Minimize button

When you click the Minimize button, the window disappears and shrinks to a button in the taskbar.
Doing so gets the window out of the way for the moment so that you can see the desktop behind that
window. To reopen a minimized window, click its button in the taskbar.
Every open window has a button in the taskbar associated with it. As an alternative to using the
Minimize button to hide/show a window, you can just click that button in the taskbar.
Windows XP Bible
page 26
To instantly minimize all open windows on your screen, thereby showing the desktop, click the Show
Desktop button in the Quick Launch toolbar. Doing so instantly clears all the clutter from your desktop,
but only by hiding — not closing — all the open windows. To redisplay all open windows, click that
button a second time.
Tip As an alternative to using the Show Desktop button, you can right-click some
neutral area of the taskbar, perhaps just to the left of the Notifications area. Then
choose Show the Desktop from the menu that appears. To restore the windows to
their previous size, right-click the same area again and choose Show Open
Windows.