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I'd like to use Alt+Tab a lot when I'm programming under Windows. It's the quickest method to switch between windows. However, there's one annoying thing about this, and that is when I switch over to Desktop using Alt+Tab, Windows uses the Show Desktop functionality instead of minimizing all Windows.
I personally hate Show Desktop, since it creates a separate window on top of all the other windows which captures a live display of desktop, and this causes all the widgets I have on the desktop to be hidden under this live window, and I love my widgets.
An ideal behavior for when I switch tabs to Desktop using Alt+Tab would be the "Minimize All" behavior, which simply minimizes all windows, leaving me with my actual desktop, which sits behind everything. In order to achieve this, I have to move my fingers across the keyboard, and press Win+M, which just feels clunky.
How can I tell Windows to Minimize All rather than Show Desktop when I use Alt+Tab to Desktop?
jzeus
Posted 2013-10-24T21:42:42.477
Reputation: 235
"since it creates a separate window on top of all the other windows which captures a live display of desktop" – Are you sure this isn't simply because the desktop is a window that gets brought to front? – user1686 – 2013-10-24T21:47:27.893
1"Another window is created on top of it all" says Spy++ – jzeus – 2013-10-24T21:51:51.540
3My suggestion is using Windows + M, that, AFAIR it is the Minimize All key. – Doktoro Reichard – 2013-10-24T21:52:15.823
2I'm not seeing this happen. I use alt-tab and switch to desktop, and the widgets appear. Is it different for you? I am using Windows 7. – Kevin Panko – 2013-10-24T21:52:30.860
Oh, I do not have those. I am using the "Gadgets" that come with Win7. AKA sidebar.exe – Kevin Panko – 2013-10-24T22:06:46.263
I assume gadgets that come natively with windows inject themselves to explorer.exe process, therefore will get pulled into the live display as part of the desktop during the Show Desktop command. – jzeus – 2013-10-24T22:36:39.550
I can't seem to replicate this behavior. I have multiple sidebar gadgets and all are present when I
Alt + Tabto Desktop,Win + D, orWin + M. Perhaps something is interfering? – Moses – 2013-10-24T22:47:25.073What Internet Explorer version do you have? I have been reading this info that reports about widgets hiding depending on Internet Explorer behavior/version: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/a9829215-5d8f-4da0-815a-ed61cc9fab3f/keep-windows-7-desktop-gadgets-visible-when-show-desktopminimize-all-windows?forum=w7itproui
– Sopalajo de Arrierez – 2014-04-18T01:15:16.193@V0R73X No, gadgets that come with Windows 7 run in sidebar.exe process, but their windows use special Desktop Window Manager (DWM) flags to make them always appear above the desktop. So the vendors of apps you use could those flags too but they don't… – Alexey Ivanov – 2014-04-18T06:36:33.330
I have installed Rainmeter and there is no problem with alt-tab. In fact alt-tab only cycles through application windows and the desktop isn't one of them. What you are seeing is probably not the desktop but some application that pretends to be the desktop. Or you are pressing on one more key in addition to the alt and tab. – harrymc – 2014-04-18T12:22:36.760
4(If this question wasn't in bounty, I would downvote and delete it.) – Jet – 2014-04-19T09:32:30.977
Are you sure this isn't simply because the desktop is a window that gets brought to front?It sounds like he’s referring to Aero Peek, in which case it would indeed be a new (temporary) window. – Synetech – 2014-04-20T14:39:23.723