Windows XP provides a special way to hide desktop icons.
If you are using the Windows XP Start menu, use the Registry Editor to navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartMenu.
If you are using the Classic Start menu, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu.
For each desktop icon that you wish to hide, Add a Value Name of the Class ID, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\\{Class ID\}, as a REG_DWORD data type, and set the data value to 1.
Right-click the desktop and press Refresh to see the effect of your change.
NOTE: You can use the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key instead of HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
NOTE: Some common Class IDs are:
| \{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D\} | My Computer |
| \{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103\} | My Documents |
| \{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D\} | My Network Places |
| \{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D\} | Internet Explorer |
| \{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E\} | Recycle Bin |
| \{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D\} | Printers and Faxes |
| \{D20EA4E1-3957-11D2-A40B-0C5020524153\} | Administrative Tools |
| \{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF\} | Scheduled Tasks |
| \{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E\} | Network Connections |
| \{D20EA4E1-3957-11D2-A40B-0C5020524152\} | Fonts |
NOTE: See tip 5975 for adding Help and Support, Search, and Run functions to the Windows XP desktop.
NOTE: To hide all desktop icons, right-click a blank area of the desktop and press Arrange Icons By. On the context menu, uncheck Show Desktop Icons.
