How to make Windows key + number switch to current Chrome instance instead of opening new one

Question

I just got a new computer at work. On my old machine, I put Chrome as the first program in the task bar, and so pressing Windows key + 1 would open Chrome. Later, when Chrome was still open, pressing that combination again would make Chrome the active window, switching to it from whatever else I was doing.

On my new machine, with Chrome in the task bar's first position, Windows key + 1 opens Chrome as expected. However, pressing the combination again with Chrome still open causes a new instance of Chrome to be opened up, instead of switching me to the one I already have.

How can I change this behavior of the Windows key shortcut? It isn't happening for other programs in the task bar. For example, I have my text editor in position 2 and a PDF viewer in position 3. Windows key + 2 or + 3 switch me to those windows instead of opening instances.

Answer 1

When you install chrome that behaviour is generally provided by Windows and the Chrome installer. So I have 2 different chrome systems and 2 different behaviours, BECAUSE one is a dev version HOWEVER the standard chrome viewer should behave like any other app. Points to watch out for by default the icon should be standard tricolour edged roundel. ALSO note the blue bar underneath the Icon shows it is resident, since without that its likely to open new windows.

So it may depend on which launcher is active as to what behaviours are defaulted. Mine is simply launched as just C:\Users\Me\Downloads\Apps\Browsers\GoogleChrome\App\Chrome-bin\chrome.exe

Google Chrome does seem to behave somewhat different to other apps, its default behaviour seems to be set to open new tabs. but it should respect the Windows taskbar selection.