Windows 10 Here is a feature that I do really find useful!!!

MikeHawthorne

Essential Member
Microsoft Community Contributor
Hi

Anyone who is a gamer knows that there are times when you really need a little help.
That's a problem in a lot of games that are full screen and can't be minimized easily.

You have to go through a process of changing to Windows mode or exiting the game, open you browser, (by this time you have forgotten the exact name of what you are trying to look up) and then typing in your search.

With Windows 10 this problem is solved.

When you are in a game and hit the Windows Key, the task bar pops up in front of the game window.
This allows you to open your browser in the foreground with the game windows still open.

GameWindowComposite_zps9149675d.jpg


If you don't maximize the browser you can view both the game windows and the browser so you can see the information that you want info on.

This is a really handy way of handling window management.

Mike
 
Damn nice find Mike....I wish there was a video on that so that all us gamers out there can have a look at it in action. Do you know what this feature is called?
 
Hmm. I'll have to muck around with my setting a little. On mine, the taskkbar is always visible with a full screen game??
 
Nice feature... I'll have to try it and it seems a better idea than the usual alt-Tab routine.
 
Could one of you good people give me a game I can download to try this? I am perplexed as I say. My taskbar is there all the time with the trivial games I play (Solitaire etc.)
 
Hmm... The game I just tried it on did the same as Alt-Tab would namely showing the desktop and pausing the game on the Taskbar. I have to go out shortly but will try with other games later.

Download something like STEAM David as they have a few free demos (and games) or try something like World of Tanks or World of Planes which are both free to play.
 
Well, that took a while. Anyway, I clicked the desktop shortcut to start the game and a small options windows came up, I selected "windowed" I could play the game and keep my desktop and taskbar showing.
I suppose if you really want the full screen, then the suggested option in this thread is the viable choice.
 
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Hi

Pretty much any kind of MMO, or RPG runs full screen.
People don't want Windows features showing to break the immersion.

The trend is for less onscreen interface, games like The Elder Scrolls Online and Skyrim have almost no interface showing at all.
Other then a small compass at the top of the screen all you see it the scene.

In The Elder Scrolls, the combat icons only appear on the bottom of the screen when you engage in combat, the rest of the time they are invisible.

Games like Wow, used to have icons all over the screen.

this is especially nice if you are running the games in Stereo 3D, it's very convincing when the view has no misc. stuff floating around in it.

Mike.
 
Damn nice find Mike....I wish there was a video on that so that all us gamers out there can have a look at it in action. Do you know what this feature is called?

I don't think this is a feature exactly, I think they just changed the way that the windows key and layering works, you never were able to have windows open in front of a full screen window before.

If you couldn't minimize the window the other windows stayed behind.

Some games would let you exit full screen by pressing the Windows key but most would not.
But I don't remember any that would leave the game window full screen and open another windows in front of it.
 
Hmm... The game I just tried it on did the same as Alt-Tab would namely showing the desktop and pausing the game on the Taskbar. I have to go out shortly but will try with other games later.

Download something like STEAM David as they have a few free demos (and games) or try something like World of Tanks or World of Planes which are both free to play.
The Steam thing didnt seem to be a problem, as I posted,. So I decided to try "World of Warplanes" Loaded it up and then , when I clicked "Play now", it began updating. On estimate I could see that it was going to take 45 minutes on my crappy connection, so I gave up. I'll leave the game playing to you guys, I've decided.!!
 
Hi

I've tried more games and I've discovered that it works differently on different games.

In The Secret World it works but instead of opening my browser in front of the game window it
minimizes the game and you can switch back and forth using the task bar or the task view button.

It does get me some option to access other programs without getting out of the game though, something that wasn't true for many games before.

In some games hitting the Windows key had no effect at all.

In Age of Conan it works like it did in The Elder Scrolls, I can view the game windows with the browser in front of it, but you can also switch between apps with the game still running using the Task View button.

AgeofConan_zps5fbafbc4.png


Here you can see the game running while my browser and Open Office are running at the same time.

Either way it does give you an option to access your browser quickly without getting out of the game.
Something that didn't work with many games before.

Mike
 
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