#Disable snap assist windows 10 portable#
#Disable snap assist windows 10 Pc#
#Disable snap assist windows 10 windows 8#

To test this, type WINKEY + L to lock the computer. Click OK to close that window, and then close the Local Group Policy Editor.

Then, select Enabled in the window that appears. Double-click the entry titled “Do not display the lock screen.” You’ll see three entries on the right side of the window. Then, in this control panel, navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Control Panel, and then Personalization. The simplest way is to type WINKEY + R, gpedit.msc, and then tap ENTER. But on a traditional desktop or laptop/Ultrabook PC, the Lock screen is a pretty but pointless interloper, an extra step you must deal with between booting the computer and actually using.įortunately, disabling the Lock screen is simple.įirst, run the Local Policy Editor.

Those notifications are very useful on a smart phone, and I imagine they’ll be somewhat useful on a tablet computer of the future, like Microsoft’s Surface.

#Disable snap assist windows 10 Pc#

Lock screen: Pretty, but pointless on a traditional PC It’s essentially an upsized version of the Lock screen that Microsoft debuted in Windows Phone two years ago, offering nice photograph imagery, the time and date, and a number of app notifications.

#Disable snap assist windows 10 windows 8#

If you’re not familiar with the Windows 8 Lock screen, you can find out more in my article, Windows 8 Feature Focus: Lock Screen. And the Windows Phone-like Lock screen can rightfully be seen as an unnecessary extra step at boot time.

#Disable snap assist windows 10 portable#

But while some of the new mobile-based experiences in Windows 8 will make sense on traditional desktop and portable computers, some will not. Admittedly, if you have a smaller display, having more than two apps open at the same time could make things a bit crowded, but it’s worth experimenting a bit to see what works for you.With Windows 8, Microsoft is bringing a number of technologies and user experiences from the mobile world into its desktop OS for the first time, a blending of the old and then new that will confuse some users. Once you’re set, however, you may find that snap layouts make it a lot easier to, say, monitor your Twitter or Slack account while working on a document or watching a video. When you first start to use snap layouts, it may take a little getting used to, especially when it comes to deciding which app goes where. Go to the multitasking section in your setup to tweak your snap layout features. And, of course, you can disable the feature entirely. You can arrange for the other windows to automatically resize when you manually resize one. For example, you can choose not to have the snap layout feature appear when you hover over the maximize symbol or when you hover over your app icon in the taskbar. You can adjust the snap layouts by going to “Settings” > “System” > “Multitasking.” You have a variety of options that you can enable or disable. Click on it again, and the app will snap back into its former configuration. Need to maximize an app? Just click on the maximize icon. Hover over an apps taskbar icon, and you’ll see both the app alone and its layout grouping. If you go to the taskbar and hover over the icon for one of the apps in your layout, you will see a thumbnail for both the app and for the layout group it’s part of you can click on either. Your snap layout will be reflected in the taskbar as well. If things get confusing, use Alt-Tab to see where each app is or find them in the taskbar.)Īnd you’re ready to go! Snap layouts arranges your windows into a neat grid pattern. (Note: Sometimes, while you’re rearranging, one app can overlap the other. When you choose a zone for one app, the others may appear as thumbnails in another zone. You can also simply click on the app if it’s in the zone you want it to be in. Alt-Tab to each open app, and choose which zone you want that app to be in. If you had other apps open, they may appear as thumbnails in another of the zones.Your app will then snap into that position.Ĭhoose a layout and then the zone you want your active app to be in. Choose a layout and hover over the zone you want your active app to be in.Each layout will have several zones in a different configuration. You’ll see four (or six if you have a large monitor) different grid layouts that you can choose from. Hover your cursor over the maximize icon in the upper right corner of an app or press Win-Z.(Certainly, it’s a lot better than the constant Alt-Tab switching between apps that many of us are used to.) Replacing the drag-and-drop snap assist feature of Windows 10, snap layouts let you arrange your apps quickly and neatly on your desktop, making it much simpler to see all and use all at once. Windows 11 may not be exactly revolutionary, but there are some features that are just plain useful, and snap layouts are one of them.