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Windows 11 Switching between open programs

Anonymous
2023-01-29T03:19:35+00:00

I have both and new computer and am new to Windows 11.

With Windows 10, I used to click the program on the task bar and the computer would show me that program (or excel file on my monitor).

With Windows 11, sometimes if I hover, then click the thing that shows up the computer will display that program or file. Sometimes that doesn't work. Sometimes I can alt-tab (which, seriously, takes forever to get through all the programs) and the program I stop on will be displayed on my monitor. Sometimes I have to minimized all the programs except the one I want to get that program to display on my monitor.

I can't figure out if Windows 11 really sucks this bad or if my brand new computer (lenovo Yoga 7i) just doesn't work.

I usually have several excel files, Quickbooks, Firefox and misc what not open and go from one to the other frequently - it was never an issue with Windows 10, perhaps I need to get back to Windows 10. Getting rid of a functional task bar is an "upgrade" - if I wanted a Mac (that doesn't offer a functional task bar), I would have purchased a Mac...The more Windows imitates Mac, the less reason I have for buying a PC.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-01-31T19:03:16+00:00

    Also, I'm not just having the "it doesn't work" issue switching between open excel files. I'm also having the same problem switching between open programs (Firefox, Quickbooks, adobe, excel...). Sometimes clicking on the icon on the taskbar results in the program showing up on my monitor. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes alt-tab through all my open programs and stopping on the one I want to see results in the program showing on my monitor, sometimes it doesn't. When neither of those work, sometimes I can minimize everything thing and try one of the above and what i want to see shows up on my monitor, sometime it doesn't.

    Basically Windows 11 doesn't seem to be working consistently, as far as I can tell?

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-01-29T16:51:36+00:00

    Office 365

    Yes, apparently (since I have an unpin from Task Bar but not a pin to Task Bar option) that is what I have done with the Firefox and QB and file explorer shortcuts.

    Is there a (better) way to get between open programs? Something that works consistently? And is quick (like the task bar on most earlier versions of windows)?

    Thanks for your reply

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-01-31T17:40:01+00:00

    Thanks for the reply.

    Yes, I can do this: "The shortcut will appear on the task bar, hovering over it with the mouse will show any open excel doc, or rt clicking the shortcut will show any recent excel docs"

    And sometimes, after hovering when I can figure out which document I want (from what it shows me) when I click on that document, it shows up on my screen. Other times doing that doesn't work and nothing happens when I click the picture of the doc I get from hovering over it. The only "solutions" I've come up with so far are that: sometimes, when I minimize every other program showing on my monitor/screen and then I do the hover/select thing the file displays on my monitor. Other times I have to close programs and then hover and then select to (Finally) see the program I'm looking for.

    Sounds like I'm doing what you recommend but it's just not working consistently?

    I will try the right click option you mention - thanks for mentioning it.

    All the above require way to much attention on my part (figuring out which file I want to access from the info displayed) especially compared to the Windows 10 (and prior version) task bars.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-01-30T10:41:25+00:00

    Search > All Apps > the Excel shortcut > select > Rt Click > Pin to Task Bar

    The shortcut will appear on the task bar, hovering over it with the mouse will show any open excel doc, or rt clicking the shortcut will show any recent excel docs

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-01-29T10:43:23+00:00

    Excel? - You dont mention what Office version

    Search > All Apps > FireFox, select the shortcut > Rt click . Pin to Task bar, is that what you have done with this and the QB shortcut?

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