Windows continues to hide some advanced parameters that can be very useful for the end user, but we shouldn't waste time waiting for an official solution. Previously we talked about ForceToolkit, a tool for manipulating processes and windows, and now it's the turn of auWin, lighter, compact, and open source. With it you can specify the exact size of a window, its location, transparency level, and title.
In normal sessions, Windows windows don't deserve a second look beyond changing position, adjusting size, or the classic maximize/minimize, but that's the OS's fault... because it doesn't allow us to do much in the first place. For example, it's impossible to set their exact dimensions in pixels, modify the title, or assign an arbitrary location. All those functions exist, but we can't access them... unless we use something like auWin.
How to modify your window attributes with auWin
The first step in auWin is to configure the window you want to manipulate. Unlike other similar applications, you need to enter this value manually, selecting one of the fields on the right. Example: If you want to change the condition of Notepad, you should type "Notepad" in the field, and choose "Title: Match any substring in the title" for all open Notepad windows, or "Title: Exact title match" if you want a specific one. The best way to confirm if auWin detected the correct window is to go to the Action menu, choose Flash, and press Start. If everything goes well, the window will start flashing five times.
What exactly can we do with windows? Hide their content (which is different from minimizing), disable (that is, block their functions), bring to front or background, order to close, "kill" the main process, and most importantly: Set size, position, and transparency (the range goes from 0-invisible to 255-visible). One detail we detected during our tests: The size in pixels requires an offset of 14 horizontal and 7 vertical pixels. What does that mean? If you want a window of 640 x 480, you'll need to enter 654 x 487.
auWin is a free, compact, and open source tool. The developer warns that its executable could be identified as malware, but it's a false positive. Download a copy!
Official website and download: Click here
