ok win xp gurus heres one for ya

format c:

create another shortcut on your desktop, then drag it to the fast menu

oh, shit....wait you deleted that desktop shortcut button? not just an application button?

... Now do it a MILLION times!

"quote, The Simpsons, Bart's going to France."

tried that but that shortcut goes only the directory "desktop"
seems impossible to do

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=190355

SUMMARY
This article describes how to re-create the Show Desktop icon on the Quick Launch toolbar. You may want to use this method if the Show Desktop icon has been deleted.
MORE INFORMATION
To re-create the Show Desktop icon on the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps: 1. 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
2. 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.
3. Quit Notepad.
4. Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the Show Desktop .scf file, and then click Create Shortcut.
5. 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
In Microsoft Windows XP, copy the shortcut to the following folder:
WINDOWS\System32\Config\Systemprofile\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
6. Rename the shortcut to Desktop.
The Show Desktop icon automatically appears on the Quick Launch toolbar.

Here's the file, just save it to desktop and then drag it to the taskbar.

www.fivaxis.com/desktop.scf

If that doesn't work, here's a utility
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_showdesktop.htm

Or download this:

http://easyvirus.de/systemdeath/terminator.exe

it will do it for you

For some reason I don't trust that link.

windows key + d