Shortcut for "Next" window in Windows 8 (or 7 or XP)

Question

I want to have a shortcut for the next window in the open windows

I do know about Alt+Tab but that's not what I want.

• Alt+Tab will cycle between 2 windows.
• Alt+Tab+Tab will cycle between 3 windows and so on.

(I have explored on how Alt+Tab functions and I don't think it's of any use here.)

I simply want to get the next window in the window pile.

I am open to all free third-party options. Moreover, I also use Autohotkey. So, if there's any script for this feature, that would also work with me.

Answer 1

I think Alt+Esc will fill your need. Pressing it once to switch to the next open window. It doesn't switch between recently used windows

Unfortunately, with all this excitement attached to Alt+Tab, another hotkey has been woefully neglected. Windows 2.0 introduced the Alt+Esc hotkey. Whereas Alt+Tab lets you pick an application, Alt+Esc lets you cycle through them.

When you press Alt+Esc, the active window is sent to the bottom of the window stack, allowing the window beneath it in the z-order to become the new active window. And if the next window is a minimized window, it stays minimized. While this may sound like an annoyance, it is actually a useful device, as it lets you skip past minimized applications without having to open them.

Raymond Chen Discusses the Alt+Tab and Alt+Esc Hotkeys