How to Disable Aero Shake in Windows 10?

This tutorial will guide you through disabling the Aero Shake feature on Windows 10. Before disabling the Aero Shake feature in Windows 10, let me explain a few things.

What is Aero Shake in Windows 10?

Suppose you are working with multiple apps simultaneously and want to minimize all other windows except one. Click and hold on to the title bar of an active window and shake it back and forth. In that case, Windows will minimize all other open windows at once. Shaking the title bar again will restore all the minimized windows. This is called Aero Shake feature in Windows 10.

This handy feature was introduced first in Windows 7 and continues in Windows 10. If you think the Aero Shake feature can accidentally be triggered on Windows 10, there are three methods to disable the Aero Shake feature in Windows 10.

  1. Turn off Aero Shake in Windows 10 via Settings App
  2. Disable Aero Shake in Windows 10 via Group Policy
  3. Disable Aero Shake in Windows 10 via Registry Editor

How to disable Aero Shake in Windows 10 via Settings App?

To disable the Aero Shake feature in Windows 10, perform the following steps on Windows 10 computer:-

Step 1. Press and hold the Windows key, then press the I key to open the Settings app.

Step 2. Click on the category System.

Step 3. In the System category, click the Multitasking tab.

Step 4. On the right side pane of the Multitasking tab, toggle Snap windows off to disable the Aero Shake feature.

Step 5. Close the Setting window.

Once you complete the above steps, Aero Shake and Snap Window both get disabled. We want to disable or deactivate only Aero Shake feature; hence, we will disable the Aero Shake feature through Group Policy.

If you want to activate the Aero Shake and Snap windows again, turn on the Snap Windows feature in step 4 above.

What is Windows Snap?

Windows Snap is a feature of Windows 10 that is used to arrange all your open windows using the mouse, keyboard, or the Snap Assist feature.

Select the title bar of the window you want to snap, and drag it to the edge of your screen. An outline indicates where the window will snap once you drop it. Drag it to the left or right side of your screen, depending on where you want to snap it to.

How to disable Aero Shake in Windows 10 via Group Policy?

To disable the Aero Shake feature of Windows 10 using Group Policy, perform the following steps:-

Note: Local Group Policy Editor is not a part of Windows 10 Home Edition. If you are still using Windows 10 Home, then you need to activate the gpedit.msc first.

Step 1. Hold the Windows logo, and then press the R key to open the Run command box.

Step 2. Type the following command, and press the Enter key from the keyboard to open the Local Group Policy Editor window:-

gpedit.msc

Step 3. Navigate to the following path:-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop

Step 4. On the right-side pane, double-click on the policy name “Turn off Aero Shake window minimizing mouse gesture.”

According to Microsoft, this policy “Prevents windows from being minimized or restored when the active window is shaken back and forth with the mouse.

If you enable this policy, application windows will not be minimized or restored when the active window is shaken back and forth with the mouse.

If you disable or do not configure this policy, this window minimizing and restoring gesture will apply.”

Step 5. Select the Enabled option to disable the Aero Shake feature on Windows 10 PC.

Step 6. Click Apply.

Step 7. Click OK.

These changes immediately take effect; however, you may need to restart your PC in some cases.

Once you complete the above steps, the Aero Shake feature should be disabled. If you want to activate the Aero Shake feature, in step 5, select the Not Configured option.

How to disable Aero Shake in Windows 10 via Registry Editor?

It is also possible to disable or turn off the Aero Shake feature in Windows 10 using Registry Editor. Before proceeding with Registry editing, it is always recommended to take the Registry file’s full backup. In case something goes wrong, you can revert the Registry to its previous working state. To disable the Aero Shake feature in Windows 10 using Registry Editor, execute the following steps:-

Step 1. Press and hold the Windows logo key, then press the R key to open the Run command box.

Step 2. Type the following command, and press Enter from the keyboard to open the Registry Editor:-

regedit

Step 3. Navigate to the following Registry key on the Registry Editor window:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

If you don’t find the Explorer key under Windows, you have to create a new one. Right-click on Windows, select New and then pick Key.

Name the new key Explorer.

Step 4. On the right side of the Explorer key, right-click on free space, select New, and then DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 5. Name the new DWORD to NoWindowMinimizingShortcuts.

Step 6. Double-click the NoWindowMinimizingShortcuts and change its value to 1 to disable Aero Shake. Whenever you need to enable Aero Shake again, just set the value to 0 or delete the entry NoWindowMinimizingShortcuts.

Step 7. Click the OK button.

The changes are immediate, which means once you set the value to 1 or 0, the Aero Shake feature enables or disables accordingly. There is no need to restart your PC.

You might also be interested in replacing the old Start button of Windows 10 with the Aero Start button.

Conclusion

To sum up, the Aero Shake feature in Windows 10 allows you to minimize all windows except one by clicking and holding the title bar of an active window and shaking it back and forth. This feature can sometimes be accidentally triggered, and if you want to disable it, there are three methods to do so: via the Settings app, Group Policy, and Registry Editor. The Settings app method is the easiest, while the Group Policy and Registry Editor methods require a bit more advanced knowledge. Windows Snap is another useful feature that allows you to arrange all your open windows using the mouse, keyboard, or the Snap Assist feature. Overall, disabling Aero Shake is a simple process that can enhance your user experience and productivity in Windows 10.

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