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Is there any way to force a Windows application to be on the desktop level, below the taskbar?

What I'm looking for is to be able to run an application (say, Google Chrome) such that it will be below all other windows and will still be visible when the desktop is shown (ex. via Window+D). To do this, the Google Chrome window must be on the desktop (think opposite of a window that is always on top).

To be able to do this, I'm looking for an application or command that I can use to change a window (like our Chrome window) to behave in this way.

Applications like Google Chrome don't include this behavior. However, utilities such as PowerMenu can change the behavior of any window to be always on top. I'm looking for something like PowerMenu, but with the ability to put windows on the desktop level (as explained above).

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I'm going to assume that it is a development question due to the use of the word "call" which is typically used in software development. As such, this question can probably be better-answered in Stack Overflow (for enthusiast programmers), so I'm voting to close->off-topic->migrate-to: stackoverflow.com – Randolf Richardson Aug 8 '11 at 6:02
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Ahh, like the Active desktops. Hum.... – surfasb Aug 8 '11 at 13:46
That's exactly it, actually. The thing about it, though, is that I've managed to get Chrome/Chromium to behave in a way that would make this practical in the --kiosk flag when starting the application. Now, I just need a way to make sure that it will always stay below everything else. – TreyK Aug 8 '11 at 17:45
So, I've been researching this like crazy lately. In order to achieve the desired effect, I have to make the Chrome/Chromium window a child of the desktop. Of course, that shows how to do it in a program, but I'm looking for a utility to do this. I'm beginning to think I may have to make it myself. – TreyK Aug 9 '11 at 0:55
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closed as not a real question by surfasb, Randolf Richardson, RedGrittyBrick, Gareth, ChrisF Nov 18 '11 at 9:03

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

2 Answers

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Maybe it will be simpler to modify the behavior of the minimize/maximize buttons as well as any other keyboard commands that modify application window state or introduce other windows over the "desktoped" one.

After all, if you're looking for a kiosk-like solution, you're probably going to have to remap CTRL-ALT-DEL so that it won't open Task Manager.

Perhaps a solution is to set the application window to full screen (F11) and then remap F11 to not change the full-screen state. You'd also have to remove any references to changing screen state in the application menus.

Of course, most of this assumes you're looking for a kiosk setup. While if you're looking to essentially replace your desktop background with the Chrome application so that you can still run apps over the top of it, these probably aren't the droids you're looking for.

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By pressing Alt-Escape on a window, it will automatically set it behind all other windows.

If you're adept at coding, you could create an AutoHotkey script that calls the WinSet function (WinSet, Bottom,, WinTitle) on a window, and have it called that whenever it is activated.

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