Caution
This is a project where I basically let Antigravity wing it to create some utilities I needed. Fair warning: the project is likely a chaotic, disjointed mess Feel free to open an Issue if something's broken. I might let Antigravity patch it if the mood strikes. Or just fork it and do it yourself.
Caution
Warning: Experimental & Fragile
This project heavily relies on IVirtualDesktopManagerInternal, a private and undocumented Windows COM API. Microsoft can and will change this interface in any Windows update, which will break this application without notice.
Confirmed Working Environment:
- Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8037)
Operation on any other builds or versions is untested and not guaranteed. Use at your own risk.
A high-performance, AltTab replacement for Windows.
Built with .NET 10 & WPF. Designed for power users.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Window-Based Switching | Shows individual windows, not grouped by app. Two Chrome windows → two icons. |
| DWM Live Thumbnail | Zero-lag live preview via DwmRegisterThumbnail — no screenshots. |
| Virtual Desktop Aware | Full support for Windows 11 25H2. Groups windows by workspace with MRU-ordered desktop rows. |
| Vim-Style Navigation | H/J/K/L, A/S/D/W, arrow keys, or Tab/Shift to navigate. |
| Quick Actions | Q to close a window ・ Enter/Space to switch ・ Esc to cancel. |
| Blacklist | Filter out noisy background processes via blacklist.txt. |
| System Tray | Runs silently in the tray. Right-click for options. |
bws is deep-integrated with Windows 11's private COM APIs to ensure seamless workspace switching.
Only confirmed to work with Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8037).
We use IVirtualDesktopManagerInternal to handle desktop enumeration and switching, which allows us to bypass the usual API limitations and provide a much faster experience than standard switchers.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Alt + Tab |
Open switcher (release Alt to switch) |
Ctrl + Alt + Tab |
Open switcher in sticky mode (stays open) |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Tab / D / L / → |
Move right |
Shift / A / H / ← |
Move left |
S / J / ↓ |
Move down (next desktop row) |
W / K / ↑ |
Move up (previous desktop row) |
Enter / Space / LMB |
Switch to selected or clicked window |
Q / MMB |
Close the selected or clicked window |
Esc |
Cancel and hide |
Edit blacklist.txt (next to the exe) to exclude processes from appearing in the switcher:
# One process name per line
TextInputHost.exe
PhoneExperienceHost.exe
Pull requests are welcome! Feel free to submit issues for bugs or feature requests.
MIT License — see LICENSE for details.