NTWind News

VistaSwitcher 1.1.2 - Desktop & Taskbar Shortcuts

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:44:03 -0600

New version of VistaSwitcher has been released today. I've revised the default VistaSwitcher shortcut behavior (thanks to the user's feedback!) to open the task switcher window.

This is a very minor enhancement but it allows you to quickly open the task list using a Desktop, Quick Launch or Windows 7 Taskbar shortcut.

The following message is not shown any more:

If you want it back, add the /PROMPT switch to the VistaSwitcher shortcut:

Changelog for VistaSwitcher 1.1.2:

New translations: Norwegian. Romanian (20+ languages now!)
Double-click the desktop/taskbar shortcut to open the task switcher window
Overall performance was slightly improved

Download VistaSwitcher 1.1.2 (32-bit and 64-bit)

WinSnap v3.1.5 - Recommended Update

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:39:21 -0600

This is the first release of WinSnap in 2010. It supposedly addresses many issues of the previous versions, so I highly recommend to upgrade to this version as soon as possible.

New Translations - 32 Languages Now!

I'm very proud to let you know that WinSnap is translated into more than 32 world languages now. This version adds support for Armenian, Estonian, Persian and Vietnamese languages out of the box.

High DPI Mode - Fixes and Improvements

Before (old versions):

After (version 3.1.5):

Plus, there were a few issues with the settings dialogs - they are also fixed.

Print Images - Landscape Mode

Finally, WinSnap remembers the Page Orientation settings:

Bug report on the forum →

Automatic File Names - Reserved Characters

WinSnap now removes reserved characters (< > : " / \ | ? *) from filenames when using %TITLE% and %CLASS% variables. For example, the title below will be translated into "jawa.exe_4004 Properties.png":

Bug report on the forum →

Region Selection & Multiple Monitors

I have greatly improved the performance of the Region selection mode for multi-monitor systems - especially for 3 or more monitors.

Bug report on the forum →

Changelog for WinSnap v3.1.5:

New translations: Armenian, Estonian, Persian, Vietnamese (32+ languages)
Improved performance of the Region selection mode for multi-monitor systems
Added a check of illegal characters in filenames when using %TITLE%, %CLASS%
WinSnap now remembers the page orientation correctly when printing images
Fixed capturing of maximized windows on XP (Window & Application mode)
Fixed height of the menu bar in High-DPI mode on Vista and Windows 7
Revised sizes of the Settings dialogs, buttons and controls
Various other stability and performance improvements

Download WinSnap v3.1.5 (32-bit, 64-bit, portable)

NTWind Software - Looking Back At 2009

Alexander Avdonin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:13:38 -0600

Time goes by so fast - 2010 is coming very soon! As the year draws to a close, let me take a look back at 2009 and recap the most important releases of the year.

February 2009 - WinSnap 3.0: Ultimate Screen Capture

WinSnap 3 has introduced a new interface, reflection image effect, ability to clear Aero background under Vista and much more.

WinSnap Screenshots & Feature Highlights →

April 2009 - WindowSpace 2.0: Windows 7 Like Actions for XP and Vista

WindowSpace 2.0 has allowed users to manage windows in a much more convenient way. Its Snap-To-Side feature is similar to the new Aero Snap feature in Windows 7.

Snap-To-Corners feature:

What's New In WindowSpace 2.0 →

June 2009 - WinSnap 3.1: Support for Windows 7 and New Taskbar

WinSnap 3.1 has added support for Windows 7 and its new Taskbar/Superbar:


Rounded corners in Windows 7	Rounded corners in Windows Vista

WinSnap - Screen Capture For Windows 7 →

July 2009 - Hidden Start 3.0: Start Non-Elevated Apps From Elevated

Hstart 3.0 has provided an easy and native way to start non-elevated applications from a command line or a batch file, even if the command line process is elevated (runs under admin).

Hidden Start Homepage & Examples →

September 2009 - VistaSwitcher 1.0: Brand New Alt-Tab for XP, Vista, 7

TaskSwitchXP was good, but it looks a bit outdated now. VistaSwitcher has inherited the best features of its predecessor, provided a new look and support for Vista and 7.

VistaSwitcher - Brand New Alt-Tab Task Switcher →

More releases are coming in 2010. I wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!

VistaSwitcher 1.1.1 - Several Minor Enhancements

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:54:38 -0600

The final 2009 release of VistaSwitcher includes 18 language files. If you want to translate VistaSwitcher into a new language or improve the existing translation, please see the Language Files forum threads.

Changelog for VistaSwitcher 1.1.1:

New translations: Armenian, Danish, Polish, Swedish (18 languages now!)
Revised Ctrl+Alt+Tab when "Show tasks only from the active monitor" is enabled
Fixed link to the Language Files thread - http://www.ntwind.com/forum/
Several other minor improvements and bug fixes

Download VistaSwitcher 1.1.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)

WindowSpace 2.0.9 - Compatible With Windows 7 Now

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:22:49 -0600

I'm very glad to inform you that WindowSpace officially supports Windows 7 now. On the first run, the setup program ensures that WindowSpace settings won't conflict with or overshoot the system settings.

Resource Monitor recognizes WindowSpace as Windows 7 compatible application:

WindowSpace hotkeys do not conflict with the new Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts:

Changelog for WindowSpace 2.0.9:

New translations: Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Czech, Korean
Default settings are compatible with Windows 7 now
Added a compatibility section to the EXE/DLL manifests
Fixed default font of the Settings dialog on Windows Vista/7
Fixed position of the hotkey error dialog when Apply button is clicked
Some minor improvements on the 64-bit installer
Several other improvements and bug fixes

Download WindowSpace 2.0.9 (32-bit and 64-bit)

VistaSwitcher 1.1.0 - Now In 14 World Languages

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:02:14 -0600

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to translate VistaSwitcher and submit the translation on the forum. Now, if you are installing VistaSwitcher the first time, you'll be prompted to choose the installer language:

Interested in helping? How to translate VistaSwitcher →

Changelog for VistaSwitcher 1.1.0:

Multilingual User Interface: 14 world languages (German, Spanish, French and more)
Added a compatibility mode for Right-Click + Mouse Wheel (via registry, see forum)
Several improvements on the window enumeration algorithm
Language files: maximum string length extended to 384 characters
Fixed an issue with window-style previews of several applications under XP
Fixed an issue with enumerating MyPhoneExplorer windows and dialogs
Various other stability and performance improvements

Download VistaSwitcher 1.1.0 (32-bit and 64-bit)

VistaSwitcher 1.0 Final - New Logo, MUI and More

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:28:44 -0600

I'm very glad to inform you that VistaSwitcher is out of the beta phase and is now a live product. I put much effort into the development to make VistaSwitcher as fast and reliable as it is. I really hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

New Logo & Application Icon

Finally, VistaSwitcher gets a new redesigned logo, desktop and tray icons:

New application icon:

New tray icon:

Welcome Message

Right after installing VistaSwitcher, you'll see the following message in the system tray:

Multilingual User Interface

This is the first version of VistaSwitcher that supports third-party translations:

If you want to translate VistaSwitcher into your native language, please see the dedicated forum thread - Language Files for VistaSwitcher.

Changelog for VistaSwitcher 1.0.9:

New VistaSwitcher logo, redesigned desktop and tray icons
Added support of language files (see forum and 'lang' directory)
Added welcome message (balloon tip) when running VS the first time
Improved Alt+` behavior for European keyboard layouts (see forum)
Fixed an issue with preview when application has multiple child windows
Various other stability and performance improvements

Download VistaSwitcher 1.0.9 (32-bit and 64-bit)

WinSnap v3.1.4 - Improved Screen Capture

Alexander Avdonin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:58:50 -0600

This maintenance release of WinSnap further improves its screen capture capabilities and addresses a few minor issues, as usual. This is likely the last release before I start working on WinSnap 4.0.

I've slightly improved the "Window" selection algorithm to eliminate accidental Taskbar and Desktop captures (f.e. when you click the Taskbar for some reason and then switch to WinSnap without activating a window).

Changelog for WinSnap v3.1.4:

Improved the behavior of "Window" captures when the Taskbar is active
Improved the "Clear Aero background under Vista and Windows 7" feature
Fixed an issue with capturing desktop using the "Application" mode

Download WinSnap v3.1.4 (32-bit, 64-bit, portable)

VistaSwitcher Website + Online Documentation

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:53:40 -0600

I always get a lot of questions and support requests regarding my freeware projects. People often ask about features that are already present in the software. So, complete and good documentation is a great time saver for me.

Please take a look at the following articles about VistaSwitcher and its vast capabilities.

Updated articles:

General product pages:

The Final Release is coming very soon. Be prepared!

VistaSwitcher 1.0.8 Beta - Bugfix Release

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:22:04 -0600

I'm fixing the last critical bugs (at least I hope so), changelog:

Fixed an issue with losing focus when switching between MSN/WLM windows
Several improvements on the window switching algorithm
Some other minor bugfixes and improvements

Download VistaSwitcher 1.0.8 (32-bit and 64-bit)

VistaSwitcher 1.0.7 Beta - International Keyboard Layouts

Alexander Avdonin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:52:25 -0600

This release brings a number of bugfixes and goodies for people with non-English keyboard layouts. Now VistaSwitcher always replaces Alt + [the key right above the Tab] for switching between windows of the same application - no matter what the key is above the Tab on your keyboard layout.

Example 1 - Italian keyboard layout:

Use Alt + \ to switch between windows of a single application.

Example 2 - Swiss German keyboard layout:

Use Alt + § to switch between windows of a single application.

Learn more: Switch Windows Of The Same Application

Changelog for VistaSwitcher 1.0.7 Beta:

Added support of non-English keyboard layouts (for Alt+Backtick and other)
Several improvements on the Alt-Tab replacement routine
Improved the drawing speed and overall performance
Some other minor bugfixes and improvements

Download VistaSwitcher 1.0.7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

VistaSwitcher 1.0.6 Beta - Bugfix Release

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:12:03 -0600

I would like to thank everyone who tried out VistaSwitcher, sent feedback and reported bugs and issues. Your contribution really helps to deliver a better product!

Changelog for VistaSwitcher 1.0.6 Beta:

Fixed an issue with switching tasks when preview isn't fully rendered (XP)
Fixed an issue with switching between MSN Live Messenger windows (Win7)
Several improvements on the window enumeration algorithm
Various stability and performance improvements

Download VistaSwitcher 1.0.6 (32-bit and 64-bit)

VistaSwitcher 1.0.5 Beta - Aero Blur Effect

Alexander Avdonin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:19:15 -0500

New version of VistaSwitcher has been released today. This release addresses a critical issue that caused crashes when working with some applications and adds support of the Aero blur effect on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Aero Blur Effect

Open VistaSwitcher Preferences, Appearance tab, check "Enable Aero blur effect":

Here is the result:

The Aero blur effect looks cool and makes it easier to read the text labels. If you perform a fresh install of VistaSwitcher, this option is enabled by default.

Changelog for VistaSwitcher v1.0.5:

Added option "Enable Aero blur effect" (Appearance tab)
Removed option "Fade out animation" (Appearance tab)
Added ability to remap or even disable the Backtick key (see forum)
Fixed a critical issue that caused crashes when working with some apps
Various stability and performance improvements

Download VistaSwitcher 1.0.5 (32-bit and 64-bit)

VistaSwitcher 1.0.4 Beta - Improved Keyboard Control

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:01:36 -0500

New version of VistaSwitcher has been released today. This is probably the latest beta before version 1.0 goes gold. VistaSwitcher 1.0 Final should be released within 2 weeks.

Updated Keyboard Shortcuts

To start using VistaSwitcher, remember the two main keyboard shortcuts:

Alt + Tab	Switch between open windows
Alt + ` (Backtick)	Switch between open windows of the active application (for example, MS Word documents)

Use Alt + ` (Backtick) to switch between windows of the same application. This is easy to remember if you notice that the Backtick is the key right above the Tab.

So, to switch between ALL open windows, use Alt + Tab. To switch between windows of the same application, use the key right above, Alt + ` (Backtick).

See other keyboard shortcuts →

Hotkey Error Dialog

The Hotkey Error Dialog now provides more details on what the problem is:

Changelog for VistaSwitcher v1.0.4:

Alt + ` (Bactick) switches between windows of the active application
Ctrl+Alt+Tab switches between windows on the current monitor
Added ability to substitute the low-level keyboard hook (see forum)
Improved the Alt-Tab replacement routine (possible conflicts with other apps)
Shortcut key "A" - select all, second press - deselect all
Hotkey Error dialog now provides more details on what the problem is
Improved the window enumeration routine for New Exclusion dialog
Improved scaling of multi-monitor wallpapers (UltraMon, DisplayFusion, etc)
Several other improvements and bug fixes

Download VistaSwitcher 1.0.4 (32-bit and 64-bit)

WinSnap v3.1.3 - Minor Tweaks and Enhancements

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:24:19 -0500

New version of WinSnap has been released today. This is a new stable maintenance release which contains a few minor enhancements, as well as some bugfixes.

Now pressing the number key (1...5) twice changes the active capture mode and starts a new capture immediatelly, example:
- first press of "2" - select the Application capture mode,
- second press of "2" - take screenshot of the application.

This could be very useful for notebooks (especially if you are working without a mouse).

Changelog for WinSnap v3.1.3:

Pressing the number key twice starts a new capture
Fixed an issue with the digital signature in the previous version
Portable Edition: the trial counter works correctly now
Portable Edition: several performance improvements for I/O

Download WinSnap v3.1.3 (32-bit, 64-bit, portable)

VistaSwitcher 1.0.3 Beta - Support Of Multiple Monitors

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:22:17 -0500

New beta version of VistaSwitcher has been released today. This version adds support of multiple monitors and includes many other improvements (based on the user feedback).

Changelog for VistaSwitcher v1.0.3:

Desktop and window previews now work on multi-monitor systems
Added ability to show VistaSwitcher on the active monitor (Behavior tab)
Added option "Show tasks only from the active monitor" (Behavior tab)
Added option "Show VistaSwitcher icon in notification area" (General tab)
Option "Check for updates automatically" moved to the About page
Added "Preferences" item to the main right-click menu
Added a workaround to enable previews on Vista Home Basic
Added application compatibility section to the EXE manifest
Fixed an issue with IME windows on some machines
Several other improvements and bug fixes

Quick links:

Hidden Start 3.1 - Windows 7 Compatibility

Alexander Avdonin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:20:27 -0500

This minor update to Hstart adds support of the upcoming Windows 7 operating system:

Hstart can start non-elevated applications from elevated and handle UAC prompts on Windows 7 as well as on Windows Vista.

Download Hstart 3.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)

WinSnap v3.1.2 - Recommended Update

Alexander Avdonin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:48:45 -0500

New version of WinSnap has been released today. This is a recommended update that resolves various issues and contains many improvements to the core algorithms.

Changelog for WinSnap v3.1.2:

Fixed and improved "Clear Aero background under Vista/7" feature
Fixed and improved rendering of custom controls on slow computers
Fixed an issue with multiple presses of the PrintScreen key in the Region mode
Fixed an issue with applying Advanced Capture Settings on the first run
Several improvements to the WinSnap setup process
Fixed a PCA warning on Windows 7 (caused from time to time)
Added compatibility section to the EXE manifest for Windows 7

Download WinSnap v3.1.2 (32-bit, 64-bit, portable)

VistaSwitcher 1.0.2 Beta Released

Alexander Avdonin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:49:57 -0500

New beta version of VistaSwitcher has been released today. I invite everyone to test VistaSwitcher 1.0 Beta on as wide variety of system configurations as possible.

Added "Show task numbers" option and more:

Changelog for VistaSwitcher v1.0.2:

Added support of new wallpaper styles of Windows 7
Fixed "Tile" and "Center" wallpaper styles on Vista and XP
Added "Show task numbers" option (Appearance tab)
Added "Check for new versions of VistaSwitcher online" option
Pressing the number key twice switches to the selected task
Improved performance and memory usage
Some other bugfixes and improvements

Quick links:

WindowSpace v2.0.8 released

Alexander Avdonin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:39:16 -0500

New version of WindowSpace has been released today, changelog:

Several improvements on Snap-to-Side and Snap-to-Corner features
Fixed a minor issue with restoring window size
Fixed possible BSOD while working with hung app windows on Vista x64 (see forum)
Added ability to run WindowSpace after installation on Vista (using Hstart)
Added -exit command line switch for wspace.exe / wspace64.exe

Download WindowSpace v2.0.8 (32-bit and 64-bit)