Minimizing All Application Windows

In a previous tip we explained how PowerShell can access low level API functions such as ShowWindowAsync(). Once you better understand how a particular API function works you can use it for many purposes. Here is an example that takes all open application windows and hides them:

# create a new .NET type
$signature = @"
[DllImport("user32.dll")]public static extern bool ShowWindowAsync(IntPtr hWnd, int nCmdShow);
"@
Add-Type -MemberDefinition $signature -Name MyType -Namespace MyNamespace

Get-Process | 
  Where-Object { $_.MainWindowHandle } |
  ForEach-Object { 
  $handle = $_.MainWindowHandle

  # minimize window
  $null = [MyNamespace.MyType]::ShowWindowAsync($handle, 2)
}

Surprisingly, this will not minimize all windows. Explorer windows stay open. This is because Explorer windows are child windows of a hidden master Explorer.

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