How to Customize the Alt-Tab Window in XP

When I switch between programs using Alt-Tab, it's hard to tell which window is which. The icons alone don't provide enough information, and the Alt-Tab window is too small to show the entire title of each window.

THE FIX: There are two ways to customize the Alt-Tab window. The first requires Creative Element Power Tools, available at http://www.creativel...com/powertools/. Open the Creative Element Power Tools Control Panel, click the button next to "Change the size of the Alt-TAB window," and stretch the box to customize the size (Figure A).




If you want more than a larger Alt-Tab window, try Microsoft's free Alt-Tab Replacement PowerToy, available at http://www.microsoft...ppowertoys.mspx. Once installed, it shows a preview of each window (Figure B), rather than just the icon.

Note: You can switch between multiple documents in the same application in a similar fashion, by pressing Ctrl-Tab or Ctrl-F6. Some applications (such as Word) show documents in separate windows, so they appear individually in the Alt-Tab sequence. Of course, this can be changed, too; in Word, for instance, select Tools Options, and, on the View tab, uncheck the "Windows in Taskbar" box.