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What does WinShake do?...

 

Well, it has six different functions, that can be used in the following ways:

 

Function:

Nr:

MMB or Ctrl Click:

Icon:

HotKey:

Show Desktop

  1

2x Taskbar Clock

Click

Alt-Win-D

Reset*

  2

2x Taskbar Clock /

Click + Ctrl-Shift

Alt-Win-D-Shift

.

  .

Title Bar + Shift

(0/1 open window)

Alt-Win-S-Shift

Shake

  3

2x Title Bar

Click + Shift

Alt-Win-S

PeekX

  4

1x Title Bar

.

Alt-Win-A

Peek

  4

1x Taskbar Clock

Click + Ctrl

Alt-Win-Space

Taskbar Peek

  5

1x Taskbar Button

.

.

PeekTop

  6

1x X-Button

Click + Ctrl-Shift

Alt-Win-Z

PeekTopX

  6

2x X-Button

.

Alt-Win-X

 

*Reset is NOT the same as restore! See function 2 below.

 

1. First of all, it is an improved version of the Show Desktop icon in your Quick Launch Bar (9x/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista). And with WinShake Control running, you can also access Show Desktop by double clicking the Middle Mouse Button at (the right of) the clock in the Taskbar (2000/XP/2003/Vista).

As you know, the original Show Desktop function shows the desktop by removing everything, including Side Bars, Gadgets and such. Not this one. This one only removes minimizable windows. And for those, the original usually "forgets" which one was on top, when restoring them. WinShake remembers the one on top.

 

Another problem with the original is that when you use it to show the desktop, then open another program, after which you want to restore the previous windows again, you're out of luck. They can only be restored by the original as long as you don't start any new programs in between. WinShake doesn't care what you do in between.

It restores everything you had open before and even keeps the current active window on top and puts the previous active one right below it, simply by again clicking the icon, or double clicking the Middle Mouse Button at (the right of) the clock in the Taskbar.


2. But then what if you actually want to start all over with a clean desktop and make sure the previous windows do not come back anymore when you click the icon? That can simply be done by using the Reset function: just hold Shift while double clicking the Middle Mouse Button at (the right of) the clock in the Taskbar or on the Title Bar of a window (2000/XP/2003/Vista). Or you can click the icon holding Ctrl-Shift, with no more than ONE open window (9x/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista).

 

 

3. The function where WinShake gets its name from is the Shake function. (9x/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista)

Some of you might have seen Aero Shake in Windows 7. This is something similar, only a little different: by double clicking the Middle Mouse Button on the Title Bar of the window (2000/XP/2003/Vista), or by holding Shift while clicking the icon, the active window is shaken for you and all the other windows are minimized, keeping only the one you were working with on a clean desktop. And contrary to the original, WinShake can even shake maximized windows.

By shaking again, the other windows are restored and the previous second one on top is put back right below your current active one.

 

 

4. The fourth trick: the Peek and PeekX functions. (2000/XP/2003/Vista)

Any idea yet what this does?...  Indeed, it is similar to Aero Peek in Windows 7: just click the Middle Mouse Button at (the right of) the clock in the Taskbar, or hold Ctrl while clicking the icon, and all windows become transparent, leaving only their borders. But whereas Aero Peek only lets you peek through the windows, WinShake makes the desktop really accessible, while still keeping the order of all windows in tact.

By clicking the Middle Mouse Button on a window's Title Bar, all windows become transparent except the one you clicked on, so you can for example drag something between this window and the desktop. A PeekX alternative to shaking the window.

When using WinShake Control, there is also a ToolTip shown with the Title of the window when hovering over its border. By clicking the Middle Mouse Button on the border itself or on this Title ToolTip, only that window is returned to normal, so you can work with that one.

Clicking the Middle Mouse Button again on the Title Bar or anywhere else on the desktop or in the window, returns all other windows to normal again as well. You can also again click the Middle Mouse Button at (the right of) the clock in the Taskbar, or hold Ctrl while clicking the icon, to return all windows to normal.

Choosing any other function except PeekTop, first returns all windows to normal, after which it performs the other "trick" you asked for. Switching between Peek and PeekTop keeps the necessary windows Peeked.

 

 

5. And the fifth function is Taskbar Peek. (XP/2003/Vista)

This is very similar to the true Windows 7 Aero Peek function, making it possible to Peek at a window, just by hovering over its Taskbar Button: when clicking the Middle Mouse Button on one of the program buttons, all other windows become transparent, leaving only the desired one to look at. You can use this to quickly find a window in real size, making it easier to see the differences between two windows. Or maybe you just want to take a Peek at one without actually switching to it.

 

By hovering over a Grouped Taskbar Button, its menu automatically opens, so you can Peek at these windows too. Even minimized windows can be Peeked at!... As long as they've been open long enough for WinShake Control to take a SnapShot of them, that SnapShot is being shown in real size on the position where the window was when the picture was taken. And when you click on a SnapShot, the actual window is restored.

You can leave this Taskbar Peek mode by simply moving the mouse away from the Taskbar, or by clicking the Middle Mouse Button again, if you don't want to switch to a new window. Or of course with the Left Mouse Button in case you do want to switch.

And when you just want to do something with the window you're peeking at first, before leaving Taskbar Peek mode, you can keep Taskbar Peek mode open by holding Shift or Ctrl.

 

 

6. The final functions are PeekTop and PeekTopX. ("2000"/XP/2003/Vista)

PeekTop is based on Peek, but only slightly: when you click the Middle Mouse Button on the X-Button in the Title Bar of the window, or you hold Ctrl-Shift while clicking the icon with at least TWO open windows, it makes the active window semi-transparent (level can be set), so you can work with it and read what's underneath at the same time. When there are "Always-On-Top" windows that might block your view, they are Peeked.

On Windows 2000 the active window is Peeked as well, not made semi-transparent.

You can again click the Middle Mouse Button on the X-Button of the window, or hold Ctrl-Shift while clicking the icon, to return the windows to normal.

Choosing any other function except Peek, first returns the windows to normal, after which it performs the other function you asked for. Switching between PeekTop and Peek keeps the necessary windows Peeked.

 

PeekTopX is a variant of PeekTop: by double clicking the Middle Mouse Button on the X-Button in the Title Bar of the window, that window and its Taskbar Button disappear completely. Handy when nosy people are around...  Any "Always-On-Top" windows present are Peeked.

Double clicking the Middle Mouse Button again on the X-Button of any window, makes the hidden window reappear and the Peeked windows return to normal.

This function however is disabled by default and can only be enabled when you have administrator rights.

 

 

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