Unhider is a program that can reveal/unhide any window(s) that belong to applications and/or process running in the background that are not visible. It can do this for programs that are running but not visible in the wake of a crash.
This is one of those tools that you must download and keep somewhere on your hard drive. You may not use it that often, but when you do need it you will be very thankful that it’s there. It is able to reveal any hidden window, including programs that seem to disappear completely after explorer crashes and are not amenable to being brought back using Windows’ Task Manager.
Imagine the following scenario: you are working on something for more than an hour using program A when Program B crashes, or Windows explorer itself crashes, or for whatever reason the system crashes. Your first reaction is to go to the task manager, find the program or process that is causing the trouble and end it (or in the case of explorer crashing, you end the explorer.exe process, go to the task manager’s ’file’ menu, and run a new instance of explorer).
All good and well, except now the window for Program A is not showing. A quick check with the task manager shows that the process for Program A is indeed running, but you have no access to it. Or it’s showing as an application in the task manager but you are unable to reveal it even when you right-click "switch to" or "bring to front". At this point you are prepared to bite the bullet; you’ve already started thinking about not wasting any more time and simply re-creating any unsaved work. But here’s the good news: Unhider will most likely bring the application window back for you, enabling you to save your work before you restart your computer.
I’ve had this program on my machine for about two weeks, during which time it successfully enabled me to get my applications back from the brink (and saved my skin) three different times. There are other uses for it; here are a few that are listed on the program’s home page:
- Hide any window, for whatever reason (e.g. your boss is coming around)
- View all hidden windows.
The verdict: Unhider is a no-install app that you simply unzip on your hard drive. Download it and keep it in mind: I guarantee that the time with come when you will be very grateful for it.
Version Tested: 1.0.0.1
Compatibility: Windows 9x/2000/XP/Vista.
Go to the program page to download the latest version (approx 104K).
NICE!
I like the concept, a great ‘stand-by’ tool, now added to my Hard Drive & ‘Tools’ Thumb/Flash Drive, THANKS, again! =)
You should look at a VERY similar program, “WinLister”, from our old friend Nir Sofer, of ‘NirSoft’ – http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/winlister.html
Nir’s seems to provide MUCH more information, including recognizable Icons (missing in ‘UnHider’), plus WinLister is only 23KB vs UnHider’s 216KB (94KB UPX’d) – but I now have TWO great options!
FWIW! =)
Sysinternals Process Explorer. It’s seriously hard to impress when software category has its’ The-Holy-Grail-Level app.
Wherzit.exe (4K)
http://www.bcheck.net/apps/#wherzit
I’ve actually been using this for quite awhile. It’s an extremely useful tool. It has saved me from many issues
I’ve just tried it. It does what it says it does. No installation, simple interface, works great in WinXP x64 (which is rarely the case with way too many apps). Nothing else to add, except to thank Samer for pointing out yet another must-have utility.
Oh, I also decided finally to try out Process Explorer. I’ve heard about it many times, but, for some reason, never got interested enough to test it myself. That The-Holy-Grail-Level is what ultimately persuaded me otherwise