A Windows XP help forum. PCbanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » PCbanter forum » Microsoft Windows 7 » Windows 7 Forum
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Go to desktop



 
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #16  
Old July 2nd 18, 03:46 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Mark Lloyd[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,756
Default Go to desktop

On 07/01/2018 09:45 PM, Paul wrote:

[snip]

If you were an "electronics hobbyist", you'd make
a keyboard PCB with a regular keyboard controller,
but only the Win key hooked up :-) Most of the
chip wouldn't need to be hooked up (the 7+17
scan wires, you'd only need two of those).


I might do that, but a new keyboard is likely to be easier and cost less.

Â*Â* Paul



--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company." [Mark Twain]
Ads
  #17  
Old July 2nd 18, 04:55 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,438
Default Go to desktop

"Nil" wrote

| I was really hoping to find a built-in 2- or even 3-key combo, but I
| guess it doesn't exist in Windows.

This will work but it requires a shortcut on the Desktop.
Put the following in Notepad and save as something like
ShowDesktop.vbs:

Set ShAp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Shap.MinimizeAll
Set Shap = Nothing

Put the VBS file anywhere. Make a shortcut to it on
the Desktop. Right-click the shortcut and set the
shortcut combo. Note that it must be something
that won't be valid in the active window. I used
Ctl + Alt + 6. I first tried Ctl + Alt + D but Ctl+D
was a shortcut in the active window and that took
over.


  #18  
Old July 2nd 18, 06:04 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,438
Default Go to desktop

"Nil" wrote

| Is there any key combination that does NOT involve the Windows Key
| that will minimize all windows and reveal the desktop? Win+D would be
| the best solution of course, unless like me your keyboard does not have
| a Win key.

I posted this earlier and it hasn't shown up.
Using AIOE. I'm also finding that ES is not working
at all today. Anyway, I'm trying to post again.
----------------

This will work but it requires a shortcut on the Desktop.
Put the following in Notepad and save as something like
ShowDesktop.vbs:

Set ShAp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Shap.MinimizeAll
Set Shap = Nothing

Put the VBS file anywhere. Make a shortcut to it on
the Desktop. Right-click the shortcut and set the
shortcut combo. Note that it must be something
that won't be valid in the active window. I used
Ctl + Alt + 6. I first tried Ctl + Alt + D but Ctl+D
was a shortcut in the active window and that took
over.


  #19  
Old July 2nd 18, 06:25 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Nil[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,731
Default Go to desktop

On 02 Jul 2018, "Mayayana" wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

I posted this earlier and it hasn't shown up.
Using AIOE. I'm also finding that ES is not working
at all today. Anyway, I'm trying to post again.


I must have escaped aioe because I saw it earlier. I'll give it a shot.
It needs to be a toggle - activate it once to show the desktop,
activate it again to restore all windows. We shall see...

Thank you.


----------------

This will work but it requires a shortcut on the Desktop.
Put the following in Notepad and save as something like
ShowDesktop.vbs:

Set ShAp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Shap.MinimizeAll
Set Shap = Nothing

Put the VBS file anywhere. Make a shortcut to it on
the Desktop. Right-click the shortcut and set the
shortcut combo. Note that it must be something
that won't be valid in the active window. I used
Ctl + Alt + 6. I first tried Ctl + Alt + D but Ctl+D
was a shortcut in the active window and that took
over.

  #20  
Old July 2nd 18, 06:48 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Ken Blake[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,221
Default Go to desktop

On Mon, 02 Jul 2018 03:35:42 -0400, Nil
wrote:

On 01 Jul 2018, Paul wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

There's a few more suggestions here.

https://superuser.com/questions/3334...-windows-key-o
n-an-old-keyboard


The question asked there is exactly my question, too. I'm about to try
one suggestion from there, remapping the Caps Lock key to Left Windows.
There is a small utility to help do this, rather than editing the
Registry directly. I rarely if ever use Caps Lock, so this might be
acceptable.



If you never use Caps Lock, a better solution is to turn it off
entirely.

I use and recommend the free Sharpkeys at
http://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/

I use it to turn off the two keys I never want to use--Caps Lock and
Insert--keys which I otherwise might hit accidentally.

  #21  
Old July 2nd 18, 08:23 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Zaidy036[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 427
Default Go to desktop

On 7/2/2018 1:48 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jul 2018 03:35:42 -0400, Nil
wrote:

On 01 Jul 2018, Paul wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

There's a few more suggestions here.

https://superuser.com/questions/3334...-windows-key-o
n-an-old-keyboard


The question asked there is exactly my question, too. I'm about to try
one suggestion from there, remapping the Caps Lock key to Left Windows.
There is a small utility to help do this, rather than editing the
Registry directly. I rarely if ever use Caps Lock, so this might be
acceptable.



If you never use Caps Lock, a better solution is to turn it off
entirely.

I use and recommend the free Sharpkeys at
http://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/

I use it to turn off the two keys I never want to use--Caps Lock and
Insert--keys which I otherwise might hit accidentally.

another option is KewTweak

--
Zaidy036
  #22  
Old July 2nd 18, 08:25 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Zaidy036[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 427
Default Go to desktop

On 7/2/2018 1:48 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jul 2018 03:35:42 -0400, Nil
wrote:

On 01 Jul 2018, Paul wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

There's a few more suggestions here.

https://superuser.com/questions/3334...-windows-key-o
n-an-old-keyboard


The question asked there is exactly my question, too. I'm about to try
one suggestion from there, remapping the Caps Lock key to Left Windows.
There is a small utility to help do this, rather than editing the
Registry directly. I rarely if ever use Caps Lock, so this might be
acceptable.



If you never use Caps Lock, a better solution is to turn it off
entirely.

I use and recommend the free Sharpkeys at
http://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/

I use it to turn off the two keys I never want to use--Caps Lock and
Insert--keys which I otherwise might hit accidentally.

another option https://keytweak.en.softonic.com/

--
Zaidy036
  #23  
Old July 2nd 18, 08:34 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Go to desktop

In message , Ken Blake
writes:
[]
If you never use Caps Lock, a better solution is to turn it off
entirely.

I use and recommend the free Sharpkeys at
http://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/

I use it to turn off the two keys I never want to use--Caps Lock and
Insert--keys which I otherwise might hit accidentally.

I _rarely_ use caps lock, but not never - but I _do_ hit it by mistake.

For which "toggle keys" is most useful - it makes a beep when you do.
(Actually a high beep when you turn it on and a lower one when you turn
it off.)

It's built into Windows - for some reason, it's under the Accessibility
menu (Ease of Access Center | keyboard).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

You know what the big secret about posh people is? Most of them are lovely.
- Richard Osman, RT 2016/7/9-15
  #24  
Old July 2nd 18, 08:59 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Zaidy036[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 427
Default Go to desktop

On 7/1/2018 3:20 PM, Nil wrote:
Is there any key combination that does NOT involve the Windows Key
that will minimize all windows and reveal the desktop? Win+D would be
the best solution of course, unless like me your keyboard does not have
a Win key.

look at this cheap NewEgg offer

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=23-225-016&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ShellShocker&cm_mm c=EMC-SD072018-_-SD070118-_-Item-_-23-225-016&et_cid=43995&et_rid=46997&et_p1=&email64=RXJpY 0BCbG9jaC5jb20=

--
Zaidy036
  #25  
Old July 2nd 18, 09:07 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Go to desktop - now noisy keyboard

In message , Nil
writes:
On 02 Jul 2018, VanguardLH wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

[]
last one just a few days ago. I "temporarily" went back to my good ol'
IBM Model M. I have 4 of these that I retrieved from the dumpster when
my company threw them all out in the late '90s. Typing on it is a
pleasure, like going home to mom's comfort cooking. Plus, it's
unkillable. It does everything I want... except the functionality of
Win+D. So, no, I'm not in the market for a cheap keyboard, Windows key

[]
For those for whom the important thing is the audible feedback, I
recommend Noisy Keyboard from http://leeos.tripod.com/. I first tried
this just as a novelty, but have now grown so used to it that I miss it
when I use another machine. Works with any keyboard, even ones _with_
Windows keys (-:
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

live your dash. ... On your tombstone, there's the date you're born and the
date you die - and in between there's a dash. - a friend quoted by Dustin
Hoffman in Radio Times, 5-11 January 2013
  #26  
Old July 2nd 18, 09:43 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default Go to desktop - now noisy keyboard

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

In message , Nil
writes:
On 02 Jul 2018, VanguardLH wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

[]
last one just a few days ago. I "temporarily" went back to my good ol'
IBM Model M. I have 4 of these that I retrieved from the dumpster when
my company threw them all out in the late '90s. Typing on it is a
pleasure, like going home to mom's comfort cooking. Plus, it's
unkillable. It does everything I want... except the functionality of
Win+D. So, no, I'm not in the market for a cheap keyboard, Windows key

[]
For those for whom the important thing is the audible feedback, I
recommend Noisy Keyboard from http://leeos.tripod.com/. I first tried
this just as a novelty, but have now grown so used to it that I miss it
when I use another machine. Works with any keyboard, even ones _with_
Windows keys (-:


There are also mechanical keyboards if you want that style of tactile
feedback. However, they're much more pricey than the rubber membrane
keyboards if all you want is to get the Window keys on the keyboard.

I had an old Northgate keyboard that I could bang on with a hammer. If
I did ever manage to damage a key, it could be unsoldered from the PCB
and replaced. Eventually PCs no longer came with the 5-pin DIN
connector. At first, I missed the clackety clack of the Northgate but
now I much prefer a quieter keyboard. I also rarely listen to my stereo
these days. I turn it on occasionally to check it still works.
  #27  
Old July 2nd 18, 10:29 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,438
Default Go to desktop

"Nil" wrote

| It needs to be a toggle - activate it once to show the desktop,
| activate it again to restore all windows. We shall see...
|
Now you tell me. That can be done, too, but it's
a bit more sloppy.
Below is an altered version. It writes a text file
to C:\ and records 1 when minimizing or 0 when
restoring. By checking what was recorded last time
it can do the opposite the next time. But it restores
windows to previous locations. In other words, the min
step remembers the existing window locations.
If you minimize, then do lots of things, then decide
later in the day that you want all windows maxed then
it probably won't fully work.

Writing a file may seem like a lot of work for such
a small task, but it's pretty much instant. I don't know
of a better way to track which state is current. While
Shell will min and max all windows, if you try to access
all windows to see what state they're in, you only get
IE and Explorer instances. In other words, Shell doesn't
have a property to tell you the state of all currently open
windows.

You also need permission, of course, to write the file.
But this works flawlessly on my system.

The Shell object is a light wrapper around Explorer.
It allows various operations in script or programming
that mimic Explorer behavior.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...=vs.85%29.aspx

'----Begin script -----------------------------------------
Dim s, ShAp, FSO, TS, IsMin
Set ShAp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
On Error Resume Next
Set TS = FSO.OpenTextFile("C:\minrec.txt", 1, True)
s = TS.ReadAll
TS.Close
Set TS = Nothing
Set TS = FSO.OpenTextFile("C:\minrec.txt", 2, True)
If Len(s) = 0 Or s = "0" Then
IsMin = False
TS.Write "1"
Else
IsMin = True
TS.Write "0"
End If
TS.Close
Set TS = Nothing
Set FSO = nothnig

If IsMin = False Then
ShAp.MinimizeAll
Else
ShAp.UndoMinimizeALL
End If

Set ShAp = Nothing

'---------------------------


  #28  
Old July 2nd 18, 10:34 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Nil[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,731
Default Go to desktop - now noisy keyboard

On 02 Jul 2018, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote
in alt.windows7.general:

For those for whom the important thing is the audible feedback, I
recommend Noisy Keyboard from http://leeos.tripod.com/. I first
tried this just as a novelty, but have now grown so used to it
that I miss it when I use another machine. Works with any
keyboard, even ones _with_ Windows keys (-:


The noise isn't very important to me, but the mechanical feel is. After
re-acquainting myself with my old IBM keyboard, I'm loving its feel,
but I'm starting to get a little annoyed with the noise. It didn't used
to bother me, but maybe my previous (now dead) keyboard has me used to
something quieter. The IBM is too loud, but worse is the little jingle
of the springs. I don't hear that when there's music or other noise in
the room, but when it's quiet it tends to put my teeth on edge after a
while.

Oh, and I remapped my Caps Lock the a Windows key, and it seems to be
an acceptable workaround for me. If I find that I need Caps Lock more
often, I'll try using another expendable key like Scroll Lock or Print
Screen. The advantage of Caps Lock is that I can hit it and D with one
hand.
  #29  
Old July 2nd 18, 11:46 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
NY
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 586
Default Go to desktop - now noisy keyboard

"Nil" wrote in message
...
After re-acquainting myself with my old IBM keyboard, I'm loving its feel,
but I'm starting to get a little annoyed with the noise. It didn't used
to bother me, but maybe my previous (now dead) keyboard has me used to
something quieter. The IBM is too loud, but worse is the little jingle
of the springs. I don't hear that when there's music or other noise in
the room, but when it's quiet it tends to put my teeth on edge after a
while.


I remember those noisy IBM keyboards. I think anyone using one of them in
the earshot of anyone else would make themselves *very* unpopular. I find
the noise of mechanical clicking almost as irritating as the sound of
someone eating or cleaning their teeth with their mouth open, in the same
way that other people find the noise of chalk on a blackboard irritating.

My laptop has a nice quiet keyboard but unfortunately the touchpad mouse
buttons are very noisy, with a very irritating mechanical click. What is
frustrating is that when I tried a very similar model in a shop before
ordering mine online, it had buttons that had plenty of travel but without
any click.

  #30  
Old July 3rd 18, 01:20 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
Nil[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,731
Default Go to desktop - now noisy keyboard

On 02 Jul 2018, "NY" wrote in alt.windows7.general:

I remember those noisy IBM keyboards. I think anyone using one of
them in the earshot of anyone else would make themselves *very*
unpopular.


Well, I worked for years in an office with dozens of people tapping
away on keyboards just like this, and it didn't seem to be a problem
back then. I'm sure I'd feel differently now. In my case, my home
office/studio is isolated enough that I don't think noise is much of a
problem to anyone except possibly me.

I type more accurately on a mechanical keyboard. Probably because I
learned to type on a manual typewriter.

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off






All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 PCbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.