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Keyboard shortcut for minimizing maximized windows

Anonymous
2010-04-18T22:10:50+00:00

On the website:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Keyboard-shortcuts

It lists the following keyboard shortcut under "Windows logo key keyboard

shortcuts":

Windows logo key+Down Arrow = Minimize the window.

However, if the window is maximized when this keyboard shortcut is used, the

window is restored down, not minimized. Obviously you can simply press the

keyboard shortcut twice to minimize the window, but then when you go back to

that window it will not be maximized, meaning you have the extra step of

maximizing it. So, to the best of my knowledge, the steps to minimizing and

then remaximizing a window are:

  1. Restore Down: Windows logo key + Down Arrow
  2. Minimize: Windows logo key + Down Arrow
  3. Select Window: Windows logo key + Tab (or one of the other key

combinations that can be used to select an open program)

  1. Maximize: Windows logo key + Up Arrow

Obviously not a hard or complicated process, but I would have expected it to

be only two steps:

  1. Minimize: Windows logo key + Down Arrow
  2. Select Window: Windows logo key + Tab (or one of the other key

combinations that can be used to select an open program)

And it would be if the Windows logo key + Down Arrow keyboard shortcut

always minimized the window. I am glad that there is a way to restore also,

but is there a keyboard shortcut that minimizes a window that is maximized?

Thanks.

--

Nathan Sokalski

*** Email address is removed for privacy ***

http://www.nathansokalski.com/

Nathan Sokalski *** Email address is removed for privacy *** http://www.nathansokalski.com/

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-04-22T13:29:59+00:00

    Hello Nathan Sokalski,

    The closest you can get is using Windows + M, which will minimize all windows.

    Although you can use Windows + D (to show desktop). Using this shortcut will allow you to use Windows + D to now show the last window previous to showing the desktop.

    Hope this helps

    Chris.H

    Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

    Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

    100+ people found this answer helpful.
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  1. Anonymous
    2011-10-28T04:10:58+00:00

    Alt + Spacebar + N

    60+ people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2013-10-16T09:14:18+00:00

    Alt + Spacebar + N

    Thanks about this, hehe.. feeling lazy on the mouse.. 3:)

    BTW, "Alt + Spacebar + X" for Maximizing the Window (info for others)

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2017-04-09T09:30:29+00:00

    think that:

    "WINKEY + m" = minimize current window

    "WINKEY + M" = MAXIMIZE current window (M = SHIFT + m, "capital M")

    7 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2011-08-17T21:46:07+00:00

    I was looking for a way to do this as well.  I thought it was pretty disappointing that windows didn't supply this feature.  It would have been useful to minimize a maximized window, and then bring it back again with Window+number.

    By using AutoHotkey (3rd party free software), I assigned my own hotkey (F9) to minimize the active window.  The script is pretty simple:

    F9::WinMinimize, A

    You can assign your own combination of buttons to perform this task.  Hope that helps

    3 people found this answer helpful.
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