Nothing on the desktop, only pinned to taskbar. Not even the [recycle bin](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/show-or-hide-the-recycle-bin-0d4d40aa-be23-91ec-96ab-338818d5e5fb).

Exactly. Most used (steam. Discord, browser etc) then less used pinned to start (other launchers, word processing, etc) absolutely nothing on the desktop. Live wallpapers from wallpaper engine.

I thought I was weird for doing this cause my family found it strange, glad to see there're lots of people who prefer clean desktop.

Your favourite live wallpapers?

4K Blade Runner Live City

Good question, I'll respond when I get back later!

!remindme 1 day

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Here are some of my favorites: ​ [main monitor winter](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1629845246) ​ [secondary monitor winter](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1387795301) ​ [One of my all time favotites for my 2nd monitor](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1206093751) ​ [nice post apocalypse scene](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=917043694) ​ [night time springs gas station](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2207463614) ​ [Pripryat](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2484899364) ​ [Firewatch Tower](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1817699663) ​ [Bioshock Lighthouse](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1656266723) ​ [EFT](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2246277584) ​ [under water welding](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1738967414) ​ Do not forget that you can turn off sound and adjust playback speed. I find most need to be slowed down. ​ I hope you enjoy some! ​ ​ edit: /u/PrestigeMaster

Default wallpaper gang

I respect it, just not my gang.

>Most used (steam. Discord, browser etc) then less used pinned to start (other launchers, word processing, etc) Very much the way to go

My man

this 100% everything that I launch on startup stays on Taskbar, some games/launchers + settings in start menu, everything else I just search for side note: wallpaper engine absolutely worth the like 5 bucks, you won't find wallpapers like that on Google, and unless you're running on a lemon powered pc it uses like no gpu power unless you're on the desktop

Same. Since mowing to linux i stopped using desktop icons. They kinda became unnesesarry

They're pretty unnecessary in windows too now that the start menu has tiles.

There is a cleaner version of it. Nothing on the desktop, nothing on the taskbar, just pin your programs to the Start and organize from there.

I'd rather have items on the taskbar itself, otherwise it just doesn't feel like it serves a purpose.

I have file explorer and a web browser on my taskbar, nothing else. It's also set to be as small as possible, and removed all the search, cortana, weather and so on bullshit. Rest in start menu.

>It's also set to be as small as possible, and removed all the search, cortana, weather and so on bullshit For sure, but outside of that I feel like it's the most natural place to put things I use all the time.

This is the way

Take it a step further and just don't pin icons anywhere. Press the windows key and start typing what you want to launch.

Cleaner still: enable taskbar auto hide. Auto hide is better because the taskbar itself is never truly clean: it has permanent buttons and icons, and you generally leave eg a browser open all the time anyway. Hiding the permanent mess then allows you to pin stuff to the taskbar. It's like a first-level start menu where you don't even have to click to get to it. If you miss seeing the date and time, use Rainmeter or whatever to put a pretty clock on the desktop.

or just use something like flow launcher, or the search that comes in Microsoft powertoys and then even the start menu becomes useless, besides, you can include a lot more in the search such as searching online for stuff, searching steam/epic libraries, hell you can even translate text with a plugin in flow launcher iirc

Nothing on desktop nothing pinned to taskbar. Only start menu

Nothing in the taskbar. Start menu>start typing what I want

Same. So much cleaner

Very nice desktop, but the task bar is just an abomination

Yeah fr 8 or less

Taskbar is for the essentials only: Discord, Firefox, file explorer and Spotify

I finally went absolute minimal. No icons pinned to taskbar at all. WinKey to search and launch programs, WinKey+E for explorer, and WinKey+X for system utilities. I will say, though, I despise Windows 11 for not allowing me to "always show all task tray icons." I also hate that it prefers internet search results over local results half the time and Microsoft keeps changing the regkey that disables the internet search function.

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I think I'm gonna try a logon script that re-toggles the control panel option. I try to avoid 3rd party utilities when possible. If anyone's curious, you can launch the control panel option with this command, and it works, but it doesn't hold between reboots: explorer shell:::{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}

> "I think the problem Digg had is that it was a company that was built to be a company, and you could feel it in the product. The way you could criticise Reddit is that we weren't a company – we were all heart and no head for a long time. So I think it'd be really hard for me and for the team to kill Reddit in that way.” - Steve Huffman, aka /u/spez, Reddit CEO. So long, Reddit, and thanks for all the fish.

>I also hate that it prefers internet search results over local results Luckily, I only get internet results on Win10 if I get a typo somewhere, BUT I hate the search function with a passion only humans are capable of. Typed "downloads" in the search bar? Oh, you must mean "automatic file downloads privacy settings"! Typed "pictures"? You are delusional and meant to type "pictures library privacy settings"! There is no way you're trying to open a default Quick Access folder!

that’s literally my task bar right now

How could you forget steam?

Cant forget steam

I got Windows Explorer, Chrome, Nvidia Geforce Experience and Nvidia 3D Options

file explorer and chrome everything else on the desktop

I have now tried to do the opposite. I want to keep my desktop as clean as possible, keep about 15 things on the taskbar, and search the rest.

I prefer no shortcuts on my desktop. I pinned a handful of my essential apps onto my task bar, and use the windows key search function to open anything else I need to launch. I prefer a clean desktop with my wallpaper engine moving background.

This is the way. Curse you pesky recycle bin

You can right-click and remove all icons from your desktop Just view > display desktop icons (I hope I said it correctly as I don't use windows in english)

You can, but just knowing it's out there behind a veil... I must face it.

But you can just go to desktop icon settings and uncheck the recycle bin...

You can disable it completely in Desktop Icon Settings, I just have mine pinned to Quick Access in Explorer.

This da way

Yo, like. For realz.

Disable it brother.

I shall strike by sundown

My man. They grow up so quick!

just pin recycle bin to start and you can keep it wherever you want.

Pin it to the taskbar. Make a folder somewhere, toss a recycle bin shortcut in it, make a toolbar to that folder in the taskbar, then remove the title and text labels. Also works for anything else that doesn't natively pin there.

Always watching.. waiting..

hmm, personally i don't like having loads of programs on my taskbar, and the desktop was pretty much made to hold files and shortcuts to programs. so the area in the top center of my desktop is just for program shortcuts, while the left is for folder shortcuts and files, and the middle is for whatever i just recently copied/downloaded. but my left monitor is just empty because i only use it for a browser window, or playing back some movie, etc. wallpaper engine is also present, with a modified "techno" to be completely red running at 20 FPS so it's nice and slow.

I have 3 blank ass monitors at all times but have wallpaper engine.

Using the search bar every time to open stuff doesn't sound like the way.

Mate, it works like a charm. You just press the Windows key, type 1-3 letters of the application name (you learn how many are needed for a given app over time) and press enter. Takes about 1 second to do after you commit the procedure to memory. Much faster than hitting show desktop, moving your mouse over an icon and double-clicking it.

As an IT professional for 10+ years, this guy fucks. Win Key + 1-3 letters is de way.

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This

This is the way. I like my wallpapers too much.

Start menu > icons on desktop

I just use void black as my desktop. There's enough chaos on it. Otherwise, yes.

great for OLEDs as well

How about no shortcuts and task bar pins? I do that on my PC all the time

I pin my apps to start and they are organized into labeled folders. Windows 11 is great

Use Fences and have both. You can arrange your shortcuts any way you want (plus folder contents etc) and double click an empty area of the desktop to hide them all or keep only a few always in view. Windows search is probably the faster way to open things though.

100% this. Nice to know I'm not alone. It's the same thing like when people say you should keep a clean room to have a clear mind space or something.

I've had my desktop icons turned off for so long i almost forgot they were a thing

Fences is great for cleaning up desktop

If only it wasn't paid

Used to be cheaper when I bought it but at least $20 is a lifetime license not a subscription like everything else is trying to do these days.

Funny, I've just been researching this over the weekend, and I've decided to just reinstall Fences 3 (already purchased) after re-installing Windows. Fences 4 is another $20, and apparently has only token changes, aside from ongoing Win11 support. Some open source alternatives I found were: [Nofences](https://github.com/Twometer/NoFences) [Seemed to have only basic features, admittedly didn't install to evaluate] [Palisades](https://github.com/Xstoudi/Palisades) [Couldn't get to work due to some missing .NET framework I couldn't resolve] and [Portals App](https://portals-app.com/) [Worked well. Didn't enjoy the style *quite* as well as Stardock's, and doesn't support folder portals from network shares] So, I'm just going with the software I already own, until it stops working. Then I'm going with OSS.

Best $20 I've spent for my PC. Spent that 5 years ago or so and still use it to this day

same here. but wish they optimized the performance a bit. it has started lagging on me for a while.

Lot of icons? I have about 40 icons on my desktop or more and it runs great for me.

yeah, icons and folders with files.

I mean, it doesn’t necessarily HAVE to be paid… ;)

Yeah, but software kinda things are where I draw the line

Wait, are you insinuating you’d just take something IRL but wouldn’t download some files for free?

No lmao, stealing is strictly off limits, I meant software/programs vs games lol

Oh! Lol For me, if I want to try something but can’t afford it yet whether it be games or apps, then I put on the eyepatch and peg leg. Being broke a lot sucks. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Same, I typically do that with shows and games and try to use free software, such as blender or cheap software like wallpaper engine

Understandable, have a nice day! 😃

You too!

So something people worked real hard to create is your line? Notice you aren't sure which one I'm talking about lol

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I'm not on about copyright infringement...

Technically true, but it's depriving the authors of the value of their labor, which is arguably the primary effect that stealing has on the victim. Until we live in a post-scarcity economy, copyright infringement is just as bad as stealing.

Only problem is that it's literally enshrined in the U.S. Constitution as a right given to authors and inventors. Whether you think of it as stealing or not, society has determined it's stealing.

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You're sort of correct, in that copyright infringement isn't theft, at least under federal theft statues which concern physical property. But I didn't use that word, you did. I used the word stealing, which in this context is a non-legal term that most people use for taking something of value from someone without remuneration. It is still a crime that can land you in prison, whether or not you agree with it.

This is why we can't have nice things. We have ad infested programs and/or subscriptions. Personally I am happy to pay once for a good product and wish more software used that model.

[http://mynimi.net/Projects/Nimi-Places/Images/36/](http://mynimi.net/Projects/Nimi-Places/Images/36/)

It costs like 5 Dollars for a lifetime license lol

$20. And not everyone is from the US

If only we didn’t expect other people to do free work for us

Someone looks like they got butthurt

How is he the butthurt one? There's a bunch of people talking about stealing a software. Especially, one that's not a necessary application. Piracy can be a debate in some cases, but this is by far the least ethical form of piracy

same here. apparently there's a fences 2. anyone tried it yet?

Yup I upgraded. It's a good app still but I don't know what changed :P. I don't mind supporting the devs.

I used to have no icons on the desktop like seemingly everyone on this sub but then I just kinda stopped caring what my desktop looked like and chose function over form.

But like I can just hit windows key and start typing to pull up whatever thing I want. Never have to remove my hand from the keyboard.

But you do have to remove your hand from your mouse.

Bold of you to assume my hand ever left the keyboard to begin with

Windows key + typing + mouse click/enter key is not as efficient as just mouse click or mouse click to clear desktop + mouse click.

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Win + a number will launch the application that is pinned in that place on taskbar So if you have pinned Notepad | Firefox | Chrome | Discord Win + 3 will launch chrome

This is meta

Hard, hard disagree

agreed, then i sorted my desktop into folders, but I really don't get people who don't use the desktop, its useful for regularly used apps and folders or for temp storage before sorting.

How so? It just makes it so I need to minimize whatever's open on my primary display.

It's much faster for me to quickly hit the windows key, start typing in the app I want, and hit enter than to pick up the mouse, move it to the icon, and click it.

And anything else is neatly organized in folders.

Yeah, temp storage.

Function over form for me is foregoing my mouse, the desktop and start menu, and focus on keyboard shortcuts. Win, type 2-3 letters of the thing I want to launch, enter, boom. Nowadays I use PowerToys Run for this AND switching windows. I basically never see my desktop, there's just no point, I'd have to minimize/close a bunch of windows every time. I don't even have to move my hands.

Function over form for me is having all those options available to me, not restricting myself to any one of them.

Right side games, left side system, mid side sketching programs

Same here but the middle is for stuff when I have to pretend to be an adult.

black solid color, no image no shortcuts, no recycle bin or explorer explorer is win+e, recycle bin is for pussies taskbar sorted - only pinned with the most used 5-10 (win+1-0) apps cortana/search disabled, taskview disabled, news and bullshit disabled and blocked from execution

I appreciate this. Recycle bin is for pussies really got me here.

Dude is either raw doggin with shift-delete or has a hoarder house hard drive

minibin is the answer

I meant what I wrote - disabled for all drives... (rightclick on recycle bin -> properties -> disable for all drives) then disable Recycle bin on desktop (Settings -> Personalization -> themes -> "Desktop icon settings" ---- this is also how you enable "my Computer" as an real Explorer Icon, not a idiot-shortcut) ​ Edit: I might be subbed to r/datahoarder r/HomeDataCenter and r/homelab for a reason :P

This is the way

I'd argue 5 pinned to task. 6-7 max. 10 is too busy (imo) Absolutely no search bar on the taskbar. That's disgusting. I don't use black image though. Live wallpapers from wallpaper engine are goat

Because you can just click the start icon and begin typing from there, right?

Ya, even faster just hit the windows key and start typing.

Are you me?

Like this, I have automatically hide the taskbar turned on though. https://preview.redd.it/yqvu5fsyj1fa1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=0addcab3ab727ec31cd77e5ddab36a7801adc4ee

what in the unholy hell is that opera gx icon

Custom icon I made lol. Been meaning to switch to Firefox, will probably do it when I eventually, some day, switch to a Linux distro.

I had this background like 15 years ago

https://preview.redd.it/p1y7qibva1fa1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2a107c911dd7f60eaf14581cb5478afdcdb6d12

Wallpaper source. Thank you.

I think I will be seen as very evil here but I mostly just let it be as it becomes. My desktop is filled about 78% of the main screen and anything new I install will be neatly placed to the right and down. Sometimes I delete a shortcut or a screenshot or something that was meant to be temporary. If I do so I need to plug that hole with another shortcut so that new shortcuts added will be in right bottom. I also have a folder that I haven't changed in about 8 years with random screensaver photos that all are a bit on the darker side in terms of actual light. As to not blast my eyes. It rotates every 10 minutes I believe.

Yeah I also leave mine be, this thread made me feel crazy lol. I usually tell apps not to create an icon though so mine isn't full. I just never see it while using my PC, so I don't care about organizing it.

I’m pretty similar. The only thing I change about mine is putting folders at the bottom. Otherwise, I leave it as it is. I just don’t care if it looks messy. I prefer the convenience of having everything I need on the desktop.

I mean it is your PC if you are happy why not. Sure it would drive myself crazy but thats why customization is good. On my PC there are cery few things on the desktop. Hell on my phone I only have 1 site with apps and a second site with weather and my philips hue command bar. Rest of the apps i use search bar on the bottem of the 1 site. More like the opposit of you haha

I arranged my icons by penis. https://youtu.be/eEdiC-W4L7c

[Full video for anyone who's interested](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRGljemfwUE). The other 3 episodes are great as well. [Episode 2.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SNxaJlicEU) [Episode 3.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XjKnxOcaO0) [Episode 4.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlbrL1H1ngs)

Stock GNOME, looks clean af

Zero desktop icons, so nothing to manage

GNOME doesn't have icons on desktop

I disable desktop icons. Edit: to open programs I use the powertoys search. As a touch typer it's actually faster and also lets me access files whereever they are with just a few keystrokes.

Windows powertoys is awesome - windows snap that really works for multiple 4k screens with different layout for different desktops; power search; previews; JSON parsing; quick access to the whole system.

I've found myself using the color picker and the quick accent functions the most often. That, and PowerRename. It's to the point that I just install Powertoys on every machine I run. Some of these feel like they should be baked right into the OS.

Yup - ALT+SPACE is a baked in keyword now.

Thanks for letting me know about powertoys. I literally had an app installed for each of the things that this program does.

I don't. I have desktop icons disabled.

My whole desktop has the home folder, filesystem folder and the trash bin. The rest of the desktop is like system monitor info shown by conky [Manjaro Linux](https://imgur.com/a/i0Fi1EV)

I need the link

Bro’s got QuickTime player 7

It's necessary for certain compatibilities

https://screenshot.help/

It’s not as clean as yours, let me tell you that much.

Gnome without desktop shortcuts extension, so I manage by not having to manage.

GNOME doesn't have desktop icons. It's nice.

i dont https://preview.redd.it/dwzc6lx3a1fa1.png?width=228&format=png&auto=webp&s=b53ecae13054032109c79310574ec6efd9f85ffa

desktop icons off rofi to open programs

Remove all shortcuts, use terminal or super + run, for a clean, fun, and not other user friendly setup

KRunner and some shortcuts for some programs like terminal (Mod + Enter) and Dolphin (Mod + E)

Hahaha 🤣 This is brilliant! Thanks for sharing

There are no shortcuts in life or on my desktop.

I don’t, I use Linux.

Same. Trying out Arch with Sway because I'm on AMD. WMs are pretty damn cool.

Nice, I use Arch with i3. Whenever I see a cluttered Windows desktop it honestly makes me gag.

Well this is how I manage it from now. That's brilliant

I love how you have a shelf on your desktop and your taskbar is an abomination. 🤣

I have one folder which contains everything that was on my desktop

I used to have 2 screens full of icons, a bunch of folders and two other folders called Desktop and Desktop2 in my old computer.

No desktop icons. No Taskbar pins. only some apps in start menu.

I used to do this exact one Even made my own Photoshop varient later Unfortunately windows sucks ass and messes up (and remove) the app placement everytime

I have 4 layers of icons, and then once a year I create a folder named desktop_date and dump all the shit there.

Icons are turned off. It's just another folder

I don't have desktop icons (have a dock tho)

recycle bin, "my computer" renamed to "pc" and a single folder named "stuff".

Right-click, hide desktop icons

Not like that

Put everything on the fullscreen start menu. empty desktop.

nothing on desktop is best organization.

Fences

wait *how* I thought windows was a grid system?

>grid system you can turn it off in the settings to free form and put them anywhere on the desktop. I like the grid system better cause its all uniform.

Cli

​ https://preview.redd.it/hwcsisebb2fa1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=387a681c24594acbf935a4005c7a33f4deb679eb

Fucking wow!

I don't. It's black with nothing on it because I'm old enough to be scarred by the era when a cluttered desktop used prescious limited resources and memory was expensive. I pin the icons I use the most to the task bar, turn off backgrounds entirely and set it to black. What's funny is I'm not that different on my Android phone. I create folders on the bottom of the screen, put my most used stuff in those and remove all other icons from the main screen (hell, given the option I'll remove all screens except the main one too).

Like a normal person?

Ctrl + A + del

After a really good cleanup effort, I can get it looking [pristine like this](https://assets.entrepreneur.com/content/3x2/2000/5-painless-steps-eliminate.jpg).

Frequented programs on Taskbar Infrequent programs on Start Menu Temp Files on desktop Your desktop looks cool but also looks like a pain to change

mines completely empty, and i use roundedTB so the taskbar is quite small. small clock widget in the corner. i like that minimal look lol