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

Curtis Chong curtischong at earthlink.net
Sat Apr 15 14:15:26 UTC 2017 

Greetings:

I am using the latest update to Windows 10, and I have discovered the
following regarding switching between open windows.

1.	The Alt Tab keyboard command which has traditionally been used by
many of us doesn't always work. I still use it reflexively due to past
experience, but if it fails, I use the approaches shown below.

2.	If you press CTRL+TAB, you are presented with a horizontal list of
open windows through which you can navigate by pressing the right or left
arrow keys. Once you focus on the window you want to switch to, simply press
Enter.

3.	I myself do not have any closed programs pinned to my Windows
Taskbar. Hence, when I press Windows T, I am focused on the taskbar, and I
can navigate between what is open using the left or right arrow keys. I then
press Enter to focus on the application to which I want to move.

4.	For those of us who use JAWS for Windows, there is a command
(INSERT+F10) which brings up all of the open windows in a nice vertical
list. Arrow down to the one you want, and press Enter.

I hope some of this is helpful.

Cordially,

Curtis Chong


-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dr. Denise M
Robinson via nfbcs
Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2017 8:03 AM
To: Tony Malykh <anton.malykh at gmail.com>
Cc: Dr. Denise M Robinson <deniserob at gmail.com>; NFB in Computer Science
Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Reliable keyboard shortcut in Windows 10 to switch
between applications

Tony

Have you tried windows esc to instantly change windows or windows tab which
is like a roladex option?--I like windows esc better because it is instant
to the next program.

If you do not like these--let me know and I will keep pondering

*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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> lhwayland%40sbcglob
> >> >> al.net
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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> anton.malykh%40gmai
> >> >> l.com
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > nfbcs mailing list
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> >> >
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> >> >
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
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> >
>
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