Using the §-key instead of the TAB key in ALT+TAB with Autohotkey

0
votes

I have a need to use something else than the TAB key to achieve ALT+TAB functionality in Windows 10. (long story short - I'm using Parallells and remote desktop on a Mac, and need to keep the Remote Desktop setting "Apply Windows Key Combinations" set to "On this computer", so I can't just forward everything to the remote computer).

Using Autohotkey on the remote computer, I thought I could simply do something like

§::Send {Tab}

to be able to press ALT+§ instead of ALT+TAB, and have Parallells ignore it and just forward it as any other key (for example SHIFT+A to type an "A"). But it doesn't seem to work that way, nothing happens when holding down ALT and pressing § except a "pling" sound. Just pressing § alone prints a TAB character if I'm in a text editor.

I tried 

^!§::Send ^!{Tab}

as well, same result.

For now I settled on using the following script instead, which lets me press § to bring up the ALT+TAB window, where I can either use arrow keys or the § key to select an application, and then Enter to switch to it:

§::Send ^!{Tab}

This is not bad, but it's annoying to have to use the Enter key to activate the window. So, is there any way to simply replace ALT+TAB with ALT+§ and get the normal functionality of the ALT+TAB window-switcher?

1
autohotkeyremote-desktopparallels
Can only guess for a solution since I don't have your remote desktop conditions and don't know how that remote desktop software sends keystrokes to the remote computer, but give this hotkey a try <!§::AltTab. If it works, I guess I'll add it as an answer down below. – 0x464e
@0x464e Thanks! This works as intended, except for one thing - when cancelling the alt-tabbing by pressing ESC (i.e. ALT+§, then keeping ALT down and pressing ESC), for some reason focus switches from Remote Desktop to the local Windows OS... To clarify, I'm running a Windows 10 virtual machine in Parallells on Mac OSx, and in that Windows VM I am running Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to a remote Windows 10 computer. – Magnus W
Alt+Esc is a Windows hotkey to focus between used windows. Guess you could rebind some other other key to work as Esc, like LAlt+1 maybe <!1::Esc. Anyway, I'll add the working hotkey as the answer. – 0x464e

1 Answers

0
votes

Use the hotkey <!§::AltTab.
<! means left alt and you can read more about AltTab here.

Also, AltTabMenuDismiss might be worth looking into related to the problem you outlined in the comments.