Your solution does work and I guess you could call it a clitch, but are you testing keyboard functionality only.....cause if you maximize it using the mouse by clicking on the view full screen button it restores it without the clitch
what view full screen button? I dont see it after you hit windows key +d. It puts the minized mediaplayer in the XP taskbar. YOu right click on the minimized button and there are three options
close, move, restore....

Can you be more specific?
BB