135
31
On Windows Vista, I'm familiar with Win + D to show the desktop but sometimes I just want to minimise two or three windows as they become active and not the whole lot.
What hotkey can I use to minimise only the currently active window?
135
31
On Windows Vista, I'm familiar with Win + D to show the desktop but sometimes I just want to minimise two or three windows as they become active and not the whole lot.
What hotkey can I use to minimise only the currently active window?
145
I've been using the shortcut Alt+Space followed by N for years. Works on any Windows version, all the way back to Windows 3.0! It should work with all keyboard layouts and probably even all Windows localizations.
Alt+Space opens the general windows menu. You can open it manually by left-clicking with the mouse on the top left window corner.
The menu contains the options to maximize, minimize, close the window, etc. It also underlines the key you need to press to select the appropriate option ("miNimize").
The N is not a general "hotkey" but an access key – a keyboard shortcut to an entry in a GUI menu that works only if/after the menu opens. The menu items texts differ across localizations (languages), which is why a different letter might be underlined and serve as the access key.
98
A small workaround is Alt + Esc – it doesn't minimize the active window but places it behind all other windows. The effect is similar however.
I know it's not precisely what the question asker wanted, but it's a built-in Windows one-step solution that works in a similar way.
10I like your solution the most because it requires the least amount of keystrokes and can be done with only the left hand! If all your windows are maximized, this achieves almost the same effect. – goweon – 2016-12-27T04:35:49.730
One downside to this is not being able to Alt+Tab back to it. The ideal is likely to have a hotkey that brings the window just behind to the front. – Andrew – 2019-03-11T15:47:12.030
4No it isn't. If you use Alt+Esc, you can get that window back with Alt+Tab as usual. At least for Windows 10 it is the case. – Velda – 2019-03-11T18:06:40.297
Thank you, now I can parry between Alt Tab and Alt Esc – User101 – 2019-08-22T09:56:25.913
Wow. That is even better, because what I usually want is to get it out of the way and/or access the window behind it. And it even leaves the Alt+Tab switching order intact! You have made my day. – Timo – 2019-09-09T12:38:09.920
85
In Windows 7 and later you can minimize the currently active window with: Win+Down.
(This may be an Aero feature that works with Vista as well.)
14@buffer Not only is it a 2-step process, but your window has also lost its maximized state when you go back to it. :( – Timo – 2015-01-15T09:06:30.657
If active window is in full screen mode, then this hotkey won't work! – Pran – 2016-07-15T07:27:33.160
doesn't work in win 10 – qwebek – 2017-01-26T10:57:24.677
5Note that you have to have Aero Snap enabled for this to work. – Sasha Chedygov – 2010-09-16T05:54:59.670
2
Do you mean this: http://aerosnap.de/index_eng.htm ? Even with this on vista windows-down arrow only seems to work with about half the windows. alt-space n is a lot more reliable.
– Ionise – 2010-09-17T01:11:53.893It is a 3-step process in Windows 10 – Bilow – 2018-07-31T08:51:55.067
19Doesn't work on any window that is maximised, or snapped to half a screen. – Coxy – 2012-11-12T05:18:42.400
14@Coxy It's a 2 step process if it's maximized or snapped. First stroke restores it to original form, second stroke minimizes it. Not very comfortable. – user – 2014-04-11T15:16:29.040
46
When maximized:
When not maximized:
For my Win10 computer it takes four down arrows – J-Dizzle – 2017-06-11T14:20:32.410
Simple as it should be – Vadim – 2019-03-31T06:03:32.870
Exactly what I was looking for! A perfect thread of useful shortcuts! Thanks a lot! – GaaRa – 2019-04-23T06:49:17.533
You're a GENIUS!!! Thanks for sharing it :) – joaogdesigner – 2020-02-16T04:03:11.557
1What's the difference between pressing once and twice? Pressing this once was already mentioned… – slhck – 2013-09-20T20:11:14.873
@slhck I don't think there is a difference. Pressing once minimizes the window that currently has focus, and moves the focus to another window. Pressing again simply minimizes that window, etc. etc. – John Bensin – 2013-09-20T20:16:55.310
15Actually Ricky is (with condition) right. Pressing Win+Down when a window is maximized will not minimize it, but only restore it down. You have to press Win+Down once more in order to minimize it. – Otiel – 2013-12-11T12:53:19.117
14
according to microsoft support, there isn't one, but it is easily scripted in autoit.
EDIT: Below is a very very basic sample of how to accomplish a hotkey to minimize the focused window, fully commented.
#include <WinApi.au3> ;include winAPI library
HotKeySet("!M",'_MinimizeActive') ;sets hotkey to Alt+Shift+m to trigger function
While 1 ;loop to keep alive
WEnd
Func _MinimizeActive()
Local $v_Wnd, $w_Wnd ;declare variables
$v_Wnd = _WinAPI_GetFocus() ;get focused window
$w_Wnd = WinGetHandle($v_Wnd) ;get handle of focused window
WinSetState($w_Wnd,"",@SW_MINIMIZE) ;minimize focused window
EndFunc
Thanks for the quick answer, the link the Microsoft hotkeys, and what looks like a free solution! – Ionise – 2010-09-16T04:35:17.717
just added a basic template for what you're looking for, coded in autoit. – MaQleod – 2010-09-16T05:09:40.467
2Why a downvote? It is a viable solution and also can be customized to do a lot more than just the focused window. In a lot of ways, this can be far superior to the accepted answer, depending on preferences of OP (such as selecting the topmost 3 windows and isolate out certain ones that he/she never wants minimized and minimize the rest). – MaQleod – 2012-11-01T19:44:11.850
12
If what you want is an easy way to open and minimize a window you use often, just pin it to the task bar and move it to one of the first positions. Then you can use Windows
+1
, 2
, 3
etc. to quickly toggle the window.
No more scrolling through loads of windows with ´Alt´+´Tab´ to maximize it again either.
4
AutoHotKey script for Minimize:
;=============================================================================;
; WINDOWS KEY + Alt + Down -- Minimizies Active window
;=============================================================================;
; instead of "Restore Down" for Win+Down
#!Down::WinMinimize, A
Explanation:
[Key-Kombination]::[Action]
#!Down
-> will execute when Windows-Key (#), Alt-Key (!), Down-Arrow-Key (down) are pressed together
WinMinimize, A
-> will mimimize (WinMinimize) the active (A) window
1I don't think you need the return because it's a single-line hotkey – DLeh – 2016-06-25T02:42:05.747
This doesn't work when I use the alt key. – wizlog – 2016-06-27T15:36:23.160
Could you please explain why the , A
parameter, please? The AutoHotKey Help don't set it clear enough for me. – Sopalajo de Arrierez – 2017-04-01T11:01:33.100
@SopalajodeArrierez, If you look at the help for WinMinimize you'll see the first parameter is WinTitle. If you look at the help for WinTitle, you'll see in the Quick Reference table at the top of the page what "A" is. – Sam Hasler – 2017-04-03T15:52:56.727
Oh, yes, The Active Window
, sorry. Too long without programming on AutoHotkey, so I was rather thinking about "A"
, instead of just A
. – Sopalajo de Arrierez – 2017-04-03T20:29:44.280
1
Because windows doesn't have a shortcut key for it, you may use a 3rd party solution, like autoit to do that.
Below is a simple script for it. This first to set a hotkey (with HotKeySet()), than minimize current window (with WinSetState()).
#include <WinApi.au3>
HotKeySet("!M",'MinimizeWin') ;Alt+Shift+m
While 1
Sleep(100)
WEnd
Func MinimizeWin()
WinSetState("[ACTIVE]", "", @SW_MINIMIZE)
EndFunc
2This pauses alot of streaming audio sites (spacebar is culprit) – gregg – 2014-08-21T13:22:37.930
1Does not work if current language/layout is not English. – Dima Stefantsov – 2014-10-17T14:50:33.683
But one can make hotkey to switch to English and then execute alt+space-N. – Dima Stefantsov – 2014-10-17T14:58:31.480
8Duh. Hit Alt+Space and see what the keyboard shortcut is in your language. – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun – 2014-10-17T15:38:55.647
3They changed the hotkeys per language? Disturbing... – Timo – 2015-01-15T09:07:46.213
Doesn't work if the window is in fullscreen mode. – Ricibob – 2015-03-11T12:02:55.287
6
@Timo It's hard to press the N key if your keyboard lacks an N key. Considering there is more than one keyboard layout in existence (and use), I would hope they do change hotkeys to fit the language or keyboard.
– 8bittree – 2015-10-28T19:48:51.760@8bittree Lol, fair point! Nevertheless, I hope they have focused on maintaining easy positioning of the most common hotkeys. – Timo – 2015-10-29T21:44:54.600
@8bittree that is not why, it's because the shortcut relates to the native word; otherwise the keystrokes would be the same in all of Europe (QWERTY, QWERTZ and AZERTY keyboards). In Portuguese Windows/Office: ctrl+a opens ("abrir"), and ctrl+t selects all ("tudo")... ctrl+n bolds ("negrito")...; we have all the letters from the English keyboard and then some (ç«» etc). – ANeves – 2016-02-26T16:35:49.293
@ANeves You seem to be confirming exactly what I said: that the hotkeys should and do change to fit the keyboard and language. – 8bittree – 2016-02-26T16:53:42.077
As a guy coming from Mac this sucks. CMD + H is all it takes. No 3 key or 2 step process. And it works the same in all apps unlike windows where sometimes this does weird stuff. – P.Brian.Mackey – 2018-08-06T14:45:28.543