Windows 10 includes several little-known but very useful ways to automatically organize your open windows, and they’re just a click away from the taskbar. Here’s how to automatically cascade your windows.
Let’s say you have a messy window layout like this one, and you̵
One way to get the clutter under control is to cascade the windows. To do this, right-click on the taskbar and select “Cascade Windows” from the menu that appears.
All of your non-minimized windows are instantly organized in a cascading diagonal stack, one on top of each other, with each window of uniform size.
The title bar of each window is also visible, making it easy to click on it with your mouse cursor and bring the window to the foreground.
To undo the cascade, right-click the taskbar again and select “Cascade Undo All Windows” from the menu.
Your original window layout is immediately back where it was.
But be careful, if you run a cascade and then manually make several window layout changes, you can’t undo the cascade.
While the “Cascade windows” feature is nice to have, it’s more of a vintage throwback to a time when PCs had limited resources – and limited screen space due to low resolutions. In fact, the “Cascade” option first appeared in Windows 3.0 way back in 1990 (in the task list), and it has been available as a right-click option on the taskbar since Windows 95.
So for a more modern take on window management, you can also try Task View, which lets you display thumbnails of all your windows at once. Just press Windows + Tab on your keyboard or click the Task View button next to the Start menu.
From there, you can focus on any window you like with a click, or even close the ones you don’t need anymore. Also feel free to experiment with the other options for arranging windows on the taskbar, such as stacking the windows or placing them all side by side. Have fun organizing!
RELATED: 4 hidden tricks for window management on the Windows desktop
