Windows 7 Alt+Tab transparent windows effect delay

In windows 7 when browsing through the alt+tab thumbnails, lingering on one thumbnail for a second will engage the Aero-Peek effect causing every window to be transparent except for the chosen window.
This effect is slightly delayed before starting for the first time of each alt+tab “session”, and afterwards will be applied quicker as you browse through the thumbnails.

Is there a way to change the value of that initial delay?
And maybe even that of the subsequent faster delays?

Eran

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 3 201

– swref – 2013-05-26T10:11:20.230

Answers

Okay I've found the answer. Someone was kind to share some knowledge on my post at the Microsoft forum:

Open Registry Editor and create the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AltTab.

In that key, create the following DWORD value: LivePreview_ms and set it to the delay (in milliseconds) of the first live preview.

Restart Explorer to see the changes.

Other Aero-peek related registry entries that I've found on the net are:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

DesktopLivePreviewHoverTime
ThumbnailLivePreviewHoverTime
ExtendedUIHoverTime

These control the delay of other components of Aero-peek.

gnz

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 526

I must warn this doesn't work with zero - that disables it totally. I set mine to 1ms. Sure helps me figure out which terminal window I'm switching into. – kavisiegel – 2014-07-15T04:32:10.167

Is it just me, or does this seem to have an internal maximum of 3 seconds or so? I tried setting to 5, then 8 (registry + reboot), but the delay seems to max out. – Marc L. – 2017-10-20T14:07:14.320

1This doesn't work for me. :( – Derek Morrison – 2012-02-24T22:05:08.130

In Windows 7, simply turning off "Enable Aero Peek" in the "System" / "Advanced System Settings" / "Performance Options" dialog works well, and doesn't require you to restart Explorer. – Glen Little – 2014-02-22T16:24:15.193

This free product might solve your problem : Desktop Peek Tweak. I quote:

This is a quick utility to adjust Desktop Peek delay time when you hover the mouse over the appropriate button on the desktop

harrymc

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 306 093

3No, it only changes the delay of the "show desktop" button (as advertised), but not of the alt+tab, thanks anyway. – Eran – 2009-09-22T19:33:36.617

Do you mean there are multiple Aero-Peek effects with multiple delays? – harrymc – 2009-09-22T20:30:48.030

It would seem so. – Eran – 2009-09-23T03:19:51.923

2Bravo, Microsoft. – harrymc – 2009-09-23T06:33:50.673

You can turn off via windows config menus:

Windows 7 ALT-TAB - How to turn off previewing the window

David

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 31

if you press ALT + CTRL + tab you can freeze the dialog up till you click out or select a window.

mjrider

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 529

No, this suggestion only changes the behavior to be "hands free" until a window is selected (Enter) or user quits (Esc). It doesn't affect the preview delay at all. (Side note: surprising <kbd>Key</kbd> doesn't work on superuser.) – Marc L. – 2017-10-20T13:21:43.610

This isn't really relevant to what is asked. But moreover a long time ago this [question] was already answered and the accepted answer is good, there is no need to add answers such as yours (no offence, I hope). – Eran – 2011-04-29T17:03:28.263

its just a way to increase the time the window will stay up...not the exact answer and none taken. – mjrider – 2011-04-29T17:07:09.417

1Interesting, I never knew this before! I agree with @Xenorose that the answer doesn't quite fit the question, but that is a good tip. – nhinkle – 2011-04-29T18:17:44.517

it works the same way with windows key + ctrl + tab too – mjrider – 2011-04-29T19:31:52.770

@Xenorose - Although the question is answered for the original party, these answers are very helpful for others visiting this page. Even if the question was old - the answers are new - topic resurrection is despised amongst message board users because it brings the post back to the top of the activity list - but it's a genuinely good practice on sites like SO and SU to provide updates as the information changes or to fill in gaps in the overall picture. It's ok to ease up on policing this behavior. – Marcus Pope – 2011-06-01T16:49:54.637

@Marcus Pope, you have a good point about topic resurrection and I agree that if new or updated info is available it should be added to old posts, but that's not the same as "off-topic but similar subjects". Too much irrelevant info just clutters the page. Finding information serendipitously is nice but not the main point of the site [IMO]. I think an answer such as mjrider would have been better posted as comment to the question than an answer (if at all). – Eran – 2011-06-07T09:55:07.070

I belive my answer does actualy give a answer to

Is there a way to change the value of that initial delay? And maybe even that of the subsequent faster delays?

because it does stay up LONGER then before...it stays up till you chose to stop it. and there is NO software added or used other then built in features. which someone MAY prefere – mjrider – 2011-06-08T15:55:56.517

This shows multiple methods on how to do it:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20337-aero-peek-change-delay-time-preview-desktop.html

It provides a zip with a .reg file to modify the registry and also a manual method of setting it in the registry, but I suspect it does exactly the same thing as Desktop Peek Tweak.

Michael Galos

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 755

1No, like the other answer, it only changes the delay for the show desktop button, but doesn't affect the delay in the alt+tab. – Eran – 2009-09-23T03:19:14.327

1I was at work so I couldn't test it, I'm actually keen to get what you're asking for as well. – Michael Galos – 2009-09-23T05:23:47.727

Simple solution:

;; Disable Aero-ALT-TAB, use Old-XP-Style.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"AltTabSettings"=dword:00000001

;; Set how many rows are shown in task switcher (ALT-TAB).  Default seems to be 3x7.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"CoolSwitchColumns"=6
"CoolSwitchRows"=5

These settings bring back the old XP-Syle for the task switcher. Used them for few years now on many Windows 7 installations.

Andreas Spindler

Posted 2009-09-22T19:16:19.833

Reputation: 199

1Don't understand the downvote. This worked very nicely on at least a dozen Windows 7 installations. – Andreas Spindler – 2014-10-29T16:12:44.790

Maybe because the question was about changing the delay, not disabling the feature entirely. – Marc L. – 2017-10-20T13:25:44.453