I lost my show desktop icon, I am on Windows 98se and IE 6.0 I am pretty sure this happened when I installed a new game called sim town for my son. After installing the game I noticed some kind of shortcut icon for this game under start and didn't need it so I deleted it. Then later I realized my show desktop icon was missing and when I went into the system folder to try and copy it back to the quick launch bar it said show desktop icon but it looked like the game icon. I deleted it and then found the instructions for recreating this file by typing some wording into notepad and followed them exactly. I copied the wording exactly and named it show desktop.scf and followed the rest of the steps that I found in an earlier post here but it doesn't work. I made sure it says .scf and not .scf txt but under the dos name it says txt after it and when I make the file it is just a small notepad and won't make the desktop icon. Copied the file from a friends computer who is on Win98 and put it on floppy. When we checked the file before I left it was the show desktop icon but when I got home and put the floppy in my computer and checked the properties it says sfc file extension and the dos name says scf extension so I know the file has to be right now but the icon has the windows flag symbol now and not the show desktop icon and won't work when you put it in the quick launch and rename it desktop.
when you try it you get the open with program box and it doesn't look like the show desktop icon. I was also told to makse sure I have show all files checked in folder options and I do. Am I missing something I need to make this file or what am I doing wrong? I am pretty sure I had this until I installed the game and son is done with the game so now I have permanently uninstalled it but I have followed the instructions several times and it won't make that icon. When I right click something I see that icon next to send to and when I save files I see it next to desktop there. Comptuer is missing nothing else but I would like to try and get this back with some help so any suggestions welcome.

Look in Windows\System and find "Show Desktop". Right click and send to desktop. Drag it to your taskbar. Hope you find it there.

Go to My Computer > View > Options > File Types. Find 'Windows Explorer Command' in the list. Select it and click on 'edit'. You should see an 'open' option in the window.
If there is another option and it's the default (bold font), that was probably done by the game. Select it and click remove. Hopefully the 'Open' will now be the default and work correctly.
If 'Open' is the only option in the window. Select it and click 'Edit'. In the 'application used to perform action' window, there should be 'Explorer.exe' (w/o quotes). If it's not, type it in and OK/Close out of everything.
Please report back so we know that it worked.

In case that game deleted the 'Windows Explorer Command' entry in File Types, you might have to scan through the list and find the one that's associated with the 'SCF' file and remove it. Then add a the 'Windows Explorer Command' back and set it up with the above data.

First of all in reply to the first answer to my qeustions. If I could go to the system file and copy this back to the quick launch bar I would have, that is the first thing I thought of. No disrespect but If you read my question you would have seen that I tried that but a game over wrote this file and made it something else so I couldn't. I had to delete the file and now I am trying to recreate it again.

Now as for the second asnwer to my problem. I went to my computer and clicked on folder options and clicked on file types but there is no windows explorer command in the list. They are all in order and nothing like that shows up in the W's and I checked the list over and over to see if I missed it but it's not there. Also I made sure that show all files is checked but I just don't see that so where do we go from here.

Sorry but when I posted last I didn't see your message about explorer command being missing I am sure it was not there when I read the threads. Ok so I take it that I am probally missing the windows explorer command if it's not there and I need this to make this file work properly. First of all how do I find the one that's associated with scf in the list? Then after I find it if I delete it will this cause problems with any other files or anything? Then how do I add the windows explorer command back?

Check Post #3. Evidently the Game deleted or changed it. You'll have to manually step through all the entries looking for the SCF file. It's a nuisance to have to do that but I don't know of any shortcut.

Deleting it will only have an effect on SCF files and nothing else.

To add a new type
Click on new type
In Description of type - enter Windows Explorer Command
In associated extension - enter SCF
Click 'New'
Add an Open option
Click Edit
In Action - enter Windows Explorer Command
In Application used to perform action - enter Explorer.exe
Click OK - OK - OK

I've never done this particular extension before (it's kinda unique), but I think it should work.

I understand what you are saying about adding a new type but I am confused on what to do when I get to add an open option? I take it I click on browse and navigate to something and it goes where it says application used to perform action but what do I browse too and put there? Do I browse to the show desktop scf file or what?

Uninstall what ever program changed this file, then goto start/programs/accessories/system tools/system information.
When the window opens, goto tools at the top, select system file checker
When file checker opens select "extract one file from installation disk" then browse to the desktop.scf file.
After this is done then select the scan for altered files and let it run through. It will prompt you of any corupted files and give you a few choices on what to do.

Paul

Sorry but it's late here but I just printed out your instructions and now I understand except for what you mean by add an open option?

Don't browse, just type in Explorer.exe

Sorry about that! Bad instructions!!!
After you click 'new'
In the new action window for Action -enter Open
Then for Action used .. - type Explorer.exe

Darn it goofed again
Then for application used ... type Explorer.exe
Sorry!

If all went well, when you click on the show desktop.scf file it should do it's thing.

In case you are having problems, here are new corrected intructions I think I have it right now:

Click on new type
In Description of type - enter Windows Explorer Command
In associated extension - enter SCF
Click 'New'
In Action - enter Open
In Application used to perform action - enter Explorer.exe
Click OK - OK - OK

Boy am I making a mess of this!
I think you need a period before the SCF
.SCF

I am working on your instructions right now so I will let you know immediately what happesn. Please stay with me on this because this is the best help I have gotten.

I was wrong again! You do NOT need the period before SCF. I just made a test and it works with or without it.

We are very close but I have a small problem. First of all I used the show desktop.scf file I copied from my friends computer so I hope that is ok. I copied it from the floppy to the system file. If not then I will follow the instructions to write this in notepad again.

Then in folder options I clicked on new type and in description I put windows explorer command. Then for association I put .scf and then clicked on new. Then for action I put open and then for application I put explorer.exe. After doing all this the show desktop icon is now changed from the windows symbol to a little computer not the show desktop icon. When I right click it only says .scf extension in the ms dos name and where it says file type is says windows explorer command not .scf file. When I put it in the quick launch tool bar and click on it I get the download box saying I am going to download this file and where do I want to send it. What have I done wrong now? I think we are very close to solving this to please help some more.

Is sounds like you did everything right. I don't understand the
"When I right click it only says .scf extension in the ms dos name and where it says file type is says windows explorer command not .scf file. "
Are you right clicking and selecting 'Properties?
Also, what does the filename show as normally, without right clicking on it? On my system it shows as 'show desktop' with no extension.

In my original post of this problem when I try to write this file in notepad and save it as .scr it says file type .scf but the ms dos name has txt after it, this is when I right click and check properties and I was told it shouldn't have any txt there. Also when I try to write this file it saves as a notepad so I couldn't get that to work right. The file from my friends computer that I am now using says the type as .scf and the ms dos name says .scf this is when you right click it and there is no txt at all in the description. When I follow your instructions the icon turns from windows to a small computer icon and says show desktop with no .scf after the file name just viewing it normally and when I click on it I get the download box it won't toggle me to the desktop and it didn't make the show desktop icon only a small computer. I am really trying at this. I am no computer wiz but I can follow directions so I don't understand why I can't make this simple thing work.

I am confused by what you said about using Notepad and the file. You shouldn't be doing anything with Notepad on that file.
But lets ignore that for the time being.
Try going to c:\windows\system and double clicking on the show desktop file there, to see if it works.
I'm not going to be able to stick with this much longer but I'll come back tomorrow if we don't get it now.

I forgot to ask .. Did you find another SCF entry in File Types and delete it?

When I go to the system folder the file is the little computer and ask me where to save the download on my computer. Originally when I discovered this problem I went to google.com and type in show desktop icon and found some sites that told how to recreate this file. You wrote a code in word pad and saved it but I couldn't get that to work. Here are the instructions I used for that. Then today I was at my friends, she has Win 98 so I put the file on floppy and brought it home to my computer and copied to the system folder and there it sat as the windows icon, then when I used your instructions it changed to the little computer icon asking me where do I want to download this file. Also when I go to file types and click on windows explorer command it says file type scf and to open with explorer. Just checking that I did that right.

To re-create the Show Desktop icon on the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps:

Use any text editor (such as Notepad) to create a file with the following lines:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
Save the new file as a file named Show Desktop.scf in the Windows\System or Winnt\System32 folder. Note that Notepad may automatically append a .txt extension to the file name. Remove this extension if Notepad adds it. These steps do not work if the file is named Show Desktop.scf.txt.

Quit Notepad.

Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the Show Desktop .scf file, and then click Create Shortcut .

Copy the new shortcut to the appropriate folder. In Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98, copy the shortcut to this folder:

Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
In Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000, copy the shortcut to this folder:
Winnt\System32
Rename the shortcut to Desktop.

The Show Desktop icon automatically appears on the Quick Launch toolbar.

When I went through file types and clicked on each one I checked where it said file extensions and none of them said anything about scf so I couldn't find one to delete. We are very close because I was able to make an icon just the wrong one for some reason and that's a lot farther than I was earlier.

OK, I understand the Notepad thing now. I didn't know about that trick to create the file.
Right now I'm at a loss. I can't decide if there is something wrong with the file or with our modifications. But I am inclined to think it's the later.
I'm going to have to call it quits now but I'll check this post tomorrow.
In the meantime, go back to File Types and double check what's in there for accuracy.
Nite

I wouldn't worry about the icon. If we get it working we can always fix the icon if it isn't right. That's not a problem.

Thanks for all the help. I will try and check back tomorrow if I can. If not then Tuesday I will get on the computer. I don't really care what the icon looks like would just like to know how to make it toggle to the desktop. I don't think it could be the file becuase I am using the right file taken from someone elses computer so that can't be wrong. I am going to try and write this file again and see if I can get that working just to see what happens. I really appreciate the help and as you can tell I don't give up easily so you are very patient to put up with me. Have a good night, for me it's morning here.

hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm
Weird little problem.

I just used the find tool to look for *.scf. Interestingly all the files that come up show NO extension. The Show Desktop file, when opened in notepad appears to be identical in both C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.

The contents of the file, in both cases, is as shown between the quotes lines here.

"""""""""""""""""""""""

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3

[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Note that there is a blank at the top. This is a single carriage return.

Try copying the text above, including the first blank line, to a notepad window. Save as Show Desktop.txt in both C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
and
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.

Then using windows explorer, open each of those folders, right click on the file and rename to just Show Desktop

Then Reboot to see if windows can sort things out through the registry settings.

There must be some registry entry reguarding this file type and the way the extension is hidden abnormally, and that may be the problem in getting yours to work again.

Sorry about misreading your post. This should do it: Sim Town FiX

Good find Deke.

That makes sense of the situation.

Simple answer here:

MS KB Q 190355:

Phew! 31 posts on this thread?!

Simple answer here:

MS KB Q 190355:

R. Man check out Response #24.

Started to start a new post, but figured this one might bring an answer quicker. I had this fix in my files and am wondering what happens to the .htt files after you extract them? I did this to see what happens and dont't know where they went.

To get the file back, go to Start>Run, and type regsvr32.exe webvw.dll

This will extract the .htt files. You'll need the Desktop.htt file in the C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer directory.

Shutdown and restart.

Courtsey of reghakr

Is it possible that the Show Desktop is still there in the Quick Launch bar but is covered?

Place your cursor over the horizontal bar between the Quick Launch and the Task bar so it shows the double sided arrows and then double click on it to automatically resize it.

Just a thought,
Bryan

Mary, Deke came up with the fix (check post #30). Thanks Deke!!! There were some things we didn't add to the file types entry. Below is a new set of instructions that are modified to include the missing parts. You only need to do the instructions between the ====== lines.

Click on new type
In Description of type - enter Windows Explorer Command
In associated extension - enter SCF
Click 'New'
In Action - enter Open
In Application used to perform action - enter Explorer.exe

=================================

Click the Use DDE check box to select it, and then type [ShellFile("%1","%1",%S)] in the DDE Message box.

In the Application box, type Folders , and then type AppProperties in the Topics box.

=================================

Click OK - OK - OK

I'll check back here to make sure it works.

Daniel

Your welcome. I wish I had got into PC's before I retired 7 years ago instead of 18 months ago. This is better than sliced bread.

Thak you all for the help, that last fix worked perfectly. I now have a small computer icon and when I click it I toggle to the desktop. Also I was given a link that states this is a know problem with this sim town game. If I had know this when I installed the game and had that link I could have fixed this with the game installed. Son doesn't really like the game so we are not reinstalling anyway so no more worries on that. Now one last thing, the icon I made is a little computer. Is there any way to make this look like the show desktop icon again because I would like to learn how to do that now. If someone could give me insltrucitons I will give it a try because I like to learn stuff like this. Thanks again for all the help.

Good work Mary and Deke!
To change the icon go back to File Types and select the 'Windows Explorer command'. Click on' Edit' > 'Change Icon' > 'Browse'. Browse to the c:\windows folder and select 'Explorer.exe' > select 'Open'. You should see the correct icon in the window. Select it, click Ok, Ok Ok.

Daniel

Your post was the one that did it.

Thanks again I now have the origianl show desktop icon. Everyone here has been wonderful on helping me. If I have a problem in the future you can bet I will be bugging you guys for help you are all wonderful to put up with me. My hobby is photographing flowers so I am sharing some in appreciation for what you have done for me. Have a great day all.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lovestotakephotos

Make sure there's a space between desktop and .scf this may sound odd but it worked for me.