Windows 10: Select Desktops to Show Open Windows in ALT+TAB in Windows 10

How to: Select Desktops to Show Open Windows in ALT+TAB in Windows 10

How to Select Desktops to Show Open Windows in ALT+TAB in Windows 10


Windows 10 introduces a new feature called Task View. Task View is a virtual desktop manager that allows you to quickly switch between all of your open apps on multiple desktops. Create custom additional desktops to group apps for productivity, entertainment, or whatever you choose. This makes multitasking and organizing your opened apps much easier.

You can select to show windows that are open on either all desktops or only the desktop you are currently using when you press ALT+TAB or CTRL+ALT+TAB to switch between windows.

ALT+TAB = Press and hold the ALT key, press the TAB key, then either keep tapping the TAB key, press the left or right arrow keys, or roll mouse scroll wheel to scroll through all your open windows. Select the open window you want to view, and release the ALT key to make it the active window.

CTRL+ALT+TAB = Press the CTRL+ALT+TAB keys, then either keep tapping the TAB key, press the left or right arrow keys, or roll mouse scroll wheel to scroll through all your open windows. Select the open window you want to view, and press Enter to make it the active window again. You can also click/tap on a window to make it the active window.

All desktops = Windows that are open on all desktops will show in all desktops when pressing ALT+TAB or CTRL+ALT+TAB. You will be able to quickly switch between any windows that are open on any desktop. If the window is open on a desktop other than the desktop you are using, you will be switched to the desktop the window is open on.

Only the desktop I'm using = Windows that are open on other additional desktops than the desktop you are using will not show when pressing ALT+TAB or CTRL+ALT+TAB. You will need to use Task View to switch between windows that are open on the other desktops.

This tutorial will show you how to select to show windows in ALT+TAB or CTRL+ALT+TAB when open on all desktops or only the desktop you're using for your account in Windows 10.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Select Desktops to Show Open windows in ALT+TAB in Settings app
• Option Two: Select Desktops to Show Open windows in ALT+TAB using BAT file

EXAMPLE: "ALT+TAB" or "CTLR+ALT+TAB" to switch between windows









OPTION ONE [/i] Select Desktops to Show Open windows in ALT+TAB in Settings app
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the System icon.

2. Do step 3 or step 4 for what you would like to do.


3. Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on all desktops
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on Multitasking on the left side, and select All desktops in the "Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on" drop menu on the right side under Virtual desktops. (see screenshot below)

4. Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on only the desktop I'm using
A) Click/tap on Multitasking on the left side, and select Only the desktop I'm using in the "Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on" drop menu on the right side under Virtual desktops. (see screenshot below)







OPTION TWO [/i] Select Desktops to Show Open windows in ALT+TAB using BAT file

*note The downloadable .bat files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

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

VirtualDesktopAltTabFilter DWORD

0 = All desktops
1 = Only the desktop I'm using

1. Do step 2 or step 3 below for what you would like to do.


2. Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on all desktops
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below, and go to step 4 below.

ALT+TAB_Show_open_windows_on_all_desktops.bat

Download

3. Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on only the desktop I'm using
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below, and go to step 4 below.

ALT+TAB_Show_open_windows_on_only_desktop_using.bat

Download
4. Save the .bat file to your desktop, and run it.

5. If prompted, click/tap on Run.

*note If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

6. You will now notice a command prompt quickly open and close, and your screen flash while applying the changes to your registry and restart explorer.

7. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Open Task View in Windows 10
• How to Switch Between Virtual Desktops in Windows 10
• How to Switch Between Open Apps in Windows 10
• How to Set ALT+TAB to Use Classic Icons or Thumbnails by Default in Windows
• How to Show Window or All Windows from App on All Virtual Desktops in Windows 10
• How to Select Desktops to Show Open Windows on Taskbar in Windows 10
• How to Adjust ALT+TAB Grid Background Transparency Percent in Windows 10
• How to Adjust ALT+TAB Desktop Background Dimming Percent in Windows 10
• How to Hide or Show ALT+TAB Background Windows in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Showing Tabs for Sets in Alt+Tab in Windows 10

:)

 

Multiple Monitors and Virtual Desktops in Windows 10

I'm not entirely clear what it is you are trying to achieve.

you want to put a window on the right hand monitor and you want to hide it from the list of open programs (alt+tab)?

as far as I know, this function has never been available.

is it that windows open on the right monitor are not showing when you use alt+tab, when they should be?

Alt+tab should show the apps open on the active virtual desktop across all monitors.

if you want a program to be displayed on all virtual desktops -

with the application open, click the task view icon (or windows key+tab)

right click on the window and select 'show windows from this app on all desktops'

to move an open application to a different virtual desktop-

with the application open, click the task view icon (or windows key+tab)

click the centre of the app (not the titlebar) and drag it to the other virtual desktop,

you then need to switch to the other desktop to drag it to the desired monitor.

if I am way off the mark, please make your scenario a little simpler, perhaps only using two or three applications in your example.

 

Show this window on all desktops

Read link below for info:

Select Desktops to Show Open Windows in ALT+TAB in Windows 10

 

Hello cjb4,

Pressing ALT+TAB or CTRL+ALT+TAB no longer show the desktop. However, you can press Win+D to go to the desktop at anytime.

 

Hi ! Thanks for your tutorial. I have a small problem though, regarding the info you provided in your "note". The scroll wheel doesn't seem to work for me in the Alt-Tab menu. I can switch between apps by clicking on them or clicking Tab, but the scrolling, which I used a lot on Windows 7 and 8, does not work anymore in this menu. Any idea what may cause the problem ? Is there an option to check in the parameters ?

Thanks in advance !

 

Hello Loukana, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

The scroll wheel is not doing anything for either anymore. Microsoft may have made a change, but I'll look into it more to see if I may be able to figure out what happened.

 

Okay, so that's not only me... Thank you for your help, I hope we'll find a solution !

 

Is there any way to restore the previous function as it was? (so that Alt tab includes the desktop as one of its windows). Many gamers such as myself use the alt tab functionality religiously. As well as disabling the function of the Windows key to prevent the possibility of accidentally minimizing our game during an important moment. The hand placement is also quite awkward on a standard keyboard or older keyboard that do not include a windows key.

 

Hello Pete, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Not that I'm aware of, but if you like, you could use the "Show Desktop" shortcut below, and assign a keyboard shortcut to it to use.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Thanks for your quick response! I was playing with it last night for a while. It seems there is a somewhat of a workaround. If you do your normal alt-tab, hold it, then let go of tab, and press esc it will bring you to the desktop if you only have a full screen open. Seems to work for me, hopefully someone else will find a use until they restore the old functionality.

 

I'm glad it could help for now. *Smile

 

Hello ! I still haven't found a solution for this problem. Any news from your side ?

 

Hello Loukana, *Smile

The scroll wheel still does not work in CTRL+ALT+TAB, but you can use the TAB and arrow keys to scroll through the opened windows.

 

Brink, the header of "Additional desktops" had been changed to "Virtual desktops". At least on my W10 1709 (OS Build 16299.309):





Not certain why, but the ALT-TAB option is awesome, thanks for the tutorial...

 

Thank you Cr00zng. The tutorial has now been updated. *Smile