Is it possible to make one program window stay in front while using another program?

Question

Here's the situation:

I do some data entry and take information from PDF files and input them into Excel.
The way Windows desktops are designed is when you have multiply windows/programs open, the window you select or use always pops out in front.

Example: If I have Adobe, and Excel programs open (without maximizing the screen) one window will always appear in front of the other. If I'm reading from Adobe, the Adobe window will appear in front of the Excel window. If I enter data in Excel then the Adobe window will go behind the Excel window and Excel window is out in front.

THE QUESTION: Is there anyway for me keep the Adobe window out in front while I'm entering data in Excel? How do I keep a program window out in even if I'm using a different program?

I think this is very basic/simple graphics setting, but I don't know how to do this or search for this option. Please help.

Answer 1

Windows doesn't provide a built-in way to do that, but there is 3rd party software which can let you make a particular window be "always on top" as it's called. One bit of software you might already have is nView, part of the NVidia drivers. You can configure nView to add some extra menus to each window's system menu (which is easily accessed by right clicking a title bar/taskbar button) and one of the options is "Always on top." ATI drivers might be able to do something similar, I don't know.



Another program I've used to do the same thing (as well as a few other tricks) is called CopyText. Among other things it can toggle Stay on Top status for a window. It's not quite as easy to access as nView though. You have to run the program to do stuff and with it and it quits after you use it. I found it handy to put a shortcut in my Start Menu, and assigned it a hotkey I could remember. (I use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T, which isn't likely to conflict with anything else.)

CopyText is available here:

http://www10.pair.com/vsap/FreeSoft.html

Answer 2

You didn't mention your monitor size or video card resolution size. Here are a few options depending on what your monitor set up is.



A simple way is to size down both screens (excel and adobe widow) so they both fit your monitor screen size. This may require a bit of work on your part with scrolling to the right sections for data.



Have you tried to raise your screen resolution to the highest resolution which shrinks the size of type and thereby gives greater space on your monitor screen. (may not work if you have a small monitor screen size - 17 inch for example). I know 1920 x 1200 works on my large monitor.



Another way is to buy a larger monitor wide screen. The 22 inch wide screens are fairly low price right now - just make sure they have a high enough resolution to put two windows side by side.



Another way is have two monitors side by side. Your video card must have two digital outputs (or analog adapter plugs depending on your monitor type). You can put adobe on one screen and excel on the other screen.



I have two wide screen monitors - 22 inch and 24 inch and have photoshop on one screen and palettes on the other screen. Resolution is 1920 x 1200 on one monitor and 1600 on the other.



Hope this helps

Rose

Answer 3

a artwork around would artwork. Have a complicated force with residing house windows put in on it and placed it in an exterior complicated force case and hook up with USB. it might additionally be conceivable in case you have a residing house windows pc related on your community which Linux can get right of entry to. i'm helpful the two a variety of concepts would would desire to be set up in some way or yet another. have not tried this yet so it might desire to no longer artwork, yet whilst it does it in simple terms spoke back a query that for the period of all likelihood many each physique is involved in. I run Linux ninety% of the time and residing house windows basically 10% of the time. better of success.

Answer 4

You can have both windows open at the same time by click on the "Restore down" next to the close bottom on both programs and adjust each window so one is either one on top and the other on the bottom, or one on the right and the other on the left.



exsample: http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/716/screenshot001fh2.jpg

Answer 5

Resize each window to share the screen either vertically or horizontally