What is the Windows hotkey to minimise a single, currently active window?

Question

On Windows Vista, I'm familiar with Win + D to show the desktop but sometimes I just want to minimise two or three windows as they become active and not the whole lot.

What hotkey can I use to minimise only the currently active window?

Answer 1

I've been using the shortcut Alt+Space followed by N for years. Works on any Windows version, all the way back to Windows 3.0! It should work with all keyboard layouts and probably even all Windows localizations.

Alt+Space opens the general windows menu. You can open it manually by left-clicking with the mouse on the top left window corner.

The menu contains the options to maximize, minimize, close the window, etc. It also underlines the key you need to press to select the appropriate option ("miNimize").

The N is not a general "hotkey" but an access key – a keyboard shortcut to an entry in a GUI menu that works only if/after the menu opens. The menu items texts differ across localizations (languages), which is why a different letter might be underlined and serve as the access key.

Answer 2

A small workaround is Alt + Esc – it doesn't minimize the active window but places it behind all other windows. The effect is similar however.

I know it's not precisely what the question asker wanted, but it's a built-in Windows one-step solution that works in a similar way.

Answer 3

In Windows 7 and later you can minimize the currently active window with: Win+Down.

(This may be an Aero feature that works with Vista as well.)

Answer 4

When maximized:

• Windows key + press the down arrow twice.

When not maximized:

• Windows key + press the down arrow once.

Answer 5

AutoHotKey script for Minimize:

;=============================================================================;
; WINDOWS KEY + Alt + Down  --  Minimizies Active window
;=============================================================================;
; instead of "Restore Down" for Win+Down
#!Down::WinMinimize, A

Explanation:

• Format: [Key-Combination]::[Action]
• #!Down - will execute when Windows-Key (#), Alt-Key (!), Down-Arrow-Key (down) are pressed together
• WinMinimize, A will mimimize (WinMinimize) the active (A) window

Answer 6

according to microsoft support, there isn't one, but it is easily scripted in autoit.

EDIT: Below is a very very basic sample of how to accomplish a hotkey to minimize the focused window, fully commented.

#include <WinApi.au3> ;include winAPI library

HotKeySet("!M",'_MinimizeActive') ;sets hotkey to Alt+Shift+m to trigger function

While 1 ;loop to keep alive

WEnd

Func _MinimizeActive()
    Local $v_Wnd, $w_Wnd ;declare variables
    $v_Wnd = _WinAPI_GetFocus() ;get focused window
    $w_Wnd = WinGetHandle($v_Wnd) ;get handle of focused window
    WinSetState($w_Wnd,"",@SW_MINIMIZE) ;minimize focused window
EndFunc

Answer 7

If what you want is an easy way to open and minimize a window you use often, just pin it to the task bar and move it to one of the first positions. Then you can use Windows+1, 2, 3 etc. to quickly toggle the window.

No more scrolling through loads of windows with ´Alt´+´Tab´ to maximize it again either.

Answer 8

Because windows doesn't have a shortcut key for it, you may use a 3rd party solution, like autoit to do that.

Below is a simple script for it. This first to set a hotkey (with HotKeySet()), than minimize current window (with WinSetState()).

#include <WinApi.au3>

HotKeySet("!M",'MinimizeWin') ;Alt+Shift+m

While 1
Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func MinimizeWin()
    WinSetState("[ACTIVE]", "", @SW_MINIMIZE)
EndFunc

Answer 9

In case it helps someone, you can also minimize all windows.

• WinD: Toggle Desktop Press again to return to previous window state. State reset with Alt+Tab, or selecting window from toolbar.

• WinM: Minimize All Windows. Not toggleable, as far as I know.