Shortcut for "Next" window in Windows 8 (or 7 or XP)

I want to have a shortcut for the next window in the open windows

I do know about Alt+Tab but that's not what I want.

• Alt+Tab will cycle between 2 windows.
• Alt+Tab+Tab will cycle between 3 windows and so on.

(I have explored on how Alt+Tab functions and I don't think it's of any use here.)

I simply want to get the next window in the window pile.

I am open to all free third-party options. Moreover, I also use Autohotkey. So, if there's any script for this feature, that would also work with me.

Solution 1:

I think Alt+Esc will fill your need. Pressing it once to switch to the next open window. It doesn't switch between recently used windows

Unfortunately, with all this excitement attached to Alt+Tab, another hotkey has been woefully neglected. Windows 2.0 introduced the Alt+Esc hotkey. Whereas Alt+Tab lets you pick an application, Alt+Esc lets you cycle through them.

When you press Alt+Esc, the active window is sent to the bottom of the window stack, allowing the window beneath it in the z-order to become the new active window. And if the next window is a minimized window, it stays minimized. While this may sound like an annoyance, it is actually a useful device, as it lets you skip past minimized applications without having to open them.

Raymond Chen Discusses the Alt+Tab and Alt+Esc Hotkeys

Solution 2:

You can use 7+ Taskbar Tweaker.

Go to Advanced Options > Keyboard Shortcuts.

You can press Help button to learn how to use.
For example, to set Alt+Q and Alt+Shift+Q to cycle through windows, insert these rules:

I preferred to use Alt(+Shift)+Q and keep Alt+Tab's behavior, because it's still more likely to switch to previous active window, than cycle in an ordered form (you can experience it). Also Win+Tab is already used for desktop management and giving a good view of windows, Win+Q is used for search and Alt(+Shift)+Grave Accent is less handy. Furthermore, Alt+Q is less used in different programs, than Alt+W, Alt+A or Alt+1, ....