[nfbcs] Reliable keyboard shortcut in Windows 10 to switch between applications

Fri Apr 14 22:56:46 UTC 2017

Hi Denise,

Thanks for your reply, that's a new way to switch between the
applications. Unfortunately, that's not what I'm looking for. I am
looking for a single shortcut that would switch me to a given
application that I have in mind. Let me give you an example.

Suppose I am currently in Internet Explorer and I would like to switch
to Cygwin. Surely I can Alt-tab through my windows and find Cygwin
there. I might have to press Alt-tab for 3 or 5 times, maybe even
more. Every time I press alt-tab I'd have to read the name of the next
application, which takes time, given the fact that I use braille. In
the end it might take me ten, twenty or thirty seconds to switch to
Cygwin. When I'm done with Cygwin, the same process would repeat again
to switch back to internet explorer.
Same applies to Insert+F10 shortcut, except I won't have to keep Alt
pressed while looking for Cygwin in the list.

Now I have another set of keyboard shortcuts, like Windows+5 that
switches me to Cygwin and windows+3 to Internet explorer. That's
exactly the kind of shortcut that I'm looking for, since it would
allow me to switch to Cygwin in just a single keystroke, without the
pain of going through the list of applications and reading their
names.
The problem with this set of keyboard shortcuts is that they are very
unreliable, they work maybe 80% of the time. And since they are
provided by Windows and not Jaws, Microsoft will never bother to fix
that kind of bugs.

So to reiterate my questions:
1. Is there a way to make Windows+digit shortcuts more reliable?
OR:
2. Is there another way (jaws script, autohotkey, any other hacking
way) to implement the same functionslity? For example, I would love to
have a jaws swcript, that can switch me to Cygwin window, and then I
would assign this script to a shortcut like Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C or
something. And then no matte where I am I would have the peace of
mind, knowing that I can switch to Cygwin in just a single keystroke.

Thanks
--Tony

On 4/14/17, Dr. Denise M Robinson via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I believe you may be looking for the insert f10 option which opens all
> applications then all you have to do is arrow up and down to go to the app
> you want?
>
> *Dr Denise M Robinson*
> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
> CEO, TechVision, LLC
> Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision/virtual
> instruction for schools
> Also Private training to your needs
> 423-573-6413
>
> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC, Office
> products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 14, 2017 at 12:24 PM, Tony Malykh via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Windows+digit is not reliable, read my original message.
>> Ctrl+f6 doesn't seem to work at all. I tried it in IE and CMD. in CMD
>> nothing happens, in IE I think it navigates to the previous page in
>> the same window.
>>
>> On 4/14/17, Andy B. via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> > Try pressing Windows+1-0. These are shortcuts for apps in the taskbar,
>> and
>> > include open and closed apps. To cycle between other windows within the
>> > same
>> > app, try ctrl+f6. I know it works for Office apps.
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tony Malykh
>> via
>> > nfbcs
>> > Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017 1:55 AM
>> > To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>> > Cc: Tony Malykh <anton.malykh at gmail.com>
>> > Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Reliable keyboard shortcut in Windows 10 to switch
>> > between applications
>> >
>> > I know that Alt-tab can cycle through all the apps. That is
>> > inconvenient
>> > for
>> > me since I'd have to press it unknown amount of times to switch to the
>> app
>> > I
>> > need. I wish I could assign keyboard shortcuts like windows+2 for IE
>> > and
>> > windows+3 for CMD.exe and so on. This way I would have to press just a
>> > single key combination for any app. And this way eventually muscle
>> > memory
>> > will start forming.
>> >
>> > oh, and I use jaws with a braille reader, so looking for the right app
>> with
>> > alt-tab takes a long time for me.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 4/13/17, Larry Wayland via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> >> If you continue to hold the alt key down and press the tab key it will
>> >> cycle through all the open aps. Just don't release the alt between tab
>> >> presses.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tony Malykh
>> >> via nfbcs
>> >> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 8:51 PM
>> >> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
>> >> Cc: Tony Malykh
>> >> Subject: [nfbcs] Reliable keyboard shortcut in Windows 10 to switch
>> >> between applications
>> >>
>> >> Hi all,
>> >>
>> >> I am typically running several application: IE, CMD, Cygwin and Visual
>> >> Studio. I am looking for a keyboard shortcut to switch to a particular
>> >> application.
>> >>
>> >>  Alt-tab is NOT what I'm looking for, since it switches to the last
>> >> used application. I would like to have one shourtcut for IE, another
>> >> for MCD and so on, so that whenever I want to switch to IE I would
>> >> press that shourtcut just once.
>> >>
>> >>  Windows key + numbers. This is what I'm currently using. For example
>> >> I have Windows key + 2 switches me to IE. The problem with it is that
>> >> it  is frustratingly unreliable. They only work about 80% of the
>> >> times,  and for the remaining 20% they set the focus to the task bar.
>> >>  Sometimes the success rate goes down even lower than 50%, at which
>> >> point I have to reboot my computer. I've had this problem on two
>> >> computers, one of which had a brand new windows. By the way, does
>> >> anyone else experience the unreliability of this shortcut, or only me?
>> >>
>> >>  Ctrl+Alt+Letter is NOT what I'm looking for. You can assign this type
>> >> of shortcuts in the properties of applications on the desktop. But
>> >> that would start a new application instead of switching to an existing
>> > one.
>> >>
>> >>  So:
>> >>  1. Is there a way to make windows key + number keyboard shortcut more
>> >> reliable?
>> >>  Or:
>> >>  2. Is there a way to assign keyboard shortcuts to specific apps?
>> >> Maybe a jaws script or something?
>> >>
>> >>  I'm using the latest Windows 10 and Jaws 17.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Thanks
>> >> Tony
>> >>  Thanks
>> >>
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