Hold The Flip!

In Windows, you are offered with two ways of switching between programs, the Alt-Tab and Windows-Tab. In Windows XP and before (as well as Windows Vista, if not running Aero), doing the two keystrokes merely evoke simple program changing options.

If you're on Vista and running Aero, however, Alt-Tab opens up a little screen with previews of every window open (plus the desktop), and you can select one by pressing Tab, or clicking on the icon. The window looks like this:



If you press Windows-Tab, you get a cool effect where all the open windows "fan" out on the screen like so:



(For more information you can read the following Digital Ramblings post: Flipping Vista)

Now, both these screens look great, but have one little problem. The moment you release Alt (if you're using Alt-Tab), or the Windows key (if you're using Windows-Tab), the screen disappears. Isn't there a way to keep the display there, just for kicks?

Well, the answer is, of course, YES! Here's what you have to do.

If you want Aero Flip 3D (what you get with Windows-Tab) to stay active, instead of invoking it with Windows-Tab, use Ctrl-Windows-Tab instead.

Similarly, for the normal Alt-Tab screen, use Ctrl-Alt-Tab instead.

And there you have it! By just adding a Ctrl before entering the keystroke, the display now stays open for your admiration!