Minimizing USMLEWorld

[Ombatay]

Has anybody found a way to alt-tab/minimize out of USMLEWorld while using it? I'm not trying to steal anything (honestly, it's easy enough to get these off the interweb if you try, and the real value is in the progress stats anyway).

Really I just want to be able to bring up mlb.com gameday to check the Cubs game while I review answers to questions. Oh and keeping a word doc open to take notes would be nice too, I can't write that much, its too slow.

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[RussianJoo]

nope you can't minimize that window you have to close it to be able to see other windows.
UW has made it very very hard to copy their material the only way you can copy it really is you take a pen and paper and write down every question by hand, nothing else works.

 

[Cards21aceking]

Or you can be lucky enough to have your old crap-tastic desktop computer from undergrad that can barely run MS word open and take notes in there.

 

[DoctaJay]

Just a thought. If you have virtualization software like VMWare (which allows you to run Windows at the same time you are running your Mac), you can open the UW in windows and still do what you need to do in your Mac. Likewise on a PC, if you install any time of virtualization software where you can running another operating system on your computer at the same time as you are using another, it should defnitely work.

 

[medstu2006]

Has anybody found a way to alt-tab/minimize out of USMLEWorld while using it? I'm not trying to steal anything (honestly, it's easy enough to get these off the interweb if you try, and the real value is in the progress stats anyway).

Really I just want to be able to bring up mlb.com gameday to check the Cubs game while I review answers to questions. Oh and keeping a word doc open to take notes would be nice too, I can't write that much, its too slow.

You can't minimize it directly, but if another window is open, you should be able to click on that window from the taskbar. Also, while UW templeate is open u can click on start menu and then open up ur browser. This will automatically minimize UW without logging u out. Hope this helps.

 

[Blesbok]

you are going to need two computers. either that or you may be able to open word on a second monitor but i havent tried that method.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

Does the "window button" (in between the control and alt buttons on bottom left corner of keypad) not work? Could have sworn I did that all the time while I went through World... could be wrong though.

 

[Blesbok]

the windows button will pull up the start menu but unless thew window you are opening is set to be always on top, it will immediately be sent to the background

 

[peter90036]

you cant minimize it because its set to be "always on top", and it doesnt have such buttons.
what you can do is get software that will disable the "always on top" or set other program you want (word) to also be "always on top" ... UW has some pretty aggressive alwaysontop so not all utilities might disable it. its also possible they might include these utilities in their banned processes and thus block the qbank from starting up/lock your account.

 

[Ombatay]

The 2nd monitor suggestion worked like a charm. I have my laptop hooked up to an external monitor. If I open it, and do an extended desktop (not clone display), voila. I can put the wordpad in the laptop screen, and keep UW open on the monitor. Good call.

And no, hitting the windows key does not work anymore (assuming it once did?), and as stated above the always on top is ridiculously aggressive. For convenience I attempted to add always on-top features to wordpad, and this worked, although it required some fenageling. (This would work in MS Word as well, but I prefer wordpad because its much lighter weight, and everywhere I go you can read an RTF File).

For those interested: The program I used is called "Actual Title Buttons" It has a free 60 day trial. Just adding an always on-top button (the push-pin looking one) doesn't quite do the trick, you have to go into the settings and modify the action options of that button to have "Freeze" checked. Now click that always on top button, and that did it. Btw, the above process is for windows users. Not sure if mac users have the same difficulties, but imagine the solution is similar.

Last note I'll add: once you break the always-on-top of UWorld, it seems to clear the path for other apps. For example, I'm writing this message from my browser with UWorld running in question explanation mode in the background.

 

[Ombatay]

Quick update: I was somewhat wrong, as for some reason when I have wordpad locked into always-on-top, firefox will come up, but all other applications will still be pushed behind uworlds app. Weird. And silly.

 

[Lamborghini1315]

Has anybody found a way to alt-tab/minimize out of USMLEWorld while using it? I'm not trying to steal anything (honestly, it's easy enough to get these off the interweb if you try, and the real value is in the progress stats anyway).

Really I just want to be able to bring up mlb.com gameday to check the Cubs game while I review answers to questions. Oh and keeping a word doc open to take notes would be nice too, I can't write that much, its too slow.

I cant comment on uworld just yet..but in regards to sports you really need to quit it for a few months. I say this because i am a fanatic too..i can't live without keeping track of my teams, i do fantasy sports..i know those all have to stop at some point. But fewer distractions is vital for you to survive your time man..its what 6 weeks that you have to sacrifice your love for cubs? you can do it! Oh by the way i am a phillie fan..and let me tell you besides zambrano your pitching won't hold up all season. lol You know this year its the phillies that will win it all and yes i am serious.

 

[end stage fibro]

sorry to dig this up

if you mash Winkey+M (minimize all), it will eventually minimize, at least in windows 7. sometimes it works on the first try, sometimes it takes 15 seconds.

also i think you can use expose with OSX

 

[MediumDef]

sorry to dig this up

if you mash Winkey+M (minimize all), it will eventually minimize, at least in windows 7. sometimes it works on the first try, sometimes it takes 15 seconds.

also i think you can use expose with OSX

Spaces in Mac OSX worked for me.