How to Show All Windows on Alt+Tab Across Desktops

What Happens When Done

When you set Alt+Tab to show all desktops, you’ll see every single window you have open, even if it’s on a different virtual desktop. This makes finding and switching to the app you need much quicker, helping you manage your open programs more efficiently.

After completing these steps, you can choose one of the following 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

You can easily make Alt+Tab show all open windows across all your desktops by using the Windows Settings. Open Settings, go to System, then Multitasking, and finally Desktops to find the option that changes this behavior.

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

You can also make Alt+Tab show all open windows across every desktop by running a command in Windows Terminal as an administrator. This method uses commands in the Terminal to adjust the setting, but it won't work if Administrator protection is enabled.

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

You can change Alt+Tab to show all open windows across all desktops by making a small edit in the Windows Registry. This involves opening the Registry Editor (a system tool for making advanced changes) and navigating to a specific location to change a value that controls Alt+Tab.

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

   📝Good to Know

   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 (Security Identifier) for that account. Your SID is a unique string of numbers that identifies your user profile.

Summary

You've learned three ways to control whether Alt+Tab shows windows from just your current desktop or all your desktops.