How to Fix Fix Alt+Tab Not Working or Not Switching Windows on Windows
Alt+Tab not working? Alt+Tab switcher not showing? Can't switch between windows? Alt+Tab shows blank thumbnails or crashes? Fix Alt+Tab window switching on Windows 10 and 11.
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Main Troubleshooting Guide
How to Fix Computer Freezing and Hanging →Complete symptoms, causes, and step-by-step solutions
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Pressing Alt+Tab does nothing — no window switcher appears
- •Alt+Tab shows the switcher but doesn't actually switch windows
- •Alt+Tab thumbnails are blank or black
- •Alt+Tab only shows some windows — missing open apps
- •Alt+Tab switcher flashes briefly then disappears
- •Alt+Tab works but skips certain applications
Common Causes
- ⚠Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) process hung or crashed
- ⚠Third-party overlay software (Discord, GeForce Experience) intercepting Alt+Tab
- ⚠Focus Assist or Game Mode interfering with Alt+Tab in fullscreen apps
- ⚠Registry setting changed Alt+Tab behavior or disabled it
- ⚠Corrupted Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) affecting compositing
- ⚠Keyboard driver issue or stuck Alt key
Solutions
Solution 1: Restart Windows Explorer
- 1Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager
- 2Find "Windows Explorer" in the Processes tab
- 3Right-click → Restart
- 4This refreshes the shell without rebooting
- 5Test Alt+Tab immediately after Explorer restarts
- 6If Task Manager won't open, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager
- 7If Alt+Tab works after restart, a temporary shell glitch caused it
Solution 2: Check Alt+Tab Settings and Registry
- 1Open Settings → System → Multitasking
- 2Under "Alt+Tab" dropdown: select "Open windows only" (not Edge tabs)
- 3If the setting is missing or greyed out, check Registry:
- 4Open regedit → HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
- 5Look for "AltTabSettings" DWORD — delete it if present (restores default)
- 6Also check: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- 7Ensure "MultiTaskingAltTabFilter" is set to 3 (show all windows)
- 8Restart Explorer or reboot to apply changes
Solution 3: Fix Conflicting Software and DWM
- 1Disable overlay software temporarily:
- 2Discord → Settings → Overlay → disable in-game overlay
- 3GeForce Experience → Settings → In-Game Overlay → toggle off
- 4Steam → Settings → In-Game → uncheck "Enable Steam Overlay"
- 5If Alt+Tab fails in fullscreen games: try Borderless Windowed mode instead
- 6Restart Desktop Window Manager: open CMD as Admin → taskkill /f /im dwm.exe
- 7DWM will auto-restart — test Alt+Tab
- 8Run: sfc /scannow to repair any corrupted system files
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