Sunday, April 13, 2008

Did Your Window Get Stuck Offscreen? Move it Back!

Getting a window stuck so far off screen that you can't even get a handle on its title bar to move it back into place can happen if you switch resolutions a lot, or use multiple monitors that have different resolutions. The latter just happened to me a few minutes ago. Here's the sure-fire way to get it back into view:

Just right click on the window's button on the taskbar, and click "Move." Now here's the kicker: take your hand off the mouse, and use the ARROW keys to nudge it back into view. Your mouse doesn't work all the time because technically your mouse can't move outside of the monitor's field of view (hence it won't reach something outside)

Of course this method works best if you know where your window had flung off to. If it went off on the left side and you think it went off to the right, you may well have just pushed it further into oblivion. Beware!

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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Theres no possibility of moving the window further off screen if you do it this way (plus it's faster):

1. Right click on the window's button on the taskbar.
2. Click "Move" and let go of the mouse.
3. Press and release any of the arrow keys just once.
4. Without clicking, move the mouse and you'll find the mouse has ahold of the window.
5. As soon as you click, the window will be released.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much!!

My Windows Media Center was just far enough off screen that I couldn't get ahold of it. This was a great help.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! That has been bugging me for some time.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this - I have been going crazy until I found your post!!! Thanks!!!!! ~Val

Anonymous said...

But what if it'a a window that doesn't appear on the taskbar??

DewKid said...

I ran into this situation: I have dual monitors at work, and keep some windows on my "left" monitor. When I remote desktop in, I can't see any windows that are over there! Worse yet, the apps default to launching the window in the same place, so its stuck. EVEN WORSE, there is no task bar button for one of them!! Ack!

Here's what you have to do: ALT-TAB to get to the missing window. Press ALT-SPACE-M to activate the MOVE option, and use the arrow keys to move the window back. I found this info here if you are interested.

Thanks for the great post!

Anonymous said...

i have Alcohol 120% stuck on my non-existant moniter... and it does not support the Ctrl+M or Move command or anything

please help

Anonymous said...

I never knew this! Ive been doing programming for years! It works, thanks for the help. Glad I could learn a new trick.

Anonymous said...

Top tip, Thanks!

Andrew Smith said...

Exactly the trick I was looking for. Switching between the two screens I had often caused Windows Media Player to elope. This brings it right back without forcing it to maximise.

Spencer Haley said...

Great post. I tried to figure out a way myself for about 5 minutes before searching!

Anonymous said...

DewKid!!! You're awesome! That got me around something i've been putting up with for months. THANK YOU!

~sub

Anonymous said...

OMG, Thank you so much!!

Anonymous said...

tyvm