While trying to switch between two or more documents/applications at the same time, Alt + Tab keys come handy.
However, most of the users have reported that while pressing the buttons together to switch between two applications, the Alt-Tab is not working properly. Thus, it can hamper their work.
This problem appears due to the various reasons including incorrect system settings, an outdated version of the keyboard driver, disabled switching feature, conflicted files, corrupted registries, and many more.
How to Fix when Alt-Tab not Working on Windows 10?
There are several fixes to solve the issue if Alt-Tab not working on Windows 10. We will share some troubleshooting hacks in the following section. So, make sure you follow each step carefully to get rid of this problem:
Fix 1 – Turn On the App Switching Feature
If the app switching feature is turned off, you may face this problem on your device. So, you should enable it by following these steps:
- Open the Start menu and click on the Settings icon.
- From the Settings window, go to the Allow section and mark the “Allow switching between recent apps” checkbox to enable it.
If Alt+Tab is still not working on Windows 10, try the remaining methods discussed here.
Fix 2 – Change the Registry Values
Changing the registry values can solve the problem when Alt+Tab does not work on Windows 10. To try this fix, follow these steps hereunder:
- Press the Windows button + R key together to launch the Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit” and then press the Enter button or click on the OK option.
- When you are in the Registry Editor window, go to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer
- On the right pane, find the AltTabSettings DWORD folder.
Note: If this folder is not available, you have to create it. So, right-click on the blank space and select the New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Enter the new name for DWORD as “AltTabSettings”.
- After putting the name, double-click on the AltTabSettings DWORD and then change the Value data to 1.
Once this is done, click on the OK button to save it.
Fix 3 – Install the Latest Version of the Keyboard Driver
An outdated version of the keyboard driver can cause this issue on your device. Therefore, you must keep the driver up to date. To update it, follow these directions:
- Launch the Run dialog box by following the steps discussed above.
- Type “devmgmt.msc” and then click on the OK option or hit the Enter button.
- Locate the “Keyboards” section, select it to expand from the left panel.
- Thereafter, right-click on the keyboard driver and select the “Update Software Driver” option.
Once the keyboard driver is up-to-date, reboot your computer and then check if the Alt-Tab keys work properly or not.
Fix 4 – Restart Windows Explorer
Sometimes, restarting the Windows Explorer can get rid of the situation when Alt-Tab stops working on Windows 10. The following steps will help you to resolve it:
- Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to launch the Task Manager window.
- On the Task Manager window, find and right-click on the Windows Explorer and then select the Restart option.
After restarting it, check if the issue still arises or not.
Fix 5 – Enable the Peek Option
According to the users, enabling the Peek option can eliminate this problem on Windows 10-based devices. So, you can perform the following steps:
- Type Advanced in the Search box and select “View advanced system settings”.
- In the Advanced tab, click on the Settings option under the Performance section.
- On the Performance Options window, mark the box next to the “Enable Peek” option.
Then click on the Apply button followed by the OK option to save the changes.
Fix 6 – End sidebar.exe Process
Another useful solution to solve the problem when Alt-Tab not working is to end the sidebar.exe process. To do that, follow these steps given below:
- Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at the same time to launch the Task Manager.
- Go to the Process tab and look for the sidebar.exe process, then right-click on it.
- After that, select the “End Task” option to close the process.
In case, the combination of Alt+Tab still doesn’t work, we have a few more hacks to troubleshoot this issue.
Fix 7 – Check Hotkeys
This issue might also appear if the hotkeys are disabled. So, you should enable it as soon as possible. Here’s how to do that:
- First, open the Run dialog box. Type “gpedit.msc” and hit the Enter button or click on the OK option.
- From the Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
- On the right window pane, locate the “Turn off Windows key hotkeys”, double-click on it.
- Select “Enabled” and then click on the Apply option followed by the OK button to save the changes.
If this solution does not fix the issue with Alt-Tab keys, repeat the steps while selecting “Disabled” this time.
Fix 8 – Reinstall the Keyboard Driver
A corrupted keyboard driver can cause the problem due to which Alt-Tab not working on Windows 10. So, you need to remove the driver and reinstall it again. Here are some steps that you can follow:
- Right-click on the Start icon and select the Device Manager.
- From the Device Manager window, locate and select the “Keyboards” section to expand it.
- Right-click on the keyboard driver and choose the “Uninstall Device” option to remove it.
- Once the uninstallation process is complete, install the driver again.
- To install it, go to the Device Manager window and click on “Scan for hardware changes”, which is located at the top menu bar.
- Now the device will find the driver and install it automatically.
After completing the installation process, reboot your Windows 10 and check if the Alt-Tab buttons working correctly without any problem.
Fix 9 – Remove Alternate Keyboard
If you are using an additional keyboard, then it can make some changes on your device and you can’t use Alt+Tab keys. So, you should remove it at the earliest. To know more about it, follow these directions:
- Press the Win + R buttons, type “appwiz.cpl” and then click OK or hit the Enter key.
- From the “Programs & Features” tab, find the extra keyboard driver and select it.
- After that, click on the “Uninstall” option.
Once the removal process is finished, reboot your Windows 10 and then check if the Alt-Tab keys are working.
