Is there a way to minimize a window in Windows 7 via Python 3?

Question

I am running a program with a built-in Python interpreter. Periodically I want that program to be able to go "full screen" or be minimized.

This will be running on Windows 7.

I am wondering if there is a way to do this in Python (so that I could call the function from my program). Using only standard libraries would be ideal but if there is a way to do this with an external module, that would be fine too.

Thanks.

It is just a pop up video window. I have no control over changing it. — Startec, Sep 02 '15 at 05:36

Martin Evans · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-01T10:33:03.057

7

To minimize a window you need to know either the title of the window, or its window class. The window class is useful when the exact window title is not known. For example the following script shows two different ways to minimize the Microsoft Windows Notepad application assuming:

import ctypes

notepad_handle = ctypes.windll.user32.FindWindowW(None, "Untitled - Notepad")
ctypes.windll.user32.ShowWindow(notepad_handle, 6)

notepad_handle = ctypes.windll.user32.FindWindowW(u"Notepad", None) 
ctypes.windll.user32.ShowWindow(notepad_handle, 6)

To determine the class name to use, you would need to use an tool such as Microsoft's Spy++. Obviously if Notepad was opened with a file, it would have a different title such as test.txt - Notepad. If this was the case, the first example would now fail to find the window, but the second example would still work.

If two copies of notepad were running, then only one would be closed. If all copies needed to be closed, you would need to enumerate all windows which requires more code.

The ShowWindow command can also be used to restore the Window. The 6 used here is the Windows code for SW_MINIMIZE.

edited May 01 '20 at 10:33

answered Sep 02 '15 at 06:05

Martin Evans

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Exactly what I wanted. Purely in python. Great answer – Startec Sep 02 '15 at 06:11
Why the `u` before `Notepad` when finding by class? – Startec Sep 02 '15 at 20:22
Take a look at the Microsoft definition for FindWindowW. The W I seem to remember stands for wide. – Martin Evans Sep 02 '15 at 20:27
To minimize the own/self console window (that the python program runs in): http://stackoverflow.com/a/41409950/2441026 – user136036 Dec 31 '16 at 16:16
why there is 6 in the code?? `ctypes.windll.user32.ShowWindow(notepad_handle, 6)` – Ratul Hasan May 01 '20 at 10:21
1

`6` is the code for `SW_MINIMIZE`. Take a look at the `ShowWindow` link for more options. – Martin Evans May 01 '20 at 10:28

Is there a way to minimize a window in Windows 7 via Python 3?

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