Window Switcher

Window-Switcher offers hotkeys for quickly switching windows on Windows OS:

1. Alt+`(Backtick): switch between windows of the same app.

2. Alt+Tab: switch between apps. (disabled by default)

💡 Hold down the Alt key and tap the `(Backtick)/Tab key to cycle through windows/apps, Press Alt + `(Backtick)/Tab and release both keys to switch to the last active window/app.

Installation

1. Download: Visit the Github Release and download the windows-switcher.zip file.
2. Extract: Unzip the downloaded file and extract the window-switcher.exe to your preferred location.
3. Launch: window-switcher.exe is a standalone executable, no installation is required, just double-click the file to run it.

For the tech-savvy, here's a one-liner to automate the installation:

iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sigoden/window-switcher/main/install.ps1 | iex

Configuration

Window-Switcher offers various customization options to tailor its behavior to your preferences. You can define custom keyboard shortcuts, enable or disable specific features, and fine-tune settings through a configuration file.

To personalize Window-Switcher, you'll need a configuration file named window-switcher.ini. This file should be placed in the same directory as the window-switcher.exe file. Once you've made changes to the configuration, make sure to restart Window-Switcher so your new settings can take effect.

Here is the default configuration:

# Whether to show trayicon, yes/no
trayicon = yes 

[switch-windows]

# Hotkey to switch windows
hotkey = alt+`

# List of hotkey conflict apps
# e.g. game1.exe,game2.exe
blacklist =

# Ignore minimal windows
ignore_minimal = no

[switch-apps]

# Whether to enable switching apps
enable = no 

# Hotkey to switch apps
hotkey = alt+tab

# Ignore minimal windows
ignore_minimal = no

Running as Administrator (Optional)

While not mandatory, running window-switcher.exe with administrator privileges unlocks its full potential, especially when working with system applications like Task Manager that require elevated permissions. This allows for smoother interactions with all types of applications.

Administrator Privileges and Startup Option:

• Running as Admin + Enabling Startup: Launches window-switcher.exe with administrator privileges every time you start your computer.
• Running without Admin + Enabling Startup: Launches window-switcher.exe with regular user privileges at startup.

Hotkeys for non-English keyboard layouts

When using non-English keyboard layouts, standard keycodes might not match the expected keys, leading to functionality issues with hotkeys. To ensure your hotkeys work correctly, follow these guidelines:

1. Visit kbdlayout.info: Go to http://kbdlayout.info/shortcut and select your keyboard layout and desired keys. This will provide an image and detailed mapping.

2. Keycode Mapping: Use the keycodes provided to correctly map your hotkeys. Here are some standard keycodes:

window-switcher/src/config.rs

Lines 227 to 324 in 55f0046

	"backspace" => 0x08,
	"tab" => 0x09,
	"clear" => 0x0c,
	"enter" => 0x0d,
	"pause" => 0x13,
	"capslock" => 0x14,
	"escape" => 0x1b,
	"space" => 0x20,
	"pageup" => 0x21,
	"pagedown" => 0x22,
	"end" => 0x23,
	"home" => 0x24,
	"left" => 0x25,
	"up" => 0x26,
	"right" => 0x27,
	"down" => 0x28,
	"select" => 0x29,
	"print" => 0x2a,
	"printscreen" => 0x2c,
	"insert" => 0x2d,
	"delete" => 0x2e,
	"0" => 0x30,
	"1" => 0x31,
	"2" => 0x32,
	"3" => 0x33,
	"4" => 0x34,
	"5" => 0x35,
	"6" => 0x36,
	"7" => 0x37,
	"8" => 0x38,
	"9" => 0x39,
	"a" => 0x41,
	"b" => 0x42,
	"c" => 0x43,
	"d" => 0x44,
	"e" => 0x45,
	"f" => 0x46,
	"g" => 0x47,
	"h" => 0x48,
	"i" => 0x49,
	"j" => 0x4a,
	"k" => 0x4b,
	"l" => 0x4c,
	"m" => 0x4d,
	"n" => 0x4e,
	"o" => 0x4f,
	"p" => 0x50,
	"q" => 0x51,
	"r" => 0x52,
	"s" => 0x53,
	"t" => 0x54,
	"u" => 0x55,
	"v" => 0x56,
	"w" => 0x57,
	"x" => 0x58,
	"y" => 0x59,
	"z" => 0x5a,
	"f1" => 0x70,
	"f2" => 0x71,
	"f3" => 0x72,
	"f4" => 0x73,
	"f5" => 0x74,
	"f6" => 0x75,
	"f7" => 0x76,
	"f8" => 0x77,
	"f9" => 0x78,
	"f10" => 0x79,
	"f11" => 0x7a,
	"f12" => 0x7b,
	"numlock" => 0x90,
	"scrolllock" => 0x91,
	":" | ";" | "vk_oem_1" => 0xba,
	"+" | "=" | "vk_oem_plus" => 0xbb,
	"<" | "," | "vk_oem_comma" => 0xbc,
	"-" | "_" | "vk_oem_minus" => 0xbd,
	">" | "." | "vk_oem_period" => 0xbe,
	"?" | "/" | "vk_oem_2" => 0xbf,
	"~" | "`" | "vk_oem_3" => 0xc0,
	"{" | "[" | "vk_oem_4" => 0xdb,
	"|" | "\\" | "vk_oem_5" => 0xdc,
	"}" | "]" | "vk_oem_6" => 0xdd,
	"\"" | "'" | "vk_oem_7" => 0xde,
	"§" | "!" | "vk_oem_8" => 0xdf,
	"vk_oem_102" => 0xe2,
	"vk_processkey" => 0xe5,
	"vk_packet" => 0xe7,
	"vk_attn" => 0xf6,
	"vk_crsel" => 0xf7,
	"vk_exsel" => 0xf8,
	"vk_ereof" => 0xf9,
	"vk_play" => 0xfa,
	"vk_zoom" => 0xfb,
	"vk_noname" => 0xfc,
	"vk_pa1" => 0xfd,
	"vk_oem_clear" => 0xfe,

3. Customizing for Language-Specific Keyboards:

   • If your keyboard is in a language other than English, such as German, you may need to adjust the hotkeys. For example:
     • Original hotkey: alt+`
     • Adjusted hotkey: alt+| or alt+vk_oem_5

4. Test Your Hotkey Setup: After configuring, test the hotkeys to ensure they perform the intended actions across different keyboard layouts.

By following these steps, you can adapt hotkeys for various non-English keyboard layouts, ensuring smooth functionality regardless of the language or region of your keyboard.

License

Copyright (c) 2023-2024 window-switcher developers.

window-switcher is made available under the terms of the MIT License, at your option.

See the LICENSE files for license details.