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If there’s an app that you want to remain visible no matter what, you can set it to “permanent mode” so that you have quick one-click access to it. You can also mark specific applications that run at startup to automatically minimize a window to the tray.Īnother critical feature is the control the application has over which icons are always visible in the notification area. You also have the option of changing the way the standard minimize button works. This way, you still retain the normal minimize button functionality. The other thing that’s neat about Actual Windows Minimizer is that it adds an extra button to application windows. Of course, you can configure any application to run at startup with a little elbow grease, but a one-click solution is welcome. The first headline feature compared to the previous two applications is a built-in option to run the program at startup. There is a trial version of the software you can try for yourself to see if the extra level of polish and additional features are worth it. Actual Windows Minimizer ($19.95)īoth of the previous two tools are completely free, but if you’re up for spending a little money to get your windows tucked into the notification area, then Actual Windows Minimizer might be a good choice as well. To close RBtray, run it again and the program will ask you if you want to close the copy that’s already running.You can minimize the active window with the keyboard shortcut WIN+Alt+Down arrow.Alternatively, hold Shift while right-clicking on the title bar of any Window for the same effect.
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Right-click on any minimize button to minimize its window to the notification area.RBtray is now running, but it has no icons or other indication that it’s doing anything.The first time you run RBtray you’ll get a window with some instructions, select OK to move on.Run the program from its folder, or via a shortcut.Download RBtray and unzip it to a location of your choice.Alternatively, if you feel like being a little fancy, you can set it as a startup application so that it launches automatically every time Windows starts. You can simply pin a shortcut to the program on the taskbar or start menu. So you’ll have to start the program every time you want to use it. You’ll find the program icons in the notification area and you can restore the program windows by left-clicking on them there. That’s as opposed to the normal left-click, which would minimize a window to the taskbar. While RBtray is running, all you have to do is right-click on the minimize button of a window. RBtray is a tiny open source applet that works in the most ingenious way. Using RBtray to Quickly Minimize Almost Any Window to Tray Then choose the Window you want to restore from there.
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