Windows 10: How to restore the Classic Alt+Tab Dialog in Windows 11

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In this tutorial, we will show you how to restore the Classic Alt+Tab dialog in Windows 11/10. You will be able to use the XP Style Alt+Tab Switcher that was introduced in Windows 95 and continued in Windows XP. This old Alt+Tab menu shows only app icons and has a compact size. While the modern […]

This article How to restore the Classic Alt+Tab Dialog in Windows 11 first appeared on TheWindowsClub.com.

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Restore Classic ALT+TAB A-B B-A switching with mouse, not random


The very three critical combinations to understand before even participating in this thread:

1. Windows 10 with classic ALT+Tab registry key restoration (all over the web, look it up).
2. Use any program that customizes the key bindings to the fourth and fifth mouse buttons (the thumb buttons); I have been using X-Mouse Button Control.
3. Set the forward-thumb button to ALT+Tab (if using X-Mouse Button Control set to "Simulated Keys (pressed)" and paste {ALT}{TAB}.

This is not about using the physical keyboard to ALT+Tab, this thread is about assigning the Classic Alt+Tab function to a mouse and having it switch between the two active windows only instead of randomly wandering around different unrelated windows.

Here is list of open Windows for both Windows 7 and 10:

Window A [code/work browser]
Window B [IDE/code editor]
Window C [notepad]
Window ♣ [funny cat pictures]
Window Beta [separate browser for developer chat]
Window Waldo [browser used to find an answer drowning in responses by people who just don't get it]

Typically when I work I switch between my code editor and my test browser however this is just an example as I use the Classic non-borked Alt+Tab all the time between any two windows and when I'm done with a pair I will manually switch to another pair typically.

To trigger the correct behavior press and hold ALT, press Tab once and then let go of both keys.

Windows 7 Classic Alt+Tab (correct mouse-ALT+Tab behavior):

Window A

Code:

 Window B [browser / reload / worked? No? Back to code!]
 Window A [code]
 Window B [browser / reload / worked? No? Back to code!]
 Window A [code]
 Window B [browser / reload / worked? No? Back to code!]
 Window A [code]
 Window B [browser / reload / worked? No? Back to code!]
 
 Windows 10 Classic Alt+Tab restored via registry (incorrect mouse-ALT+Tab behavior):
 
 Window A [code]
 Window X [WTH?!]
 Window ♣ [huge vein on forehead appears]
 Window Beta [violence likely]
 Window Waldo [divided by zero]
 
 Even when you get rid of the crappy GUI garbage they dumped on users in Windows 10 the behavior of Alt+Tabbing once (pressing Tab [i]once[/i] and letting go of the Alt key) is now absolute and utter chaos. I'm a GUI designer (UI/UX etc) and the goal is to always achieve maximum results with minimum input.
 
 No:
 
 [list][*]I'm not going to use ALT+Esc
[*]I'm not going to use Windows+Tab
[*]I'm not going to add twenty seconds staring at window explosions in place of 20ms action.
[*]I'm not going to post on Microsoft Answers because the last thing you ever get there is a frigin answer.
[*]My work won't allow me to dump Windows 10 like the released-two-years-too-early-mess it is and just go back to Windows 7.
[/list]
 
 Please, fellow beings of competence, hear my plea! I've probably had [i]hours[/i] of my time wasted by [i]just[/i] this Windows 10 "feature" alone.

 

How do I get Windows XP/7/8/10 Alt-Tab functionality in Windows 11

Hi Mike. I'm Greg, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, here to help you.

Yes, there is a way to revert to the legacy Alt Tab functionality in Windows 11:

https://winaero.com/enable-classic-alttab-dialo...



Report back results for each step so I know what else to suggest.

Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the results you post back I may have other suggestions if necessary.

______________________________________________

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Alt-Tab in Windows 10

This was driving me a bit crazy as well. The "Easy Fix" caused me more problems as well and I reverted back using system restore. I finally went with the solution found here:

ALT+TAB - Use Classic Icons or Default Thumbnails

You do a registry change by creating a DWORD value of AltTabSettings at:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

and giving it a value of 1 (one). This goes back to "classic" Alt+Tab settings.

I had gotten used to the the preview screens using Win 10 Alt+Tab and liked them. However, Alt+Tab+Tab wasn't working for me.

-Tom