22000.493.42.9

Tested on OS build 22000.493.

New features

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.493.
• Implemented Weather widget for the classic taskbar, similar to what is available in the more recent updates to Windows 10. Read more about it here.
• Implemented 2 features that help in replacing the functionality of the quick launch toolbar with pinned taskbar items. Read more about it here (.7).
• Implemented option to have Start open on a specific monitor (#821) (.8)

Feature enhancements

• The weather widget recomputes its area automatically, by default, in order to fit its contents, instead of remaining at a fixed size; there is also an option to choose between the two behaviors (.1)
• Possibility to disable the icon in the weather widget (.1)
• The weather widget defaults to showing in the preferred language set in Windows, instead of English (#734) (.2)
• The weather widget shows an error screen when an error happens (like, using an incorrect location, or the network not working etc) (.3)
• The weather widget supports dark mode (thanks @krlvm) (#755) (.4)
• The weather widget supports setting window corner preference (rounded/not rounded) (.8)

Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented the weather widget flyout from displaying correctly when the taskbar was using small icons (#741) (.1)
• Fixed inconsistencies when displaying the weather widget and the system themes are disabled (aka the classic theme is used) (.1)
• Screen readers now read the weather data when requested for the weather widget (.1)
• Changing the Start button style or weather widget layout does not toggle taskbar auto-hide now; instead, the settings take effect immediately (.1)
• Fixed a bug that could corrupt registry entries of type REG_SZ set via the Properties UI (#734) (.2)
• Fixed a bug that reset the setting when pressing "Cancel" in an input box in the Properties UI (#734) (.2)
• The weather widget adjusts its size vertically to accommodate the entire contents (#734) (.3)
• Fixed a bug that prevented correct registration of the weather flyout on certain systems (26b6646) (.5)
• Fixed a bug that made the weather flyout open with noticeable delay under certain circumstances (.5)
• Fixed a bug that prevented correct operation on builds without built-in symbols (#783) (.5)
• Fixed several race conditions that could lead to incorrect operation of the weather widget (for example, explorer.exe crashing when disabling or enabling the widget) (.6)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including a3452a6 in branch master.

22000.493.42.9

Tested on OS build 22000.493.

New features

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.493.
• Implemented Weather widget for the classic taskbar, similar to what is available in the more recent updates to Windows 10. Read more about it here.
• Implemented 2 features that help in replacing the functionality of the quick launch toolbar with pinned taskbar items. Read more about it here (.7).
• Implemented option to have Start open on a specific monitor (#821) (.8)

Feature enhancements

• The weather widget recomputes its area automatically, by default, in order to fit its contents, instead of remaining at a fixed size; there is also an option to choose between the two behaviors (.1)
• Possibility to disable the icon in the weather widget (.1)
• The weather widget defaults to showing in the preferred language set in Windows, instead of English (#734) (.2)
• The weather widget shows an error screen when an error happens (like, using an incorrect location, or the network not working etc) (.3)
• The weather widget supports dark mode (thanks @krlvm) (#755) (.4)
• The weather widget supports setting window corner preference (rounded/not rounded) (.8)

Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented the weather widget flyout from displaying correctly when the taskbar was using small icons (#741) (.1)
• Fixed inconsistencies when displaying the weather widget and the system themes are disabled (aka the classic theme is used) (.1)
• Screen readers now read the weather data when requested for the weather widget (.1)
• Changing the Start button style or weather widget layout does not toggle taskbar auto-hide now; instead, the settings take effect immediately (.1)
• Fixed a bug that could corrupt registry entries of type REG_SZ set via the Properties UI (#734) (.2)
• Fixed a bug that reset the setting when pressing "Cancel" in an input box in the Properties UI (#734) (.2)
• The weather widget adjusts its size vertically to accommodate the entire contents (#734) (.3)
• Fixed a bug that prevented correct registration of the weather flyout on certain systems (26b6646) (.5)
• Fixed a bug that made the weather flyout open with noticeable delay under certain circumstances (.5)
• Fixed a bug that prevented correct operation on builds without built-in symbols (#783) (.5)
• Fixed several race conditions that could lead to incorrect operation of the weather widget (for example, explorer.exe crashing when disabling or enabling the widget) (.6)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including 5242d89 in branch master.

22000.493.42.9

Tested on OS build 22000.493.

New features

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.493.
• Implemented Weather widget for the classic taskbar, similar to what is available in the more recent updates to Windows 10. Read more about it here.
• Implemented 2 features that help in replacing the functionality of the quick launch toolbar with pinned taskbar items. Read more about it here (.7).
• Implemented option to have Start open on a specific monitor (#821) (.8)

Feature enhancements

• The weather widget recomputes its area automatically, by default, in order to fit its contents, instead of remaining at a fixed size; there is also an option to choose between the two behaviors (.1)
• Possibility to disable the icon in the weather widget (.1)
• The weather widget defaults to showing in the preferred language set in Windows, instead of English (#734) (.2)
• The weather widget shows an error screen when an error happens (like, using an incorrect location, or the network not working etc) (.3)
• The weather widget supports dark mode (thanks @krlvm) (#755) (.4)
• The weather widget supports setting window corner preference (rounded/not rounded) (.8)

Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented the weather widget flyout from displaying correctly when the taskbar was using small icons (#741) (.1)
• Fixed inconsistencies when displaying the weather widget and the system themes are disabled (aka the classic theme is used) (.1)
• Screen readers now read the weather data when requested for the weather widget (.1)
• Changing the Start button style or weather widget layout does not toggle taskbar auto-hide now; instead, the settings take effect immediately (.1)
• Fixed a bug that could corrupt registry entries of type REG_SZ set via the Properties UI (#734) (.2)
• Fixed a bug that reset the setting when pressing "Cancel" in an input box in the Properties UI (#734) (.2)
• The weather widget adjusts its size vertically to accommodate the entire contents (#734) (.3)
• Fixed a bug that prevented correct registration of the weather flyout on certain systems (26b6646) (.5)
• Fixed a bug that made the weather flyout open with noticeable delay under certain circumstances (.5)
• Fixed a bug that prevented correct operation on builds without built-in symbols (#783) (.5)
• Fixed several race conditions that could lead to incorrect operation of the weather widget (for example, explorer.exe crashing when disabling or enabling the widget) (.6)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including 23163d7 in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including 5b9746a in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including e7ff459 in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including c2f1f4f in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including ba1340a in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including 8ac04c8 in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including 83f8930 in branch master.

22000.376.40.21

Tested on OS build 22000.376.

Highlights

• Built-in support for OS build 22000.376 (.12)
• Hotfix: Windows 10 taskbar "always combine"/"show labels" setting is properly preserved when upgrading from an older release (multiple reports, #612, #614) (.21)
• Primary taskbar remembers position when moved to a secondary monitor (multiple issues, like #504)
• Ability to set Control Center as network icon action (merged #492)
• Added possibility to use the original Windows 10 (Alt-Tab) window switcher; thus, the available options are now:
  • Windows 11 switcher - full screeen, slow, tiny selection outline, slow opening times
  • Windows 10 switcher - pretty good but lacks customization options
  • Windows NT switcher - the classic simple icon-based interface hosted by csrss
  • Simple Window Switcher - my own take on implementing this kind of functionality
• Registry access in the "Properties" GUI is now virtualized; that means, the same lightweight infrastructure is maintained but more complex behaviors can be offered via the improved backend; as such, this version introduces the following new configuration options:
  • Primary and secondary taskbar placement
  • Automatically hide the taskbar
• Proper activation of the "Properties" window when another instance is running and minimized
• Symbols parsing success notification displays for longer
• Debug builds are clearly indicated in the "About" page of "Properties"
• Fixed solution to properly produce a debug setup program
• Possibility to uninstall by renaming ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and running that (.4)
• Fixed a bug that crashed the "Properties" GUI when toggling certain settings (#527) (.6)
• The "Properties" window is restarted unelevated if it was open when application servicing was performed (#528) (.7, .13)
• Reliability improvements for File Explorer restarts (#529) (.7)
• When changing the main taskbar position and restarting File Explorer, the new position is now correctly saved and applied when File Explorer restarts (#523) (.7)
• Mitigation for the issue described in #416 (.7)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows 10 window switcher from displaying when it was enabled, instead falling back to the Windows NT window switcher (#548) (.8)
• Fixed the "Show People in the taskbar" option and made it not require a restart to apply (#554) (.10)
• Ability to choose look of Snap Assist (window list when snapping a window): Windows 11 or Windows 10 style (.11)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the correct set up of "DisplayVersion" registry entry in the uninstall information registry key (.11)
• Secondary taskbars' context menu is displayed similarly to the primary taskbar's context menu for Windows 10 style (.12)
• Safeguards to prevent malicious executions on update mechanism hijacks for systems where User Account Control is disabled (#567) (.13)
• Option to prevent certain Control Panel links from being redirected to the Settings app (.14), including in build 22523 (.15)
• Settings are now stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ExplorerPatcher so that Windows does not reset them anymore across major OS updates (#576) (.16)
• Improved Properties UI layout by reducing wasted space and eliminating redundant elements (#590) (.17)
• Support for the Win+Alt+D shortcut to activate the clock flyout, as in Windows 10 (#591) (.17)
• Fixes for Windows 11 taskbar:
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor does not react when the mouse is over it and auto hide is on; fixed this (#589) (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, under certain circumstances, the main taskbar does not show its system tray when explorer starts up and auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • As shipped by Microsoft, a taskbar displayed on a secondary monitor might display a wrong contextual menu when auto hide is on; fixed this (.17)
  • The clock flyouts now display correctly when using this taskbar
  • Fixed a bug that displayed wrong window previews when the combine taskbar buttons option was set to never combine (#564) (.17)
  • Possibility to set position on screen (top/bottom) from the Properties UI
• Restoring default settings only asks for elevation if required (for the moment, only if you have registered the application as shell extension) (.18)
• Fixed the context menu not working (and a potential associated crash) of the new Microsoft IME (#598, #588) (.19) (huge thanks to @Simplestas)
• GUI: Lock ExplorerFrame into memory (.20)

Simple Window Switcher

• Dramatically improved performance, refactored application; switched to building the window lists faster, on demand, so that the proper windows are always displayed (as far as I remember, the latest IsAltTabWindow is based on a function called IsTaskedWindow ripped straight from AltTab.dll from Windows 7 6.1.7600.16385)
• Proper history of window activations is maintained internally
• Implemented support for layered windows, thus making transparency possible when using the default theme (Acrylic and Mica brushes are still available, but those have the disadvantage that the system can disable them in certain scenarios, like saving energy when working on battery power)
• Improved reliability of startup delay and window dismiss when quickly Alt-Tabbing
• Window icons are retrieved async now
• Better icon drawing using GDI+ flat API
• Added some more debug messages
• Fixed some rendering problems when themes are disabled
• Fixed regression of #161 (.1)
• Possibility to disable per-application window lists (Alt+`) (#283) (.2)
• Fixed bug that prevented proper loading of default settings (.3)
• Implemented a mitigation for #516: gestures for switching apps on Windows Precision Touchpad devices trigger the Windows 10 switcher instead of the Windows 11 switcher, which is much closer to how Simple Window Switcher looks and behaves; ideally, a full solution for this should be provided in the future, in the form of support for activation and navigation using Windows Precision Touchpad gestures in the Simple Window Switcher (.5)
• Fixed an issue that could hung the application and made window switchers unavailable (#525) (many thanks to @jdp1024) (.7)
• Possibility to configure window padding (.7)
• Support for closing window with middle button (#110) (.9)
• Mitigated an issue that may have prevented Explorer from launching correctly when Simple Window Switcher is set as window switcher (.9)
• Fixed a crash that could make Explorer restart repeatedly at startup or even hang indefinitely (#525) (.15)

Please consult the README for more details.
A detailed change log is available here.
An archive containing all the files generated during the build process (including dxgi.dll and symbol files) is available here.

This release has been published automatically from commits up to and including 7bfb07f in branch master.