Clean Alt-Tab for Win8: desktop item and thumbnails removed

[osRe]

Well, that's mysterious. When did it stop working? Was it after a change in Windows or other software? How did you change Windows from 32-bit to 64-bit?

 

And, anyone else having it work fine under 8.1.1 before/after the August updates?

Edited September 10, 2014 by shae

[DoopaDoop]

It's a different computer. Turns out it happened after I installed http://www.actualtools.com/multiplemonitors/. Killing the program didn't fix it, but uninstalling it just now did. If only there was a way to get them to co-exist...

[osRe]

I wonder how that software ends up "retaining" the original AltTab.

 

BTW, what functionality in it do use? Win8's supposedly has better multi-monitor support than Win7. Though it still seems a bit dodgy to me.

[DoopaDoop]

Oh hey, I guess it is better than Win7's. I was using it at work on Win7 and just installed it at home because it's awesome. Win8 apparently can have taskbars on each monitor, and you can customize the buttons to only show on the monitor with the window on it. (It's buggy though, the button for Actual Multiple Monitors settings won't move for some reason.) With AMM I can stick the Quick Launch bar and the system tray on both taskbars. I can add buttons to the top right of windows (the only one I add moves the window to the other monitor). It will start programs on the screen with the mouse on it. You can set up all kinds of keyboard shortcuts, the only one I have set flips my mouse to the other screen (I could of course do that with AutoHotkey). There's other cool stuff like mirroring windows on the other display, and little tweaks like holding down modifiers to make the whole window responsive to click and drag. Navigating the settings menu isn't intuitive, though, it's easy to miss whole sections.

 

Most importantly for this issue, it can mirror the AltTab display across both screens. Right now having all these other features is more important to me than not having window previews in AltTab, so I'll deal with it :/

Edited September 14, 2014 by DoopaDoop

[osRe]

Maybe this program keeps a copy of AltTab.dll in its directory, or uses the one in the WinSxS folder?

 

You can use Process Explorer. Hit Ctrl+F and search for "alttab". Another option is doing a global file search for AltTab.dll. The WinSxS one should be in (but keep a copy of the original for future SFC/DISM usage): C:\windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-alttab_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.17031_none_59cea49792e2c928

[DoopaDoop]

I replaced the WinSxS one too, and it didn't fix it. When I turn off the program now it reverts to normal, I think the default one is running behind it actually, and just gets covered up by AMM's.

Process explorer finds the default one as well as a <Non-existent Process> with the same PID, Type is Mutant and Name is \Sessions\3\BaseNamedObjects\ALTTAB_RUNNING_MUTEX

 

I think I'll open a ticket with AMM

[osRe]

Try running ProcExp as Administrator (there's also such an option in ProcExp's File menu). The interesting results are those with type "DLL".

[DoopaDoop]

Fixed in latest version: http://www.actualtools.com/forum/read.php?FID=10&TID=3244

[DoopaDoop]

Except... Now AltTab doesn't include the windows on my second monitor

[osRe]

So they made a full alternative that looks the same as the stock Windows switcher?

 

What do you mean, the switcher shows on each monitor only the windows from that monitor? If it mirrors what each taskbar shows, perhaps you can configure that in: Taskbar Properties \ Multiple Displays.

[DoopaDoop]

Nope, the switcher on both monitors only shows the windows from the primary monitor.

[osRe]

It's either due to Windows, or the multimon software.

[DoopaDoop]

Well it doesn't happen when I just use the built-in Win8 multi monitor support, but it also doesn't happen with the software on Win7. 

[reckful25]

How do you download it?

[osRe]

There are links in the first post. Assuming you're on an updated version of Windows 8.1, you'll want the first link.