WinAnchor

WinAnchor is a lightweight Windows background utility designed to automatically save and restore the positions, sizes, and states (minimized/maximized/normal) of all open windows across multi-monitor setups. It's especially useful for users whose window layouts break after waking from sleep mode or disconnecting/reconnecting monitors.

Features

• Save and Restore Window Layouts: Accurately captures the precise coordinates and window states of all open, visible applications.
• 4-Slot Profile System: Save and easily switch between up to 4 independent window layout profiles right from the system tray.
• Dynamic Settings UI: A modern settings dialog to configure custom global hotkeys, rename your layout profiles, and manage your ignored windows list.
• User-Defined Window Blacklist (New in v1.3): Configure a personal list of window titles or process names to ignore (e.g., pnpmgr, overlay.exe). Managed directly from the Settings dialog as a comma-separated list, persisted in config.
• Per-Monitor DPI Awareness (New in v1.3): Calls SetProcessDpiAwareness(2) at startup so Windows reports true physical pixel coordinates across all monitors — no more DPI-virtualized misplacements on mixed-scale setups.
• DPI Boundary Bleed Fix (New in v1.3): For normal-state windows, enforces saved physical coordinates via MoveWindow after SetWindowPlacement to prevent windows from bleeding onto the wrong monitor at DPI boundaries.
• Multi-Signal Window Fingerprinting: Matches saved windows to live windows across sessions using a weighted scoring system (process name, class name, geometry, fuzzy title matching) instead of fragile HWND handles.
• System Event Automation: Runs silently in the background and automatically restores your active window layout when it detects a display configuration change (e.g., waking from sleep, connecting a new monitor).
• System Tray Interface: Manage the application and select your active profile directly from the Windows taskbar.
• Global Hotkeys: Use keyboard shortcuts to quickly save or restore your active profile from anywhere in Windows.
• Multi-Monitor Support: Precisely places windows back to their original screens using the Windows API (SetWindowPlacement + MoveWindow).
• Ghost Window Filtering: Filters out invisible phantom windows (DWM-cloaked apps, tool windows, zero-geometry listeners) using physical GetWindowRect checks and a configurable title/process blacklist.

Installation (from Source)

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• Windows OS

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/WinAnchor.git
   cd WinAnchor

2. Install the required dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the application:

   # Launch the System Tray application
   python run.py tray
   
   # Or launch the interactive CLI menu for testing
   python run.py interactive

Compiling to a Standalone Executable (.exe)

You can build WinAnchor into a single-file Windows executable, so it can run on machines without Python installed.

1. Make sure all dependencies (including pyinstaller) are installed:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Run the included build script:

   build.bat

3. The compiled standalone executable WinAnchor.exe will be generated in the dist/ directory. You can move this .exe anywhere or add it to your Windows Startup folder (shell:startup) for automatic execution on boot.

Usage

When WinAnchor is running in background mode (System Tray):

• System Tray Icon: Right-click the blue "W" icon in your taskbar to access the menu.
• Active Profile: Use the "Active Profile" submenu to switch between 4 configurable layout profiles.
• Save Layout: Select "Save Layout" or press your configured Save Hotkey (default: Alt+Shift+S) to save to the currently active profile.
• Restore Layout: Select "Restore Layout" or press your configured Restore Hotkey (default: Alt+Shift+R) to load the currently active profile.
• Settings: Click "Settings..." in the tray menu to rename your profiles, change your hotkeys, and edit the ignored windows blacklist.

Note: WinAnchor automatically restores your active layout when your monitors wake from sleep or reconnect.

Architecture

• src/core/window_manager.py: Interacts with the win32gui Windows API to read and set window placements. Implements DPI awareness, multi-signal fingerprinting, and ghost window filtering.
• src/core/profile_manager.py: Serializes layout data into JSON and stores it in %APPDATA%\WinAnchor\profiles\.
• src/core/hotkey_manager.py: Listens for global keyboard shortcuts using the keyboard library.
• src/core/event_listener.py: Runs a hidden message pump to intercept WM_DISPLAYCHANGE events for automatic layout restoration.
• src/core/config_manager.py: Manages user preferences (hotkeys, profile names, ignored windows list) in %APPDATA%\WinAnchor\config.json.
• src/ui/tray_app.py: Renders the System Tray icon and context menu using pystray.
• src/ui/settings_dialog.py: Provides a lightweight tkinter GUI for configuring hotkeys, profile names, and the window blacklist.

Changelog

v1.3 — Multi-Monitor DPI & User Blacklist

• Per-Monitor DPI Awareness: SetProcessDpiAwareness(2) with fallback to SetProcessDPIAware(), ensuring true physical coordinates on mixed-scale multi-monitor setups.
• DPI Boundary Bleed Fix: Normal-state windows are repositioned via MoveWindow after SetWindowPlacement to prevent cross-monitor bleed at DPI boundaries.
• User-Defined Window Blacklist: Configurable list of ignored window titles/process names (substring matching), editable from the Settings dialog and persisted in config.json.
• Improved Ghost Window Filter: Replaced GetWindowPlacement zero-geometry check with physical GetWindowRect + strict blacklist to catch phantom windows like Logitech's PnpMgr.
• Settings Dialog Overhaul: Auto-sizing layout (no hardcoded geometry), new "Ignored Windows" field, added Cancel button.

v1.2 — Robust Window Matching

• Multi-Signal Fingerprinting: Weighted scoring system (process 40 pts, class 20 pts, geometry 30 pts, fuzzy title 10 pts) replaces fragile HWND-based matching.
• DWM Cloaking Filter: Filters out windows cloaked by the Desktop Window Manager (virtual desktops, background UWP apps).
• Z-Order Preservation: Restores windows in reverse EnumWindows order so the topmost window stays on top.
• Owner Window Check: Skips owned windows (using GW_OWNER) unless they have WS_EX_APPWINDOW.

v1.1 — Profiles & Settings

• 4-Slot Profile System: Save/switch between 4 independent layout profiles from the system tray.
• Dynamic Settings Dialog: Configure hotkeys and rename profiles via a tkinter UI.
• Configurable Hotkeys: User-defined save/restore keyboard shortcuts persisted to config.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.