Help, my work is stuck on a second screen

January 6, 2016 8:04 PM

This feels like a silly question but - I disconnected my computer from the monitor when leaving work, and now when I try to open an Excel document it seems like it's trying to open it on the monitor. I tried restarting the computer but it doesn't help. Other Excel documents open fine, it's just the one that I had on the monitor.

I'm running Mac Yosemite 10.10.5. I'm sure it's something in "Display" but I'm not sure what. I've never had this problem on another computer.

Help I need this file for the morning! TIA.

posted by sweetkid to Technology (13 answers total)

Can you get to the (minimize,enlarge,move,close) drop down from the dock and hit "move" and then use the arrow keys to move it over?


(This works on Windows machines by right clicking on the document from the task bar...I seem to remember it working in Macs, but haven't done it in a while)
posted by larthegreat at 8:08 PM on January 6, 2016

Response by poster: I'm not sure what that means...when I have Excel open, it shows the one I want as an open document, but when I try to go to it nothing happens, it's definitely trying to open it on a second screen.
posted by sweetkid at 8:10 PM on January 6, 2016

Response by poster: Also, if I click Control and click the Excel icon at the same time, I get an option that says Show All Windows. I click that, and then I can see my document! but if I click on it it disappears.
posted by sweetkid at 8:18 PM on January 6, 2016

Response by poster: I went to System Preferences>Displays and it is only showing my laptop display.
posted by sweetkid at 8:22 PM on January 6, 2016

Best answer: In Excel, go to the Window menu in the top menu bar, and click "Zoom."
posted by bluefly at 8:23 PM on January 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

You might try swiping up the touchpad with three fingers, then grab the application and move it to the desktop of your choice on top. You could also try swiping three fingers left or right and see if OSX decided to give you an alternate screen.
posted by nickggully at 8:23 PM on January 6, 2016

Response by poster: Bluefly has it, thank you!
posted by sweetkid at 8:25 PM on January 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

In case it happens in another application or for others reading this in the future, there is a button in the Display pane in System Preferences called "Gather Windows". This is what it's for.
posted by mewsic at 3:53 AM on January 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I do know what the Display Pane is and was actually looking for Gather Windows or similar but did not see that button. If I had found it I would not have asked this question.
posted by sweetkid at 1:21 PM on January 7, 2016

Best answer: sweetkid: You might have needed to hold the Option key to see the button, strangely enough...
posted by KMB at 1:42 PM on January 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: OMG WHAT IS THAT MADNESS YOU ARE RIGHT KMB
posted by sweetkid at 1:44 PM on January 7, 2016

Response by poster: this feels like a much less dumb question now, thank you KMB and bluefly for those non obvious solutions.
posted by sweetkid at 1:52 PM on January 7, 2016

I didn't think this was a dumb question at all. FWIW.
posted by mewsic at 12:56 AM on January 10, 2016