Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10

How do you switch between different tabs on your device? The answer would be Alt + Tab. This shortcut key is the most used one. It made switching between open tabs on your system easy in Windows 10. However, there are some occasions when this function stops working. If you are experiencing this problem on your device, you need to find out the methods to Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10. When it comes to finding out the causes of this problem, there are several reasons. However, we will focus on the methods to solve this problem.

Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10

In this article, we are going to cover the following issues:

  • ALT+TAB doesn’t work: Alt + Tab shortcut key is very important to switch between the open program window, but users are reporting that sometime it doesn’t work.
  • Alt-Tab sometimes stops working: Another case where Alt + Tab doesn’t work sometimes means its a temporary issue that can be resolved by restarting Windows Explorer.
  • Alt + Tab does not Toggle: When you press Alt + Tab, nothing happens, which means it does not toggle to other program windows.
  • Alt-Tab disappears quickly: Another issue related to Alt-Tab keyboard shortcut. But this can also be resolved using our guide.
  • Alt-Tab not switching windows: Users are reporting that Alt+Tab shortcut doesn’t switch windows on their PC.

Fix Alt+Tab Not Working (Switch Between Programs Windows)

Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.

Method 1: Change the Registry Values

1. Open Run command by pressing Windows + R.

2. Type regedit in the box and hit Enter.

Type regedit in the box and hit Enter | Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10

3. Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

4. Now look for the AltTabSettings DWORD. If you do not find the one, you need to create the new one. You need to right-click on the Explorer key and choose New > Dword (32-bit) Value. Now type the name AltTabSettings and hit Enter.

Right-click on the Explorer key and choose New then Dword (32-bit) Value

5. Now double click on the AltTabSettings and set its value to 1 then click OK.

Change the Registry Values to Fix Alt+Tab Not Working

After completing all these steps, you may be able to Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10 issue. However, if you still experience the same problem, you can implement the other method.

Method 2: Restart Windows Explorer

Here comes another method to get your Alt+Tab function working. It would help if you restarted your Windows Explorer which may solve your problem.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to open Task Manager.

2. Here you need to locate Windows Explorer.

3. Right-click on Windows Explorer and select Restart.

Right-click on Windows Explorer and select Restart | Fix Alt+Tab Not Working

After this Windows Explorer will restart and hopefully the problem will be solved. However, it would help if you kept in mind that this is a temporary solution; it means you have to repeat it repeatedly.

Method 3: Enable or Disable Hotkeys

Sometimes this error occurs just because the hotkeys are disabled. Sometimes malware or infected files can disable the hotkeys on your system. You can disable or enable the hotkeys using the below steps:

1. Press Windows + R and type gpedit.msc and hit Enter.

Press Windows Key + R then type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open Group Policy Editor

2. You will see Group Policy Editor on your screen. Now you need to navigate to the following policy:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

Navigate to File Explorer in Group Policy Editor | Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10

3. Select File Explorer than on the right pane, double-click on Turn off Windows Key hotkeys.

4. Now, under the Turn off Windows Key hotkeys configuration window, select Enabled options.

Double-click on Turn off Windows Key hotkeys & select Enabled | Fix Alt+Tab Not Working

5. Click Apply, followed by OK to save changes.

Now check if you’re able to Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10 issue. If the problem is still there to haunt you, you can follow the same method, but this time you need to select the Disabled option.

Method 4: Reinstall the Keyboard Driver

1. Open Run box by pressing Windows + R simultaneously.

2. Type devmgmt.msc and hit enter to open Device Manager.

devmgmt.msc device manager

3. Here, you need to locate Keyboard and expand this option. Right-click on the keyboard and select Uninstall.

Right-click on the keyboard and select Uninstall under Device Manager

4. Restart your system to apply the changes.

Upon restart, Windows will automatically download and install the latest keyboard drivers. If it does not install the driver automatically, you can download the driver from the keyboard manufacturer’s official website.

Method 5: Check your keyboard

You can also check whether your keyboard is functioning properly or not. You can remove the keyboard and connect other keyboards with your PC.

Now try Alt + Tab, if it is working, it means your keyboard is damaged. This means you need to replace your keyboard with a new one. But if the problem persists, you need to opt for other methods.

Method 6: Enable the Peek option

Many users solve their Alt + Tab not working issue by simply enabling Peek option in Advanced System Settings.

1. Press Windows Key + R then type sysdm.cpl and hit Enter to open System Properties.

system properties sysdm | Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10

2. Switch to Advanced tab then click on the Settings button under Performance.

Switch to Advanced tab then click on Settings under Performance

3. Here, you need to make sure that Enable Peek option is checked. If it is not, you need to check it.

Enable Peek option is checked under Performance Settings | Fix Alt+Tab Not Working

After completing this step, you need to check whether the problem is solved and Alt+ Tab function started working.

Recommended:

Hopefully, above mentioned all methods would help you to Fix Alt+Tab Not Working in Windows 10. However, in case you want to connect and get more solutions, comment below. Please follow the steps systematically to avoid any problem on your PC.

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