Use Winroll for more space on your desktop

Martin Brinkmann
Apr 14, 2007
Updated • Jun 11, 2013
Software, Windows software
|
7

I love tiny free software programs that have been developed by passionate authors. Winroll is one of those applications that is useful and so small in size that it is astonishing how the functionality has been squeezed into the application. The binary has a size of 24 kilobytes and does the following.

Whenever you right-click a title bar of any window it "rolls up" so to speak and only the title bar is visible. Take a look at the screenshots below to get a better impression of how it looks like.

It is possible to minimize or maximize all open windows at once and place windows in the system tray. I was not able to find out all of the functions because of a missing help file. If you right-click and hold shift while clicking on minimize you put the window into the system tray instead of the task bar for instance. If you have more information please let me know.

winroll screenshot 1
winroll screenshot 2

The about information states that you have to move the mouse over the titlebar, the maximize, minimize and close buttons to get help but this is not working for me. Maybe because I disabled something in Windows, who knows?

Here are all of the program's features:

  • Right-click on title bar to roll the window up on the screen so that only its window title is shown.
  • Right-click the close button to send the active window to the back.
  • Middle-click on minimize button to minimize the window to the system tray. Alternative Shift-Right-click.
  • Middle-click on close button makes window stay on top.
  • Middle-click on title bar toggles transparency.
  • Shift-left-click sends window to the back.
  • Alt with left-click on window buttons minimizes, maximizes and closes all windows.

Update: It is certainly a unique way to manage a large number of windows on the system that are accessible at all times. You may need some getting used to time on the other hand as it is different from how you normally work with program windows in the Windows operating system.

The program is still working properly in all newer versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system despite its age.

Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. CouldaBinJoe said on March 2, 2013 at 8:59 pm
    Reply

    Garbanzo, you are a scholar and a gentleman. I would never have found the ‘help’ without your comment above.

  2. jeeebusbro said on October 20, 2011 at 12:50 am
    Reply

    thx garbanzo,
    duuh, not hard to guess how I wound up on this here page.

  3. garbanzo said on January 20, 2009 at 2:04 pm
    Reply

    “The about information states that you have to move the mouse over the titlebar, the maximize, minimize and close functions to get help but this is not working for me. Maybe because I disabled something in Windows, who knows ?”

    this is tricky, and it took me a while to figure out – you have to mouse over the titlebar and buttons of the ABOUT WINDOW itself to see the functions!

  4. kissel said on November 20, 2008 at 2:15 am
    Reply

    Acutally this feature was on the original mac os from the early 90s. I still find this extremely useful. Great little app.

  5. Sbronzo di Riace said on April 21, 2007 at 8:50 am
    Reply
  6. Tsiolkovsky said on April 14, 2007 at 7:56 pm
    Reply

    This feature is a standard on Linux desktops for years now. It will take another 5 or more years before Microsoft implements this in next version of Windows and they will sure call it “Wow what an incredible innovation.”

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.