LT2000

Just curious...is it possible to minimize all windows (on all virtual desktops in Win10) and then restore just the windows that were not originally minimized? The thought here is that you would (1) minimize all windows (2) use keyboard shortcuts to navigate to desktop (3) restore the window "state" as is was before script was run. I suspect this would minimize the apparent "flashing" since the flashing is really just the fact that you are viewing all the open windows on the virtual desktops. If you are just seeing the background, it might look OK.

ViciousXUSMC: Thanks, I gave it a shot and got it to run, but it doesn't seem to serve the intended purpose.

Thanks guys, sorry about being a hassle about it. I was trying to "fine tune" the request, but it did not work out as well as I hoped.

Oops, yes you are right. I thought I had phrased that differently, but it is basically the same. I should have bumped it. In this thread, I was trying to be more specific with the title since I had given up on doing something more "native" to address it. Pausing the screen refresh is a last resort option, not a primary option. In the other thread, I was still looking for a native option really.

- Its not evasion. I was trying to make it simple and was using that as an example, as requested. As I feared, things then got specific and transitioned into how to solve a problem that didn't need solving. Hence, the reason why I did not post a specific example initially. - Here is the real problem: In Win10 (which many people don't have yet and why I didn't post an example for), I am trying to access various virtual desktops. The only way to do that is to use WIN+CTRL+arrow. If there is another way to access these virtual desktops, I am all ears. But I can't find anything in AutoIT. Perhaps in a later build though. - And if there is no way to pause the screen refresh, the can't that just be said since that was the original question? I simply don't know if this is even possible.

I don't disagree, but like I mentioned, that was just an example. There is another script which must use Send key commands that has the same issue. I am actually more interested in the other one, but this one is easier to demonstrate as an example.

A couple issues: - The window name is unknown. This just restores all existing windows, regardless of the name. There may be multiple instances of a program as well. It actually looks like this in reality. Pretty crude, but gets the job done. Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}")- I have another script that would benefit from a non-refresh, which I am nearly certain there is no other way to perform other than Send key commands.

Here is a simple example. This just restores a few windows that may be minimized, but the screen flashes while doing it. Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}") Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{ALTUP}")The goal is to not experience that flashing effect by somehow pausing the screen refresh

I wrote a few simple scripts that perform actions. But I don't want to see windows flashing or the mouse pointer move while it is being executed. I was wondering if there was a way to first turn off display refresh and then turn display refresh back on after the script executes? Of course, even if that is possible, then there is a concern about something going wrong and the screen refresh being turned back on in the event of a crash/other.

Along these lines..does anyone do freelance work? I have something I would like done, but the odds I can do it myself (in a reasonable time period) are exactly zero. I wouldn't mind paying a small fee to get someone to do it.

At the end of the day, the hotkeys work really well and I can find some that will work for various window positioning. Thanks!

Thanks, that does work great! However, I am still wanting not quite ready to give up on the icon approach. This approach has some quirks, but works 100% so far. The major downside is the window has to be at the center of the screen. But not a terrible trade off. MouseClick("left",1280,720,1,0) ; selects window at center of screen WinMove("", "", 0, 0, 900, 1367) MouseClick("left",2300,1380,1,0) ; reposition mouse

Definitely a reliability issue with the following command. Most of the time it finds the right window, but a lot of times it does not. Any idea why that is? Is that just asking too much from the string? I suspect if there was a delay between the alt-tab and left keys then it would be robust, but can't see how to make that happen. Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{LEFT}{ALTUP}")

Well since I am not a coder, I just hacked my way through it. This works. Basically I realized that the alt-tab structure always forces the most current window to the left of the list. So I used a send key to "activate" it and then applied the resize. Surely not best practice, but good enough for me. -- Send("{ALTDOWN}{TAB}{LEFT}{ALTUP}") WinMove("", "", 0, 0, 900, 1367) --- P.S. Not always 100% reliable (guess due to the alt-tab left and a timing issue) but usually works, so close enough for now at least.

I created some quick launch shortcuts to change the active virtual desktop in Win10. The keyboard commands are WIN+CNTRL+(arrow left/right). The problem is that you can not directly access a given desktop number. So what I did instead was always set it the first desktop via a series of left commands and then go the intended desktop number (3 in this example). It does work, but it flashes the screen and can be annoying. Any way to clean this up by either directly go to a given desktop number or by stopping the screen from refreshing until the script is completed? ---- 'First four commands ensure first desktop is active Send("^#{LEFT}") Send("^#{LEFT}") Send("^#{LEFT}") Send("^#{LEFT}") 'Sets to the 3rd desktop Send("^#{RIGHT}") Send("^#{RIGHT}")