Getting back the old Alt-Tab windows switching behavior in Windows 7

96

36

When you run more than six applications on Windows 7 and you press Alt + Tab, icons representing the first six applications and the desktop appear on the first row of the grid and you can cycle with Alt + Tab + Tab... through the six most-recently used windows the usual way, but the seventh and other less recently used windows don't follow the same rules.

Instead they get grouped together according to their application, but disregarding whether they were recently used or not. This new behavior is mentioned here.

I am very used to the old way of cycling and the new system is driving me crazy. I tend to have 20 or so windows open at one time and I frequently need to alt-tab to the seventh or eighth window on the stack, but it doesn't work the same any more.

How do I put back the old behavior, so that Alt + Tab + Tab + Tab ... goes through the whole list in most-recent to least-recent order?

Carlos A. Ibarra

Posted 2010-02-26T20:01:06.357

Reputation: 1 176

Question is quite old now. But let me know if 1. Holding alt (any) and pressing tab - tab -tab ... and 2. alt + shift + [tab tab tab] (for backwards) work today with your machine. I am curious. – Anubhav – 2014-08-18T07:49:21.923

Under System properties > Advanced > Performance options > Visual effects, I had adjusted for best performance I was getting grid of icons which is classic ALT+TAB behavior. So, I was curious. – Anubhav – 2014-08-18T08:12:35.067

1Let me know if that is not the classic grid. I think it is. Another thing, even then, 'Always on Top' applications get a special treatment. – Anubhav – 2014-08-18T08:14:51.647

Answers

97

To restore the Windows XP Alt-Tab functionality simply launch regedit, add a DWORD named AltTabSettings to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer and set its value to 1.

And here's a one-line PowerShell script which does the above:

Set-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer AltTabSettings ([int]1)

fluxtendu

Posted 2010-02-26T20:01:06.357

Reputation: 6 701

2Not working. Do I need to do a restart? – AlikElzin-kilaka – 2015-01-12T08:00:07.703

+1: Tested here, works like a charm without a reboot, nice one. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2010-02-27T20:08:08.580

9It worked! Thanks, accepted. Is there a way to turn off the weird W7 ordering without turning off the nice W7 large alt-Tab preview icons etc? That is, can I keep the W7 alt-tab interface but with the XP ordering? – Carlos A. Ibarra – 2010-03-04T19:16:03.403

I'm getting the "old" ui but it's still ordering it in the new way – Klepto – 2016-02-12T08:14:23.260

worked here too, can't take the default behavior its not functional at all.. – Prozaker – 2010-08-07T00:07:13.627

best and easiest way, works also for Windows 10 easy: https://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.1836

– Alexeev Valeriy – 2017-12-16T14:08:23.950

@AlikElzin-kilaka: In the current version of Windows 10, yes, this does appear to require a restart of Windows Explorer; rebooting the entire machine also works.

– Adam Rosenfield – 2019-02-20T19:38:18.117

1Thanks. But why this happens? Why explorer forget to switch windows with Alt+Tab? – Isaac – 2011-10-12T15:11:40.537

1

@Isaac it happens due to change they wanted it to work, http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2008/07/01/8673981.aspx

– eis – 2012-12-18T12:53:04.547

12Paste reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer /v AltTabSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f into the "Run" dialog if you're too lazy to use PowerShell like me. – Evan Anderson – 2013-01-10T16:43:43.950

Superb - cheers. – Umber Ferrule – 2013-04-19T08:20:04.163

47

Not sure about tab order but you can access the old Windows XP looking Alt-Tab like this:

  1. Hold down the left alt key

  2. Press and release the right alt key, keeping the left alt key held down

  3. Then, still keeping the left alt key held down, tab-tab-tab away to you heart's content...

alt text

Thanks to BlogSofts via The Road To Know Where

Shevek

Posted 2010-02-26T20:01:06.357

Reputation: 15 408

6Nice! I didn't know it could do that! But it's a PITA that you have to hit the right Alt then the left Alt for this to work. – Hondalex – 2010-02-26T22:55:50.757

You do get used to it after a while :) – Shevek – 2010-02-27T07:57:18.360

AMAZING!

@Hondalex : also it makes it so you can't map this (in addition to the newer alt+tab) using the Steam Controller (without AHK magic at least) – Pair Sir Parser – 2016-04-09T16:39:08.847

5Does anyone know how to make this the default behavior? I like that sooooo much better. – jimbo – 2011-09-30T13:11:41.053

6Add the "AltTabSettings" DWORD = 1 in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer" then it'll become the default behavior. – deddebme – 2012-04-13T12:56:10.957

32

While I tried, liked and upvoted the accepted answer I found this setting by googling a bit more: Windows 7: bring back old Alt+Tab behavior, turn off Aero Peek

  1. Go to System Properties (right click Computer in an explorer window and choose properties)
  2. Click Advanced System Settings in the left panel
  3. You should be on the Advanced Tab, in the performance section, click Settings
  4. Uncheck Enable Aero Peek

It turns out you can keep the Windows 7 look, but avoid the odd flashing behaviour (lack of better words) that is Aero Peek.

johnny

Posted 2010-02-26T20:01:06.357

Reputation: 775

link doesn't work any more => always post the important piece from the remote site – sjngm – 2015-10-13T08:47:03.893

1@sjngm Thank you for notifying me. I copied the steps from the link and edited my answer. – johnny – 2015-10-13T09:30:17.320

Sorry, I don't see "Enable Aero Peek" here. Windows 7 Pro SP1. Link to image below.

(Beware of autoplay videos with sound below. This uploading site has gone to hell. I would have uploaded the image directly to the forum if I'm allowed, or knew how.) http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/DontMessAroundWithBill/enabaero.jpg

– MicrosoftShouldBeKickedInNuts – 2018-04-03T11:51:49.383

Thanks for the tip. The so called Aero Peek is not usable at all when the "alt-tab" window overlaps with current window. I am so glad it's sensible now. – Penghe Geng – 2019-07-22T17:47:45.343

2Great tip! but I can't up-vote you because your answer doesn't seem to answer the original posters question. – jpierson – 2011-05-13T14:07:46.717

2I'm upvoting yours b/c you have added another piece to the puzzle of "making alt-tab work like it used to." Thanks - great nugget! – stevemidgley – 2011-07-12T22:00:18.940

This answer works best if you can't edit your registry directly (perhaps on a locked down machine) – Gary Rowe – 2012-08-20T11:22:54.003

6

Try the combination Win + Tab. It uses the Aero interface, but give you a full cycle of your applications.

user33995

Posted 2010-02-26T20:01:06.357

Reputation:

@jpierson wow I never used it long enough to notice that. That's actually useful. – Pair Sir Parser – 2016-04-09T16:40:32.150

1Interesting, I always hated the Win + Tab switcher but it does seem to keep stack ordering so maybe I'll have to start giving it a try once again. – jpierson – 2011-05-13T14:10:18.633

Asked: 2010-02-26T20:01:06.357

Viewed: 103 731 times

Active: 2017-05-23T05:40:15.800