Alt-Tab is 1 of the most useful keyboard shortcuts, as information technology makes navigating between multiple open up windows super simple. Not only does it salve y'all time but also your effort in moving the mouse. Notwithstanding, information technology may neglect to register at times, preventing yous from switching windows.

Often, this problem is a hardware issue, only software bug can also crusade this to occur. If yous also experience the same problem, here are some fixes you lot can endeavour.

one. Rule Out Hardware Bug

It is important to dominion out hardware problems at the beginning of the troubleshooting process. Ensure that your keyboard is connected correctly to your PC, so cheque if all the other keys are working.

In cases where an issue comes from the keyboard itself, try connecting it into another port, check for any cable damage, or get the keyboard inspected by a technician.

Having ensured that all other keys are working correctly, information technology is time to confirm that Alt and Tab are registering. To practice that, visit the keyboard tester website and press both Alt and Tab keys individually on the keyboard to ensure they are working correctly.

Testing Alt and Tab Keys on a Keyboard Testing Website

If one of the Alt keys isn't working, endeavour using another working Alt key. If the other Alt primal does non help, keep with the residual of the fixes.

ii. Reinstall Your Keyboard's Driver

Information technology'southward possible that fifty-fifty when keys are registering correctly, the input might not be adequately fed into the organisation if the keyboard driver is outdated. In most cases, driver issues contribute significantly to not supporting specific keyboard shortcuts, and Alt-Tab may exist one of them. Thus, it'due south imperative to reinstall the keyboard driver on the system.

Follow the below steps to reinstall the keyboard driver:

  1. Right-click on This PC and go to Manage.
  2. Navigate to Device Manager in the left sidebar in the Computer Management window.
  3. Locate and aggrandize the Keyboards category in the right-pane.
  4. Correct-click on the keyboard device and hit Uninstall Device.
    Uninstalling Keyboard Driver in Computer Management Settings

Check whether reinstalling the keyboard commuter had any upshot? Continue applying the other fixes if not.

3. Restart Windows Explorer

Providing a GUI, Windows Explorer controls all of your navigation across files and folders on your computer. Therefore, non-responsiveness on the Windows Explorer side tin can too exist to arraign for the shortcut not registering. Restart Windows Explorer to rule this possibility out.

Follow the below steps to practice that:

  1. Correct-click on the Windows Start push button and go to Task Manager.
  2. Locate Windows Explorer from the list of programs.
  3. Right-click on it and hit Restart.
    Restarting Windows Explorer in Task Manager in Windows 10

Later restarting Windows Explorer, you can give your PC a fresh start to bank check if the shortcut is at present working. If not, continue with the remaining fixes.

four. Enable Peek Pick

Occasionally, Alt-Tab fails to register when the Peek option has been disabled in Windows settings. The peek option allows yous to navigate to your desktop by hovering your mouse over the little rectangle on the lower-left corner while viewing any other window.

Hence, make certain that isn't the instance here by enabling Peek in Windows settings. To do then, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Windows Settings app
  2. Navigate to Personalization.
  3. Click on the Taskbar in the left-sidebar.
  4. To enable Peek preview, plough the toggle for Use Peek to preview the desktop when you lot move your mouse to the Testify desktop button at the stop of taskbar to the left side.
    Turning On Peek Preview Option in Windows Settings App

When Peek doesn't piece of work later turning it on from the Settings app, ensure yous accept enabled it in Performance options. Follow the steps below to verify this:

  1. Open Windows Settings app.
  2. Go to System.
  3. Navigate to About on the left-sidebar.
  4. Click on Advanced system settings in the right pane.
    Advanced System Settings in Windows Settings App
  5. Click on Settings in the Advanced tab in the System Properties window.
  6. Check the box for Enable Peek, click Utilize, and hit OK.
    Enabling Peek Option in Performance Option Settings in Windows 10

By following the above steps, y'all volition enable the Peek pick, resulting in Alt-Tab registering correctly. If you're withal having trouble, motility on to the next fix.

v. Install/Uninstall Alt-Tab Terminator

Practice you use the Alt-Tab terminator to simplify the procedure of previewing different opened windows and navigating between them? If aye, you should uninstall the software. Fifty-fifty though it allows you to navigate different windows more efficiently, information technology can also prevent the default Alt-Tab from working correctly.

Follow the below steps to do and then:

  1. Open Control Panel.
  2. Navigate to Programs and Features.
  3. Search for the Alt-Tab terminator in the top-right corner.
  4. Right-click on the program and striking Uninstall.
    Uninstalling Alt-Tab Terminator in Control Panel

You tin also use this fix the other way effectually. If the default Alt-Tab isn't working, you tin can install the Alt-Tab terminator and try to navigate through opened windows with it. Alt-Tab may part properly with the Alt-Tab terminator installed, making it the best solution.

If non, you can enable Alt-Tab in the Windows registry, which is the least-favorable solution.

6. Modify Registry

If all else fails, modifying the Registry should be your final resort. Changing registry file settings or creating new ones helps resolve many issues, but if you lot don't know what yous are doing, you can also get in trouble. Therefore, if y'all are non familiar with tweaking registry settings, skip this footstep.

Those who wish to endeavor this fix can open the Run command by pressing Win + R. Type "Regedit" and hit Ok.

Running Regedit Command in Windows Run Command

And so, paste the following path into the Registry Editor:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Here, you'll exist greeted with 1 of the two possibilities, i.east., either you lot'll find the AltTabSettings option already bachelor, or it won't be at that place by default. You tin can go along in either instance every bit follows:

  1. Once you lot have located the AltTabSettings, double-click on it and set the Value information to 1.
  2. If it's non already there, you can create it. To practise this, right-click anywhere in File Explorer and select New > DWORD (32-Bit) Value. Then, rename the newly created file to AltTabSettings.
    Creating New File in Windows Registry Editor in Windows 10
    Afterward, follow step ane mentioned higher up to set its Value data to 1.
    Changing Value Data of Newly Create File in Registry Editor in Windows 10

Hopefully, later changing the information value or creating a registry file yourself, you'll be able to access Alt-Tab. However, avoid irresolute whatever other registry settings to foreclose causing more trouble.

Alt-Tab However Isn't Working?

Hopefully, applying the fixes in the list will get the Alt-Tab shortcut working again. If it still does not work, try applying another general fixes. You can go for another keyboard, update or reset OS, enable hotkeys from the local group policy editor, run malware and SFC scan, uninstall other keyboard apps you're using, and remove other peripherals you're actively using to resolve the issue.

Information technology is also probable that these fixes volition solve the problem if major fixes described in the article don't succeed. Why not give them a shot?

For those looking for ways to be more than productive, you tin can utilise many keyboard tricks to avoid touching the mouse at all. Yous tin do it all, from rotating the screen to opening specific applications to fifty-fifty shutting downwardly the operating system. Try information technology out!