How to minimize screen on Windows without using the mouse?
How to minimize screen on Windows without using the mouse?
I often find myself needing to quickly minimize windows on my computer, but I’d prefer to avoid using the mouse. There are times when I’m juggling multiple tasks and want to streamline my workflow. Manually dragging my cursor to the minimize button feels slow and interrupts my flow. Is there an intuitive and efficient way to minimize screens on Windows using just the keyboard or other quick methods? I want to ensure that I can easily manage my open applications and maintain a clutter-free desktop without the constant dependency on my mouse. How can I achieve this?
8 Answers
I’ve always preferred using the ‘Windows key + D’ command. This keyboard shortcut minimizes all open windows and shows the desktop instantly: 1. Press the ‘Windows key + D’ – This acts as a toggle. Pressing it once minimizes all open windows, and pressing it again restores them. This approach works great when I need to access my desktop quickly or want to hide all open applications at once. Additionally, it’s simple and efficient for rapid desktop access.
In my experience, using the ‘Windows key + Down arrow’ shortcut quickly minimizes the current window. It’s a two-step process: 1. Tap the ‘Windows key’ and the ‘Down arrow’ key together. If the window is maximized, it will first restore to its initial size. 2. Tap ‘Windows key + Down arrow’ again to minimize the window fully. This shortcut is particularly convenient when navigating through multiple open applications quickly.
For those who prefer visual aids, I suggest checking out the taskbar preview feature. Hovering over the taskbar icon of an open application displays previews of all windows. To minimize: 1. Hover over the icon of the application you want to minimize. 2. Right-click on the preview window and select ‘Minimize.’ This method is great for those who prefer a visual approach and can be combined with the keyboard shortcuts for versatility.
To minimize a screen on Windows without using the mouse, I found that keyboard shortcuts are incredibly effective. One of the simplest methods is pressing ‘Alt + Spacebar’ to open the window’s system menu. From there, you can press ‘n’ to minimize the window. 1. Press ‘Alt + Spacebar’ – This opens the system menu for the current window. 2. Press ‘n’ – This minimizes the window. Using this method saves me time and keeps my workflow smooth.
One tool I’ve integrated into my workflow is the PowerToys utility from Microsoft. Specifically, the ‘FancyZones’ feature helps in managing windows easily: 1. Install PowerToys from the official Microsoft site. 2. Enable ‘FancyZones’ within the PowerToys settings. 3. Assign zones for window layouts. Using FancyZones, I can snap windows into predefined layouts, minimizing the need to manually minimize windows since they are efficiently organized.
Using a command-line approach can also be very handy. Here’s a small script you can run to minimize all open windows: 1. Open Command Prompt. 2. Type ‘powershell -command “Add-Type -TypeDefinition @’using System;using System.Runtime.InteropServices;public class P{[DllImport(“user32.dll”)]public static extern bool ShowWindow(IntPtr hWnd, int nCmdShow);[DllImport(“user32.dll”)]public static extern IntPtr GetShellWindow();[DllImport(“user32.dll”)]public static extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow();[DllImport(“user32.dll”)]public static extern bool EnumWindows(EnumWindowsProc enumProc, IntPtr lParam);public delegate bool EnumWindowsProc(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr lParam);public static void MinimizeAll(){IntPtr shell = GetShellWindow();IntPtr fore = GetForegroundWindow();EnumWindows((hWnd, lParam) => {if (hWnd != shell) ShowWindow(hWnd, 6);return true;}, IntPtr.Zero);}}’@;[P]::MinimizeAll()”‘ and press Enter. This script minimizes all open windows efficiently. It’s especially useful for those comfortable with command-line operations.
I discovered that utilizing Virtual Desktops in Windows can also help manage open windows without relying on the mouse. Here’s how I set it up: 1. Create a virtual desktop by pressing ‘Windows key + Ctrl + D.’ 2. Switch between desktops using ‘Windows key + Ctrl + Left/Right arrows.’ By using Virtual Desktops, I can organize my tasks more effectively and minimize clutter without actually minimizing each individual window.
One trick I often use is leveraging the right-click context menu on the taskbar. Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar, and choose ‘Show the desktop.’ This will minimize all windows at once. If you right-click again and select ‘Show open windows,’ it restores them all. This method is great if you regularly need to clear your screen quickly during a meeting or presentation and want an easy way to bring everything back with a simple click.