Xah Lee, 2009-06, 2010-10, 2011-01-22
This pages gives some advanced tips on Windows customization for power users. The tips are tested in Windows Vista, but should work for Windows 7 too.
Press 【Win+Ctrl+Tab】 to go into Flip 3D. You get a preview of your windows and you can switch among them with scroll wheel or arrow keys.
Flip 3D. ❐
Press 【Alt+Ctrl+Tab】 to start Instant Viewer.
Windows Instant View
Instant Viewer lets you see all your windows in a glance. This feature is available since 2002.
I like Instant Viewer better than Flip 3D, because: ① See all windows at the same time. ② Each window also shows the app's icon for quick recognization. ③ Faster to activate the window you want by mouse. (no need to flip thru)
If you have a Microsoft or Logitech mouse, you can use the bundled software to set a mouse button to activate Flip 3D or Instant Viewer. Or, you can set a single keyboard key for it, using IntelliType or AutoHotkey.
How to Swap Caps Lock, Alt, Control Keys on Windows
For programers, you probably want to show file extensions and full path.
This is under Control Panel, Folder Options. In particular, uncheck the “Hide extensions for known file types”, “Display the full path in the title bar”, “Show hidden files and folders”.
You can set you system to require pressing 【Ctrl+Alt+Delete】 to start the login screen. The advantage is that this prevent the possibility of some rogue program spoofing as the login screen and steal your password. For some detail, see: Secure attention key.
To set it up, press 【Win+r】, then type “netplwiz” in command prompt to start the Advanced User Accounts control panel. Then, check the box “Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete”.