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

Sat Apr 15 13:37:14 UTC 2017

Tony
Let me ponder this a couple of days. I use the windows + number a lot
myself but you are correct--it may focus it but won't open it up all the
time--I may be using another keystroke without realizing it so will just be
more aware as I am switching programs

Thanks for the great explanation.

*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 6:56 PM, Tony Malykh <anton.malykh at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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> >> >>
> >> >>
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> >> >>
> >> >
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> >>
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