a permanent addition.

What I want is to click some little icon which mimics "Windows key + M". That way clear away everything and can see my Sidebar.

~Ibrahim~
 
Then you need Windows 7 which allows you to leave the Gadgets on the Desktop permanently... :D

You don't have to run the Sidebar itself, you can already drag the Gadgets to the Desktop in Vista also. That might address your issue(s) but... really I don't see a problem so far. Then again, I don't use Gadgets sooo...

Yanno, the whole idea of the Sidebar in general is because people tend to have widescreen monitors nowdays that the Sidebar should be in that narrow slice of screen real estate where it can be seen at all times. It really doesn't make sense to me when I see people with 1680x1050 or 1920x1200 screens running their browser full screen nowadays... I can't comprehend why they do it - and I only maximize my browser if I'm looking at galleries of large hi-res images (like the Desktop threads here) or wallpaper galleries, etc. As soon as I'm done I shrink it back to the "standard" size I have it at, as a window onscreen and very rarely maximized.

Guess I'll just never figure that one out...
 
Well, you're not wrong. There is. But it is ALWAYS on top. That means 100% of the time, I lose 1/5 of my screen to the sidebar. Like, it makes the word "full-screen" null. It is a permanent addition.

What I want is to click some little icon which mimics "Windows key + M". That way clear away everything and can see my Sidebar.

~Ibrahim~

OH, okay, I see what you're saying ... hm, I'm at a loss. Anyone?
 
So, just to go back for a second, I can or cannot make such a shortcut?

Well, if I'm not going to spend $50 on a keyboard, I'm not sure how well 7 will work out for me. :D

Unfortunately, that doesn't work either. Even then, they are still running under the sidebar.exe application, which is minimized with "Show Desktop". Technically, you're still running the Sidebar. It just isn't on the side nor is it arranged in a bar.

Well, mate, the only reason for widescreen monitors wasn't so we could squeeze the Sidebar into that little section on the side. They're made like that because they better fit our POV which is more rectangular than square. So, it is natural to want our application to use the entire screen, as our eyes see the entire screen. I mean, I could maybe see that if the Sidebar was smaller, but on my 1680x1050 monitor, it takes up a healthy portion of my monitor for mostly useless information. I just want to glance at it for a few seconds to check what song is playing (Pandora) or glance at a note I had written.

I guess we could discuss this one for a while, but back to the original question:

Is it possible to make an icon/program for a key combination?

Thanks!

~Ibrahim~
 
Create a file called minimize.vbs (or whatever) somewhere on your harddrive. Inside the file paste the following text

Code:
Set Win = CreateObject ("Shell.Application")
Win.MinimizeAll

Now make a shortcut to that file in your quick launch bar and clicking it, should do exactly what you want.
 
Haha! That's it. Beautiful, thank you, toytown.

Yeah, it is pretty similar to Aero Peek. Thanks for the link!

Thanks for all the help, guys. :) Appreciate it.
 
Now that you have an "icon" for it, go into the icon's properties and change the keyboard shortcut to Control+Alt+Z or something, which would do the same thing with that keyboard shortcut if press Windows+M is so daunting... :) Or use some tool that allows you to create a Windows key shortcut so it's even easier: Win+Z or whatever... no double click (or even a single click) necessary.
 
You should take a look at this as well its one of my standard Windows utilities: http://insentient.net/

It actually an app switcher like Expose on the Mac but I realized that it will also do what you are asking, can be activated via keyboard or mouse, no need to actually click on an icon. It works very well though it hasn't been updated in a while.
 
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