Alt-tab window won't stay on top of other windows in Windows 7

Anonymous
2009-11-19T20:44:44+00:00

WHen I do an alt-tab in Windows 7, if I don't constantly switch window (holding down alt and quickly clicking tab) it will go into Peek mode.  Normally, I would expect the alt-tab window to stay on top when the Peek happens, but, instead my little alt-tab window disappears behind the windows being brought forward by the Peek.  I can still cycle through the windows by pushing alt-tab, but my window has disappeared.  When I tried this on someone else's Windows 7 box, it didn't do this.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2010-02-28T22:23:49+00:00

Go to Control Panel -> Advanced (or Advanced System Settings) -> in the section Performance click on "Settings..." button -> in the custom list of Visual Effects uncheck "Enable Aero Peek" -> click "Apply" button

Now the alt-tab window will stay afloat as long as you want.

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Anonymous
2011-02-13T05:18:48+00:00

I recently starting having this problem.

In my case, I've narrowed it down to the Windows Gadgets (i.e. sidebar.exe). Once I closed all my gadgets, the problem went away; alternatively, when I killed sidebar.exe, the problem went away.

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Anonymous
2009-11-20T17:44:29+00:00

Hi,

Welcome to Microsoft answers.

Which version of Windows7 are you running ?

I suggest you to update your display drivers, goto manufacturers website and download the latest drivers and install.

Also check use aeropeak to preview desktop, follow these steps:

  1. Right click on your desktop.
  2. Goto personalize.
  3. On the left bottom corner click on Taskbar and Start Menu.
  4. Check use aeropeak to preview desktop.

Let us know if you have any issues.

Thanks and Regards,

Azam - Microsoft Support.

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Anonymous
2010-01-05T19:32:31+00:00

OK.  I think I have the answer...I logged on to my computer with a different account and did not see the same Alt-tab problems I had before.  Assuming this was a profile issue, I logged in as an admin and deleted my profile (My Computer|Properties|Advanced System Settings|User Profiles|Settings).  I logged back in and don't have the alt-tab problem anymore.  You will end up losing a lot of your settings and don't forget to back up your desktop and Favorites, but, it works.

I would like to hear if this fixes the problem for anyone else.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-02T20:29:09+00:00

    I have the Alt+Tab problem on a new Dell Precision Tower 5810.  Bruce Dowson's solution works perfectly for me but the fact of the matter is that the bug remains.  It is Win7 64.

    Here are a few other things I have noticed.  I do not have any of the programs mentioned that cause the problem, only IE11 is doing it on my machine.  The computers at work, a US military base with extremely hardened Win7 64 PCs, never experience this problem, I used them as a regular user with very limited rights.  On my own computer at home, while I was setting it up as Administrator, I never saw the Alt+Tab bug.  The bug only occurs when I use my new home PC as a regular user.  And it happens a lot, always caused by an IE11 window.

    It seems that MS Corp. have no motivation to solve this issue since they have been pushing Win8 and now 10.

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