General

Q: How do I tile the windows like Exposé?
A: This is the default in 1.2.0 and newer. You can change the default view in the General tab under the Views section. You can also press Page Down to switch between views.
Q: How do I configure dock view to activate a window with only one click?
A: This is the default in 1.2.0 and newer. You can select different behavior with the Behavior of docked windows setting in the General tab under the Dock View section.

Window Style

Q: How do I change the color of selected windows?
A: Click the Window Style tab and select the Selected window state. Scroll down and check Frame and Background. Then click the color boxes to change the background color.
Q: How do I make windows transparent?
A: This feature was removed in version 2.0, but I am considering adding it back in a future version.

Shortcuts

Q: How do I assign shortcuts to the extra buttons on a 5-button mice?
A: The extra buttons are labeled Button 1 and Button 2 in mouse shortcuts.
Q: How do I begin a session in different views with different shortcuts?
A:
1. Create a shortcut for the command that activates the view you want, for example the Grid View command.
2. Check the Global shortcut checkbox. This causes the shortcut to begin a session.
When activated, the shortcut will both begin a session and trigger the command, which in this case will produce the desired effect of beginning a session in grid view.

The following is an example of a keyboard shortcut that will begin a session and activate grid view when it is assigned to the Grid View command.
Q: How do I make a shortcut that begins a session and only shows windows from the current application?
A:
1. Create a shortcut for the Show Application Only command.
2. Check the Global shortcut checkbox.
When activated, the shortcut will both begin a session and show only the windows belonging to the foreground application.
Q: How do I make Switcher work like Alt+Tab?
A: The default shortcuts include the global Windows+Caps Lock keyboard shortcut. It begins a session and navigates through windows and ends the session when the keys are released.
Q: I have a UK keyboard and the key above the Tab key is different from US keyboard. How do I use that key to activate Switcher?
A: In older versions you needed to select Oem8 as the hot key. For newer versions, click here for information on how to modify the shortcuts.

Bugs and feature requests

Q: How can I make it work with elevated applications?
A: This is a known issue. A workaround is to run Switcher elevated.
Q: Switcher is too slow and jerky.
A: Unfortunately I think it's a performance issue elsewhere, such as in DWM or video drivers/hardware. This problem is especially apparent if all your windows are maximized; restoring them to smaller rectangles improves performance. Regardless, I'm still looking for workarounds to improve performance.
Q: How do I report overlapping windows in tile view?
A: Windows in tile view should never overlap. I've added fixes in 1.1.0 and 1.0.5, but if you ever see this, you can do the following to help:
1. Open Switcher settings.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Set DebugCopyRectanglesToClipboard to True. Note that this will overwrite the contents of your clipboard.
4. Click the Hide button.
5. Use Switcher until you see overlapping windows again. Window information is copied to the clipboard after every session.
6. Send me the window information. Remember to reset DebugCopyRectanglesToClipboard to False when you're done.
Q: Can you make it more like Mac's Exposé?
A: You'll have to be more specific; my only Mac exposure has been at computer stores and online videos, so I'm not very familiar with Exposé's behavior.

Q: Switcher doesn't enter switching mode, or I get a "Warning: Aero is disabled" message. Help?
Q: Switcher requires Aero. How do I tell if I have Aero?
A: Switcher requires Aero, and does nothing if Aero is not enabled. You can determine if Aero is enabled using the following images:

Aero is enabled
Not enabled
Not enabled

If Aero is disabled, you can try the following steps to enable it:

Click Start, select Control Panel.
Underneath Appearance and Personalization, click Change the color scheme.
Select Windows Aero from the list of color schemes and press OK.

If Windows Aero isn't on the list, see this page for information and how you can get Aero. Note that Windows Aero is not included on Windows Vista Home Basic.

Miscellaneous

Q: When is the next release and what will be in it?
A: I don't know. I just work on it when I have time, and I'd rather not make promises of release dates or features.
Q: Is there a mailing list for updates?
A: Nope. Subscribe to the RSS feed on my blog for updates.
Q: Who are you?
A: I'm Bao, and I work at Microsoft on the Documents and Printing team, specifically XPS-related work. Wikipedia has more information. Disclaimer: Switcher is an independent hobby project, and is neither supported nor endorsed by Microsoft in any way whatsoever.
Q: How can I donate to help this project?
A: You can't. I'd prefer donations to Doctors Without Borders and/or UNICEF.
Q: What language is Switcher written in?
A: C#. The first prototype was coded in Notepad on a fresh Vista install, and so the only compilers available to me were the .NET ones that came preinstalled. Plus I like love the language :)
Q: What APIs did you use to get the thumbnails?
A: I used the DWM Thumbnail APIs to get live thumbnails. And really, that's the core of Switcher. The rest of the code involves animating the thumbnail rectangles, handling input, and watering your lawn.
Q: Do you use Switcher?
A: Only when working on it :) I'm perfectly happy with Alt+Tab!
Q: Where are the pictures featured in your screenshots from?
A: They're from road trips I've taken. Click here for a Live Maps collection of places I've visted by car.