How to Show All Windows on Alt+Tab Across Desktops

This tutorial will show you how to show all open windows when you press Alt+Tab or Ctrl+Alt+Tab. You can choose to see windows from just your current desktop or from all desktops in Windows 11.

Why This Matters

Task View (Win+Tab) is a virtual desktop manager. It helps you quickly switch between all your open apps across multiple desktops. This makes multitasking easier and keeps your work organized.

You can create virtual desktops to group apps by type. For example, you might have one desktop for work, one for entertainment, and one for projects. Multiple desktops are great for keeping different projects separate. They also help you quickly switch before a meeting.

What Happens When Done

By default, Windows only shows open windows on Alt+Tab or Ctrl+Alt+Tab on your current desktop.

After completing these steps, you can choose one of two options:

• All desktops = All windows open on every desktop will show. You can quickly switch to any window. If the window is on a different desktop, you will automatically switch to that desktop.
• Only on the desktop I’m using = Only windows on your current desktop will show. Windows on other desktops won’t appear. You’ll need to use Task View to switch between them.

Option One

Show All Open Windows Using Settings

1. Open Settings by pressing Win+I.
2. Click System on the left side. Then click Multitasking on the right side.
3.  Open Mulitasking Settings​
4. Click Desktops on the right side to expand it.
5. In the “Show all the open windows when I press Alt+Tab” dropdown, select On all desktops or Only on the desktop I’m using (default).
6. Close Settings.

Option Two

Show All Open Windows Using Windows Terminal

⚠️ Requires Admin Privileges

This option will not work when Administrator protection is turned on.

Open Windows Terminal as an administrator and run one of the commands below.

To show all windows on all desktops:

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v VirtualDesktopAltTabFilter /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

To show only windows on your current desktop (default):

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v VirtualDesktopAltTabFilter /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Option Three

Show All Open Windows Using Registry Editor

⚠️ Requires Admin Privileges

1. Open Registry Editor by typing regedit.exe in your search bar.
2. Navigate to this location in the left pane:
   

   HKEY_USERS\<SID>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

   
   

   Replace <SID> with the actual SID for your account. For example: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2398723747-3920169192-1191725819-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3. In the right pane, find VirtualDesktopAltTabFilter. Double-click it to edit it.
4. Enter 0 (for “On all desktops”) or 1 (for “Only on the desktop I’m using” – default). Click OK.
5. Restart the explorer process, sign out and sign back in, or restart your computer to apply the changes.
6. Close Registry Editor.

To find your SID, use the steps below:

Copy and paste the command below into PowerShell. Press Enter.

Get-WmiObject win32_useraccount | Select name,sid

Find the SID (example: “S-1-5-21-2398723747-3920169192-1191725819-1001”) for the account you want to configure. You will need to know the SID of the person’s account.

Summary

You now know three ways to control what windows appear when you press Alt+Tab or Ctrl+Alt+Tab in Windows 11. The easiest method is using Settings. If you prefer the command line, use Windows Terminal. For advanced users, Registry Editor offers the same control. Choose the method that works best for you. Your choice will stick until you change it again.