Show Desktop makes Quick Launch vanish!

Hola, folks. On every system I use, which up until
recently has included a Windows 98SE, Windows 2000
Professional, and Windows XP Professional system, I
routinely customize the desktop by separating the Quick
Launch bar from the Taskbar and setting it up on the
righthand side of the Desktop, locked in place, set to be
Always On Top. When using the Show Desktop shortcut in
Windows 98 and Windows 2000, all programs would minimize
as they should and the Taskbar and Quick Launch bar would
remain visible on the desktop.

However, now with Windows XP, the same Quick Launch
configuration behaves differently. Using the Show Desktop
shortcut makes the Quick Launch bar disappear along with
all programs (the Taskbar remains visible), until I
restore any program windows and then it reappears. Why is
it doing this when it is blatantly set to Locked and
Always On Top? And why is the Show Desktop command
minimizing the Quick Launch bar when it should just be
minimizing program windows?

If anyone has insights on this one, I'd appreciate being
enlightened. I'm on my fourth or fifth installation of
Windows XP Pro on the second of two different systems
where this has consistently been a problem all along,
whereas two different Windows 98 and two separate Windows
2000 systems did not experience this issue at all. Thanks
to anyone who takes the time to help!