Probably if we use our computer intensively, surely we agree that the organization of the elements on the screen can be considered as fundamental. If we need to have several programs or browsers open to each other, it is likely that on more than one occasion it will be annoying for us to have to minimize and maximize each window. That is why it may be a good option to keep a fixed window in the foreground, something we can do with TopMostFriend , which we will talk about below.
There are few occasions in which it can be very useful, the possibility of keeping a window fixed in the foreground while we are using other applications. For example, when we have to pass our database in Word to Excel tables, so it is interesting to be able to keep the Word sheet fixed in the foreground, while we copy the data that interests us to Excel. In this way, we avoid having to constantly minimize and maximize the window, saving time, as well as greater productivity when doing our work.
As incredible as it may seem, Windows does not natively have any tool that allows us to keep a window in the foreground. This is something that beyond its simplicity is tremendously useful, but that Microsoft considered that it should not be part of the tools that are incorporated by default into their operating system. That is why, to carry out this work, we must use a third-party application, as in this case the application we are going to talk about.
Fix windows with TopMostFriend in a couple of clicks
TopMostFriend is a free, simple and open source application, whose main objective is to allow us to keep any fixed window in the foreground , above any other application that we are using. It will be enough to do a simple click with the right button on the icon located in the system tray to gain access to its options and from there configure select the application that we want to always keep visible. It also has hotkeys, and the ability to manage a blacklist of applications. The application provides us with a direct approach to a clear and concise function so it can be used by all types of users.
Once we run the application, it runs directly in the background in the system tray. For this reason, it will be enough to click with the right button on its icon and a list of all the windows that we keep open will appear. It will only be necessary to select the desired program and TopMostFriend will take care of setting it in the foreground above the rest of the windows.
The application that we have selected to keep in the foreground will have a blue box around its icon, within the application’s pop-up panel. This will help us to differentiate them from the rest of normal eyelashes. It is also possible to set more than one window at the same time, for which it is always advisable to review their size to make sure that one does not overlap the other and have it better organized on the screen.
Problem displaying dual apps
A problem that we find when executing the application is that it does not only show us the programs that we have open. In addition, it also lists us, and also repeatedly, all the processes that we have running such as Configuration or the Microsoft Store, which is something that can be quite annoying and does not currently have any solution from its developer.
In the event that it is too annoying, there is an option within “Settings” that allows us to hide the entire list . In the “Flags” section, we can try to uncheck the last option in the list “Show list of open Windows in the task bar context men”. In this way, it hides the entire list of menu windows when we right-click on its icon in the task tray. In this case, in the “Hotkeys” section we can configure some hotkeys that we can assign to different programs so that they remain fixed in the foreground without having to show the list. Although, in this case we will not have any visual indication to know which is the window that we have blocked.
Free Download TopMostFriend
TopMostFriend is a completely free and open source application that we can download from the GitHub website . It is compatible with both Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It is a portable program, so it does not require any type of installation or modify Windows Registry entries. In addition, it allows it to be executed from any portable storage device such as a pendrive, a hard disk or a memory card.
Its weight barely reaches 74 KB and only requires .NET Framework 4.0 to function and run in the background. Its latest available version is 1.5.1 corresponding to February 4, 2021, so we are facing a young application that is updated by its developer together with the GitHub user community.
Alternatives to TopMostFriend
If we are looking for a program that allows us to set windows in the foreground on our screen, we propose some alternatives to TopMostFriend that we must take into account.
Window TopMost Control
With this application it will be possible to keep any window fixed in the foreground in Windows, getting it to be positioned above the other windows that we have open. It is possible to establish both a fixed window and a list of fixed windows to our liking. If we want to try Window TopMost Control for free from this link .
Pip Tool
Another simple application with which we can keep a window that we are using fixed in the foreground in Windows. It is enough to create a selection where we must define the area where the window is fixed and the program will take care of keeping it fixed above the others. Pip Tool can be downloaded and used for free from here .
Window On Top
This little software also allows us to keep a fixed window visible in the foreground in Windows. Unlike other similar solutions, this application is paid and has a cost of $ 9.95. In order to see how it works it is possible to download a free trial version for 7 days from its website.
