Open Programs and Documents

Many files and programs can be open at the same time. To help keep track of them, Windows creates a button for each one in the main section of the Taskbar so that it can be easily accessed.

Shows the Taskbar.

In this example, several programs are running, but Freecell is the program that's currently active (i.e. it's on top, and keyboard and mouse input is directed to it). If you look at the buttons in the Taskbar, you'll see that the Freecell button is highlighted to indicate this (i.e. it's darker than the other buttons).

Shows the icons in the Taskbar.

How to Iconize a Program

When a program is running, a window is usually displayed on the screen. It is possible, however, for the program to continue running, but for the window not be to displayed. Removing the window while leaving the program running is referred to as "iconizing" the program. This allows the program to be accessed again when required, but avoids cluttering up the screen in the meantime.

Programs have three standard buttons in the top right-hand corner of their window:

Shows the standard buttons for a program.

The left hand button iconizes the program, the middle one changes it to take up the full screen (and changes it back again to its previous size if this button is used again), and the last button closes the program.

How to Open an Iconized Program

You can open a different program by clicking on the relevant button in the Taskbar. If the program is currently iconized (i.e. still running, but not displayed on the screen), it will be opened and brought to the front of the screen. If it's already open but behind other windows (as Mahjong Titans was in the first picture in this section), then it will be brought to the front.

How Multiple Files are Handled

If multiple files are open in the same program (such as several individual documents in a word processing program), Windows will display a separate button for each one as long as there is space in the Taskbar to do so. The following picture shows the buttons for three separate documents open in the OpenOffice.org Writer word processing program.

Shows multiple instances of a program in the Taskbar.

When there is no longer space for individual buttons (because there are too many items to fit), Windows collapses these into a single button. Clicking on this button then brings up a menu which lists the individual files, allowing the correct one to be selected.

Shows a single button representing multiple instances of a program in the Taskbar.

Program Preview

The previous picture also illustrates the preview of an iconized program. If you move the cursor over one of the buttons in the Taskbar, a miniature version of the iconized program is temporarily displayed to make it easier to find the one you're looking for.

Switching Windows Using Alt-Tab

If you press and hold the Alt key, a window pops up which shows miniature versions of all of your open files and programs. If you press the Tab key (while still holding Alt), the selection moves from one item to the next. When the one you want is highlighted, releasing the Alt key causes this program to be opened.

Shows how to switch windows using alt-tab.

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The Notification Area