Hidden Tricks: Windows Management
Windows has some great features, but a bit hidden; so, you may not have noticed them. The features (or tricks) are to automatically arranging Windows as placing them side by side or tiling them on your screen.
Some of these features are more useful than others. Snap feature is crucial for multitasking with multiple desktop applications at a time and the Tile features are not used frequently; but, they're very useful to arrange several windows to visible on your screen at one time, if you've a broader screen.
This article is dealing for Windows 7, but all these tricks also work on Windows 8, except the one that require Task Manager. However, many of these tricks will also took effect with earlier versions of Windows.
Windows Aero Snap is a set of interface elements and introduced in Windows Vista then revised in Windows 7 and Windows 8 for visual appearances. Windows Aero Snap is extremely useful and make a window to occupy half the screen and to arrange two windows side by side without manually resizing and moving them around.
To activate Windows Aero Snap feature, just hold Windows Key and press left or right arrow keys. The current window will be resized and placed at left or right side of the screen. Another way, for the same, is just click window's title bar and hold down the mouse button then drag the window's title bar to the left or right edge of the screen. You'll see a preview of window then move it to left or right of the screen by holding the mouse button.
Maximize, Minimize and Restore the windows: You can maximize a window by drag and drop on it's title bar. Just click the title bar then drag and drop it to the top edge of the screen. You'll see a preview of the window and release mouse button then the window will take up the entire screen. When you grab the title bar with mouse and drag it away from the top of the screen, the window will be restored to its previous size.
This option could also be worked using keyboard. Just press Windows Key + Up Arrow to maximize a window or press Windows Key + Down Arrow to restore a maximized window. Press Windows Key + Down Arrow again, to minimize a window.
Using Task Bar: When right click on Task Bar, you'll see four management options, which allowing you to arrange your windows in interesting modes.
The same, integrated windows management, options are also accessed from Task Manager. Right click the task bar and choose Start Task Manager. The window of Windows Task Manager opens along with Applications tab. Now, click over on Windows and a drop down menu will be opened with few options like Tile Horizontally, Tile Vertically and etc., When you select anyone of these options then it will be arranged to open according to the number of applications, which were running at the time.
It could also be performed using Key Board as, Ctrl+Shift+Escape, to open Windows Task Manager.
These (Windows Task Manager) options seem to arrange windows in a different way than the task bar options. Tiling both ways as horizontally and vertically, which allows to appear many windows on your screen at a time.
This article is dealing for Windows 7, but all these tricks also work on Windows 8, except the one that require Task Manager. However, many of these tricks will also took effect with earlier versions of Windows.
Windows Aero Snap is a set of interface elements and introduced in Windows Vista then revised in Windows 7 and Windows 8 for visual appearances. Windows Aero Snap is extremely useful and make a window to occupy half the screen and to arrange two windows side by side without manually resizing and moving them around.
To activate Windows Aero Snap feature, just hold Windows Key and press left or right arrow keys. The current window will be resized and placed at left or right side of the screen. Another way, for the same, is just click window's title bar and hold down the mouse button then drag the window's title bar to the left or right edge of the screen. You'll see a preview of window then move it to left or right of the screen by holding the mouse button.
Maximize, Minimize and Restore the windows: You can maximize a window by drag and drop on it's title bar. Just click the title bar then drag and drop it to the top edge of the screen. You'll see a preview of the window and release mouse button then the window will take up the entire screen. When you grab the title bar with mouse and drag it away from the top of the screen, the window will be restored to its previous size.
This option could also be worked using keyboard. Just press Windows Key + Up Arrow to maximize a window or press Windows Key + Down Arrow to restore a maximized window. Press Windows Key + Down Arrow again, to minimize a window.
Using Task Bar: When right click on Task Bar, you'll see four management options, which allowing you to arrange your windows in interesting modes.
- Cascade windows will arrange your open windows in Cascade mode, which allows to see all the title bars at once. (This option is not practical one).
- Show windows stacked allows you to arrange your windows stacked vertically on top of each other. (This is not ideal for wide screens, but could be useful in some situations).
- Show windows side by side will allow you to have windows automatically arrange your open windows side-by-side with each other. It’s like Aero Snap, but allows you to
have three or more windows automatically arranged as side by
side. Very useful for multitask purposes, when working on larger and broader monitors.
- Show the desktop will take you to the main desktop window.
You'll also be noticed an Undo option, when opened any of the first three options; and Undo option will just take you to the previous window.
These (Windows Task Manager) options seem to arrange windows in a different way than the task bar options. Tiling both ways as horizontally and vertically, which allows to appear many windows on your screen at a time.
