Windows 7 - moving a window off screen
March 29, 2019 8:58 AM Subscribe
Normally my work laptop is connected to two monitors, currently I am just running on the laptop. The external monitors are 2k miles away and not available. An application is popping up a window on these non-existent monitors. How do I move it?
The usual solution is to alt-tab to the window and then shift-right click. The problem here is that the window doesn't appear as an application, so I can't alt-tab to select it. It's a sub window in the application I am using. Any ideas on how to select it and move it to the actual existing screen?
That this stuff is still a problem with windows is incredible.
The usual solution is to alt-tab to the window and then shift-right click. The problem here is that the window doesn't appear as an application, so I can't alt-tab to select it. It's a sub window in the application I am using. Any ideas on how to select it and move it to the actual existing screen?
That this stuff is still a problem with windows is incredible.
Can you disable the multiple screens? It should be in the settings. Once you're back to one screen you can see all the applications that are running.
posted by ananci at 9:04 AM on March 29, 2019
posted by ananci at 9:04 AM on March 29, 2019
Can you restart the computer? That tends to fix all manner of obnoxious "I think a monitor is still here but it's not" issues.
posted by brainmouse at 9:07 AM on March 29, 2019
posted by brainmouse at 9:07 AM on March 29, 2019
Response by poster: The external monitors are not currently enabled in display settings, and the they're not part of the desktop as the mouse won't move around off screen (which I have certainly seen before on other systems).
posted by MillMan at 9:07 AM on March 29, 2019
posted by MillMan at 9:07 AM on March 29, 2019
Right click on the windows taskbar, choose cascade all windows. That may bring it into view.
Monitors do have some software, so it's possible it's a message from the monitor.
posted by theora55 at 9:08 AM on March 29, 2019
Monitors do have some software, so it's possible it's a message from the monitor.
posted by theora55 at 9:08 AM on March 29, 2019
Response by poster: Cascade didn't work. I can interact with the window because it does take keyboard input (couple of tabs to get the the "cancel" button and then enter).
posted by MillMan at 9:13 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by MillMan at 9:13 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Sometimes if you change your screen resolution, it'll try and get everything on the same screen.
posted by General Malaise at 9:16 AM on March 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by General Malaise at 9:16 AM on March 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Alt and space brings up the menu of right clicking the top left hand corner, then hit m to select move, then scroll left or right depending on where the missing monitor was.
posted by ellieBOA at 9:25 AM on March 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 9:25 AM on March 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
I end up setting my Win10 device to tablet mode long enough to force it over. It’s a laptop that “converts” to tablet mode
posted by tilde at 9:29 AM on March 29, 2019
posted by tilde at 9:29 AM on March 29, 2019
Try shift-right-click on the app in the taskbar, then select move, then use arrow keys...
posted by Perplexity at 9:30 AM on March 29, 2019
posted by Perplexity at 9:30 AM on March 29, 2019
Best answer: Seconding ellieBOA's recommendation:
- Alt-Tab to the application that hosts your sub-window;
- press Alt-Space, then 'm';
- press one of the arrow keys.
At this point the sub-window should be following your mouse cursor, so you can use your mouse to bring the sub-window into the view. I just tried it on my Windows 7 desktop, and it worked.
posted by ringu0 at 9:44 AM on March 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
- Alt-Tab to the application that hosts your sub-window;
- press Alt-Space, then 'm';
- press one of the arrow keys.
At this point the sub-window should be following your mouse cursor, so you can use your mouse to bring the sub-window into the view. I just tried it on my Windows 7 desktop, and it worked.
posted by ringu0 at 9:44 AM on March 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Accessibility hack:
First get the off-screen window selected as the active window. Press Alt+Tab until that window is active or clicking the associated taskbar button.
Once you've got the window active, Shift+right-click the taskbar button ( right-clicking will only open the app’s jumplist) and choose the “Move” command from the context menu.
Your cursor should have changed to the Move icon and you can use the arrow keys to move the window.
Versions of Windows before 7: right-click the taskbar button instead of Shift+right-click to get the context menu.
posted by zenon at 9:45 AM on March 29, 2019
First get the off-screen window selected as the active window. Press Alt+Tab until that window is active or clicking the associated taskbar button.
Once you've got the window active, Shift+right-click the taskbar button ( right-clicking will only open the app’s jumplist) and choose the “Move” command from the context menu.
Your cursor should have changed to the Move icon and you can use the arrow keys to move the window.
Versions of Windows before 7: right-click the taskbar button instead of Shift+right-click to get the context menu.
posted by zenon at 9:45 AM on March 29, 2019
This happens to me all the time and the Move thing never works on my rig. What does work for me is making sure that the window I want has focus, then holding WinKey + Shift and hitting the left or right arrow. Sometime I have to hit the arrow 2 or 3 times to get the target app to appear on my screen, but that's how I deal with it.
posted by glonous keming at 9:50 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by glonous keming at 9:50 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yep, ellieBOA's suggestion worked. Thanks all!
posted by MillMan at 10:02 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by MillMan at 10:02 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Missed the edit window: ellieBOA's is how I usually do it - mine is a possible alternative for the windows metro interface
posted by zenon at 10:14 AM on March 29, 2019
posted by zenon at 10:14 AM on March 29, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 9:04 AM on March 29, 2019