Windows Layout Manager

Your desktop can only hold so many elements, and chances are you need to work with one too many windows. For fast, and efficient management, Windows Layout Manager helps you create different rules which can be applied to any window meeting them, with a few mouse clicks, or even through hotkeys.

On the one hand, the application skips you the effort needed to go through the steps of an installer, allowing you to use it on other computers besides your own directly from a USB flash drive. On the other hand, you need to make sure that the target PC is fitted with .NET Framework, because it’s a mandatory component for functionality.

There aren’t any preconfigured rules, so you need to take the time to go through the creation process. It might seem rather complicated at first, because of the variety of options showing up in the configuration panel.

In the initial set of options, you can choose to trigger it via a hotkey command, define collective offset, specify name, description, whether or not to allow the layout to be applied, or override application defaults, which include minimized or maximized windows, main windows, invisible, or those without title.

A simple step is to use the capture tool to grab an active window. However, you’re free to open up the rule configuration panel for advanced options. You don’t necessarily have to target a specific window, but related options allow you to match title, process name, process file or class name.

Multiple conditions can be added to the list, like whether or not it’s visible, maximized, on screen, or within a particular set of coordinates. As a result, the window can be restored, minimized, maximized, resized, positioned, and more.

All tasks are displayed in a list on the main window. When not used, the application gets minimized to the tray area, with shortcuts to created operations. You can also trigger layouts through hotkeys, and view assigned buttons in a dedicated panel, in case you forget.

In conclusion, Windows Layout Manager can take some time, and effort in the configuration process, but careful management of options can help you handle just about any window on your screen. The lack of dependency for a particular window is an advantage, while the variety of rules, and possibility to combine them make the app worth at least a try.