REQ: 'stay on top' utility (and the reverse)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Waraf Nido
  • Start date Start date
W

Waraf Nido

Is there a freeware utility which allows me to keep a particular
window on top so that it is always on view?

Similarly, is there a freeware utility which will do the opposite and
allow me to overlay or minimize popup windows (and message boxes)
which try to stay on top.
 
Waraf said:
Is there a freeware utility which allows me to keep a particular
window on top so that it is always on view?
Click to expand...

There are a few. I reckon the best is The Wonderful Icon which does this
and loads more without noticeable resource use

http://www.thewonderfulicon.com/pages/features.htm

Winontop is nice and simple and a small file size

http://www.padring.com/soft/Other/Other/WinOnTop.html

Minmaxextender is well worth a look, but doesn't quite work properly. If
it did it would be superb.

http://www.monctoncomputerservice.com/revenger_inc/projects.html
Similarly, is there a freeware utility which will do the opposite and
allow me to overlay or minimize popup windows (and message boxes)
which try to stay on top.
Click to expand...

This is different territory. Perhaps you want a button pusher like PTFB,
RTVReco, or Clickoff?
 
http://www.monctoncomputerservice.com/revenger_inc/mmext.html - from
Revenger's site: "MinMaxExtender is a utility that enhances the
standard windows, adding new buttons next to the Minimize button in the
titlebar. Using the buttons, the user can stretch the window across the
screen, hide it to a trayicon, hide all of the window apart from the
titlebar or make the window stay on top of others. The user can exclude
some windowtypes from beeing extended and choose which buttons to be
visible. "

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/pushpin.html - from Snapfiles: "PushPin is
a tiny program that runs in the system tray and adds an "always on top"
option to all open Windows. Why this will probably not impress you much
at first, it will turn out very useful if you do want to keep a Window
on top, but the software does not support that feature. That s when
PushPin comes into the game... PushPin can be easily removed by
right-clicking on the PushPin icon in the system tray and selecting the
remove menu item. "
 
jo said:
Could you do a no install, standalone exe build?
Click to expand...

No right now, but soon. I'm working on a system that will allow settings
to be stored either in the Registry or in INI files. When this is done,
I'll release all my programs in both EXE (install) and ZIP (no-install)
formats. Some people hate installers, while others hate a ZIP with a
bunch of files in it... I want to please everybody :)
 
http://www.monctoncomputerservice.com/revenger_inc/mmext.html - from
Revenger's site: "MinMaxExtender is a utility that enhances the
standard windows, adding new buttons next to the Minimize button in the
titlebar. Using the buttons, the user can stretch the window across the
screen, hide it to a trayicon, hide all of the window apart from the
titlebar or make the window stay on top of others. The user can exclude
some windowtypes from beeing extended and choose which buttons to be
visible. "
Click to expand...

It's not very good as a 'always on top' utility unfortunately. Unless
you want it eating your resources you have to have it set so that
additional butttons only go on the window with focus.

So if you set a window to be on top, and click on an underneath window,
the on top window loses focus and, er, 'on top' status.

It's a shame... MME could be a wonderful app, but it's too resource
hungry, and the maximised window bug is a pain.
 
There are a few. I reckon the best is The Wonderful Icon which
does this and loads more without noticeable resource use

http://www.thewonderfulicon.com/pages/features.htm

Winontop is nice and simple and a small file size

http://www.padring.com/soft/Other/Other/WinOnTop.html

Minmaxextender is well worth a look, but doesn't quite work
properly. If it did it would be superb.

http://www.monctoncomputerservice.com/revenger_inc/projects.html


This is different territory. Perhaps you want a button pusher
like PTFB, RTVReco, or Clickoff?
Click to expand...


Thank you and everyone else for the links to keep a particular window
on top. That was the first utility I was looking for. I will try
them out.

I think I may not have properly described my requirement for the
second utility. Let me give you an example of what I am looking for.

When I use an application to acquire an image from my scanner then I
get a popup window or message box from the TWAIN scanner driver
saying "In Progress" and showing a progress bar.

This can stay on the screen for a couple of minutes. I can't move or
close the message window and I can't resize or minimize it. It just
seems stuck there in the middle of my screen! And I can't get on
with something else.

I want to use what is under the message window while this sort of
scanning operation and its associated message box are in the
background.

So I would like to have a utility which prevented this message box
staying on top. is there such a thing?
 
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