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Hiding the desktop shortcut

mad jew

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
10
Adelaide, Australia
I just thought I'd share this with you. I've got no idea how many people already know this but I sure as hell didn't and it scared the bejeezus out of me.

I was just surfing through the forums in Safari as per usual when I went to click on the desktop but I didn't realise I was still holding down ALT/OPTION.

:eek: Where the hell did Safari go! Uh oh, I broke the 'puter. :(

Apparently, OPTION clicking on the desktop will hide the currently open app, how cool is that!

Sorry if it's obvious, I just thought I'd share.
 
It works with more than just the desktop (or rather Finder).

If you have, lets say, Mail active in the foreground and see a bit of your Safari window, you can option-click the Safari window to make that active and, at the same, time hide Mail.

Also, option-clicking any Dock icon will do the same, hide the active application when changing (or opening) a new one... :)
 
This is nothing new, but I coincidentally had an amusing freak-out moment related to this a couple days ago. Once in a rare while one of my keys will "stick" down in software (that is, the physical key isn't stuck, but it acts as if it's being held down until I hit it again).

Up till now it'd always happened to a letter key or maybe delete, so it was obvious what was going on. This time, it was Option that stuck.

Imagine my confusion when I click on another app to suddenly have the previous app inexplicably disappear, repeatedly. At first I thought I'd hit some magic key combination to put OSX into single-app mode or something, until I clicked on a title bar in the finder and it started rearranging the items, tipping me off as to what had happened.

Remind me about that feature in an amusing way, it did!
 
Ahhh you asked for it, again.

yoda3ur.jpg
 
Following Mac OS conventions you can take this a bit further and if you hold option-command (apple) it'll hide every application but the one specified.
 
mkrishnan said:
Based on Yoda's size, is that the iMac G5 4"??? ;) :eek: :D

EDIT: Oh, and yeah, is there a similar unhide-all key?
Click to expand...

It's Yoda's new cinema display. Came free with the hat, it did. It was a slightly older model, so that white sticker came in the box too. As you can see by the ending cord, yoda has no use for a computer, he just wanted the display to take a picture with, so cut the cable, he did.
 
Makosuke said:
This is nothing new, but I coincidentally had an amusing freak-out moment related to this a couple days ago. Once in a rare while one of my keys will "stick" down in software (that is, the physical key isn't stuck, but it acts as if it's being held down until I hit it again).

Up till now it'd always happened to a letter key or maybe delete, so it was obvious what was going on. This time, it was Option that stuck.

Imagine my confusion when I click on another app to suddenly have the previous app inexplicably disappear, repeatedly. At first I thought I'd hit some magic key combination to put OSX into single-app mode or something, until I clicked on a title bar in the finder and it started rearranging the items, tipping me off as to what had happened.

Remind me about that feature in an amusing way, it did!
Click to expand...

Is this a common thing (key's being stuck electronically???). Never hear of this before but I have had problems with my apple bluetooth mouse doing right clicks when clicking. I guess the control button was electronically stuck. It clears up after I hit the control button a few times or restart the system. Weird
 
Wes said:
Following Mac OS conventions you can take this a bit further and if you hold option-command (apple) it'll hide every application but the one specified.
Click to expand...
Yeah, for those who don't know about this I'll be a little more specific. When you option+command+click on a dock icon it will hide all applications but the one you clicked on. Also when you press the option+command+H shortcut keys it will hide all the applications but the one you are working in and have in front.

Also here are more useful shortcuts. When you press the command+tab keys to switch applications and keep the command key held down you can press h on each application that you tab to and it will hide it. Also you can press q on each application that you tab to and it will quit out of it.
 
cgratti said:
Is there a way to permanantly hide the Hard Drive icon on the desktop?
I would love to have NO icons on my desktop.
Click to expand...

Apple-comma on the desktop (Or Finder - Preferences..)

picture16li.png
 
This is just another one i accidently discovered. Hold command and move a window behind the active window. It will move but not become active. Pretty cool. I'm sure its documented, just new find for me.
 
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