If you like or need to have a lot of windows open on your desktop you can easily navigate
through these windows using Windows Flip 3D. It helps you to easily organize your open
windows and programs to locate the one you need. This is one of the options of Microsoft's
Aero interface. Flip 3D was introduced first in Windows Vista and is a replacement for the
Alt+Tab way of cycling through all open files and applications.
Some people argue that Flip 3D is actually a slower method than the old version of
Alt+Tabbing your way through the open windows. A lot of this comes down to personal
preference and the hardware that you are running. Just because you meet the hardware
specifications enough to be able to enable Windows Aero does not mean that you are
running the Aero experience the way that the developers intended.
Note* To be able to use Windows Flip 3D you must have Aero enabled.
1. Press Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab. This will move the windows into a 3D
stack as shown above.
2. Press Tab to move through the windows. Pressing the Right Arrow or
Down Arrow will advance one window, or press Left Arrow or Up Arrow to go
back one window.
3. Clicking on a window in the stack will display that particular window, or
click outside the stack to close Windows Flip 3D without switching windows.
Rotating the wheel of your mouse will cycle the open windows quickly.
An alternative way to cycle through the open windows is to press the
Windows logo key.
1.) Right click on any empty area of the desktop and then click on New and Shortcut.
2.) Type
C:\Windows\system32\rundll32.exe DwmApi #105
into the location field then click on the Next button.
3.) Type
Flipping Windows
for the name, and click on the Finish button. At this point you can name this shortcut anything you would
like that identifies the Flip 3D program for you.
4.) Right click on the new Flipping Windows shortcut on the Desktop and click on Properties.
5.) Click on the Change Icon button. Make sure that this on the shortcut tab. The tabs are located at the
top of the small window you opened.
6.) In the line under Look for icons in this file, type
%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll
and press Enter.
7.) Select the Windows Flip 3D icon or any other icon that you would like to designate for this operation
and click on OK.
8.) Click on OK.
9.) Move the shortcut to where you like to keep it.
Personally I do like the application as I think that it helps to keep a visual handle on all the windows that I
have open. Using the Alt+Tab method only shows one window at a time and depending how many
windows are open can get confusing. Plus you get a real time preview of open windows in Windows Flip
3D.
Windows Flip 3D by PC Apprentice 2009 - 2017
Microsoft: "You've got questions. We've got
dancing paperclips." - Unknown
