Tessdeck for Windows

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A lightweight Windows tray utility that snaps the active window to halves, quarters, thirds, and more with keyboard shortcuts.

v1.1.0 rebrand: Tessdeck was previously released as EbenTiler. Existing settings are migrated automatically on first run.

• No separate runtime installation required (.NET Framework 4.8 is included with Windows 10/11)
• Single executable, about 170 KB
• Runs in the notification area with fully configurable hotkeys
• Checks for new stable releases at most once per day and notifies you without automatic downloads or installation

Privacy · Security · Code signing policy

Default shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + Alt + ←	Left half
Ctrl + Alt + →	Right half
Ctrl + Alt + ↑	Top half
Ctrl + Alt + ↓	Bottom half
Ctrl + Alt + U	Top-left quarter
Ctrl + Alt + I	Top-right quarter
Ctrl + Alt + J	Bottom-left quarter
Ctrl + Alt + K	Bottom-right quarter
Ctrl + Alt + D / F / H	Left / center / right third
Ctrl + Alt + E / T	Left 2/3 / right 2/3
Ctrl + Alt + Enter	Maximize
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ↑	Vertical maximize while keeping width
Ctrl + Alt + C	Center on screen
Ctrl + Alt + = / -	Grow / shrink
Ctrl + Alt + Backspace	Restore the pre-snap position and size
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + → / ←	Move to next / previous monitor

Why not use Ctrl + Arrow? Most editors and browsers already use those shortcuts for word-by-word cursor movement. Taking them globally would interfere with normal typing. You can change every shortcut in Settings.

Repeating a shortcut cycles the width

Press Ctrl + Alt + ← repeatedly and the left-side layout cycles through 1/2 → 1/3 → 2/3. The cycle only continues when the shortcut is pressed again within two seconds; otherwise it starts again from 1/2. This behavior can be disabled in Settings.

Quick Layout

Tessdeck 1.3 can save the current arrangement of open app windows and restore those same currently open windows later, including moving them back across monitors.

• Tray menu: Quick Layout 저장 / Quick Layout 복원
• Optional global shortcuts can be assigned in Settings > Hotkeys; both are unassigned by default
• Restore is best-effort: closed apps are not launched, unmatched windows are left alone, and a missing saved monitor is skipped
• Layout data stays local in %APPDATA%\\Tessdeck\\quick-layout.ini
• The snapshot stores only process executable name, window class, per-class instance index, monitor device name, normalized geometry, maximized state, and capture time
• Window titles, document names, URLs, command lines, file paths, full process paths, and window contents are not stored

Installation

For normal use, download and double-click Tessdeck-Setup.exe. Administrator privileges are not required, and the app installs only for the current Windows user.

• Program path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Tessdeck\Tessdeck.exe
• Adds a Start menu shortcut
• Lets you choose whether Tessdeck starts with Windows
• Can launch immediately after installation
• Uninstall from Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Tessdeck for Windows > Uninstall

See INSTALL.md for detailed installation, installer build, and code-signing information.

For development, the PowerShell installer is also available:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1 -Uninstall

Use -KeepConfig when uninstalling if you want to preserve settings. Use -NoStartup during installation to avoid registering startup launch.

Build

The .NET SDK is not required. Tessdeck builds with the .NET Framework 4.8 compiler available on Windows.

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File build.ps1

The output is:

build\Tessdeck.exe

To build the installer:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File build-installer.ps1

Outputs:

dist\Tessdeck-Setup.exe
dist\Tessdeck-Setup.exe.sha256

Running Tessdeck

If you installed Tessdeck, it should already be running. To try it without installing:

build\Tessdeck.exe

An icon appears in the Windows notification area. If you do not see it, click ∧ to check the hidden tray icons. Windows may hide icons from newly installed apps by default.

Left-clicking or right-clicking the tray icon opens the menu.

• Hotkey settings... opens Settings
• Start with Windows toggles startup registration and shows a check mark when enabled
• Quick Layout 저장 saves the current open-window arrangement
• Quick Layout 복원 restores matching currently open windows
• Exit closes Tessdeck

The tray menu re-reads the actual startup registration state whenever it opens, so the check mark stays in sync even if the setting changes elsewhere.

First run

New users see a short welcome guide explaining the core shortcuts. Do not show again is selected by default, so the guide normally appears once. Clear that option before closing if you want to see it again next time.

Update checks

Tessdeck checks GitHub's public latest Release metadata at most once every 24 hours. If a newer stable version exists, Windows shows a one-time notification.

Clicking the notification opens Settings > About, where you can also press Check for updates manually at any time. Tessdeck does not download or install updates in the background. When a new version is available, the user chooses whether to open the GitHub Release page.

Command line usage

Tessdeck can also be controlled from scripts or other tools.

Tessdeck.exe --apply LeftHalf                 # Snap the active window to the left half
Tessdeck.exe --apply TopRight --hwnd 0x3B078E # Target a specific window
Tessdeck.exe --info                           # Show active-window and work-area information
Tessdeck.exe --list                           # List available commands
Tessdeck.exe --settings                       # Open Settings only
Tessdeck.exe --layout-save                    # Save the current Quick Layout
Tessdeck.exe --layout-restore                 # Restore matching open windows
Tessdeck.exe --check                          # Check for hotkey registration conflicts
Tessdeck.exe --startup on|off|status          # Enable/disable/query startup registration
Tessdeck.exe --out result.txt --info          # Also write the result to a file

--check reports registration status like this:

total=23
assigned=21
unassigned=2
failed=1
conflict=Right third (Ctrl + Alt + H)

Because Tessdeck.exe is a GUI application, standard output may not always be available through a pipe. Use --out <file> when a script needs to read the result reliably.

Settings

Open the tray menu and choose the hotkey settings entry.

• Select an action on the left, then press the key combination you want in the input field.
• The preview on the right shows where the selected action will place the window. Actions that cannot be explained by position alone, such as resize or monitor movement, use outlines and arrows.
• If another action already uses the same shortcut, Tessdeck asks before clearing the existing assignment.
• Shortcuts without a modifier (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, or Win) are blocked because a global registration would prevent other programs from using that key normally.
• The Layout page lets you choose the three ratios used when repeating a directional shortcut.
• The About page shows the current version and update status.

Icon

assets\app.ico is embedded into the executable at build time. It contains separate artwork for 16 / 24 / 32 / 48 / 64 / 128 / 256 pixel sizes. Each size is drawn separately so the notification-area icon stays sharp instead of becoming a blurry downscaled version of one large image.

The icon represents two overlapping windows, matching the idea of arranging windows before they are tiled. It uses blue and white only so it remains visible on dark taskbars.

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\make-appicon.ps1   # Rebuild the icon

Configuration file

Settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Tessdeck\config.ini and can also be edited manually.

[Hotkeys]
LeftHalf=Ctrl+Alt+Left
TopLeft=Ctrl+Alt+U
Maximize=Ctrl+Alt+Enter
QuickLayoutSave=
QuickLayoutRestore=

[Options]
Gap=0                  ; Gap around and between windows, in pixels
CycleHalves=true       ; Repeating a directional shortcut cycles the ratios below
CycleRatio1=50         ; First ratio (20-80)
CycleRatio2=33         ; Second ratio (20-80)
CycleRatio3=67         ; Third ratio (20-80)
ShowWelcomeGuide=false ; Whether to show the welcome guide on the next launch

Leave a hotkey value empty to disable that action's global shortcut. Quick Layout save/restore shortcuts are empty by default.

Quick Layout snapshots are stored separately in %APPDATA%\\Tessdeck\\quick-layout.ini and contain only the minimal local window identity and geometry fields described above.

Update-check state is stored separately in %APPDATA%\Tessdeck\update-state.ini. It contains only the last check time and the release tag that has already been notified.

Privacy

Tessdeck does not collect personal information, usage analytics, window titles, keyboard input, or file contents, and it does not use telemetry, advertising, or analytics SDKs.

For update notifications, it checks only the latest public release metadata from GitHub at most once every 24 hours. It does not automatically download or install update files.

See PRIVACY.md for network behavior and locally stored information.

Verification

The repository includes scripts that verify behavior against real Windows windows and UI.

# Verify placement calculations against real window positions
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify.ps1

# Trigger and verify global hotkeys with real key input
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-hotkeys.ps1

# Verify configuration, gaps, vertical maximize, monitor movement, single-instance behavior, and startup
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-more.ps1

# Operate the Settings UI with real mouse/keyboard input and verify persistence
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-settings.ps1

# Verify custom split ratios through the real Layout settings UI
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-layout-settings.ps1

# Open the tray menu and verify check marks and toggle behavior
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-tray-menu.ps1

# Capture Settings previews for each action
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\capture-preview.ps1

# Capture Settings and tray UI
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\capture-ui.ps1

# Capture a two-window side-by-side demo
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\capture-demo.ps1

Installer and release verification:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-installer.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-release.ps1

Unsigned public releases are published only after install/uninstall smoke tests and SHA-256 verification. Signed releases also require Authenticode validation.

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-release.ps1 -RequireCodeSigning

Code signing policy

Until SignPath Foundation or another public code-signing provider is connected, Tessdeck may publish verified unsigned GitHub Releases. In that case, the Release page and landing page clearly disclose that the installer is unsigned and that Windows may display an Unknown publisher or SmartScreen warning.

Once a code-signing identity is available, subsequent releases will require Authenticode signing and Code Signing EKU verification. Version numbers will always move forward so existing users can detect signed releases as updates instead of replacing an older release in place.

SignPath Foundation is the preferred option currently under review for public OSS signing, but Tessdeck has not yet been approved by or integrated with SignPath. Until approval, the project does not claim that SignPath currently signs Tessdeck builds.

See docs/CODE_SIGNING.md for the detailed policy and provider-selection criteria.

Notes

• Windows running as administrator cannot be moved by a lower-privilege Tessdeck process. To arrange elevated windows, run Tessdeck.exe with matching administrator privileges.
• A shortcut may fail to register when another program already owns it. Tessdeck reports failed registrations after startup, and Tessdeck.exe --check can be used at any time to inspect them. Change the shortcut in Settings if needed. Game launchers and dock utilities commonly reserve combinations such as Ctrl+Alt+number or Ctrl+Alt+G.
• Window placement uses the actual visible frame bounds reported by DWM, avoiding offsets caused by the transparent resize border around Windows 10/11 windows.
• Tessdeck is per-monitor DPI aware for setups where displays use different scaling factors.

Project structure

File	Responsibility
src/Native.cs	Win32 API declarations and DPI-awareness setup
src/SnapAction.cs	Snap action definitions, display names, default shortcuts
src/Hotkey.cs	Shortcut parsing and display
src/Config.cs	Configuration file read/write
src/WindowManager.cs	Window discovery, placement calculations, movement, restore state
src/HotkeyManager.cs	Global hotkey registration and dispatch
src/TrayApp.cs	Tray application, menus, update notifications
src/UpdateChecker.cs	GitHub Release checks and 24-hour update state
src/SettingsUpdateSection.cs	Manual update UI under Settings > About
src/SettingsForm.cs	Settings window
src/Program.cs	Entry point and command-line mode