How to make Win32 App' UI in front of Metro Style Apps, like Task Manager(TM.exe).

Question

Task Manager(TM.exe) in Win8 can keep TopMost at any time, even when Metro Style Apps is active.  I need this effect in my win32 app, any tip would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

Answer 1

Having your application always on top would interfere with the Metro Style design.  I would highly recommend against it.  If everyone did this I am sure everyone would feel their application is so important it needs to be in the foreground all the time and this would ruin the Metro Style experience.  What is your use-case for this that requires your application to always be visible?

The Win32 documentation for Desktop development has not been released yet as far as I know.  This would be covered in desktop development issues.  This forum is for Metro Style application development.  You might want to try posting your Desktop development questions on one of the windows desktop development forums:  http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windowsdesktopdev

-Jeff

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Jeff Sanders (MSFT)

Answer 2

This behavior is available only to accessibility apps (and very targetted test automation apps) flagged with the UIAccess privilege.  As Jeff says, it should not be used for general purpose applications.  See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms742884.aspx and http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/toolsforwinapps/thread/8529357f-3ff8-4c83-baaf-5215ca9cc14a for more discussion on this topic.

--Rob