Application Window Stuck Outside Your Monitor? Try This

If you work with multiple monitors regularly and then switch back to a single monitor, you may find that some of your applications open in the additional (now nonexistent) monitor. If you find this is the case, there are a couple of tricks I have found which work:

  • If you can only see part of the application window, try resizing the window by dragging one of the corners or sides. When you to resize it, the full application should appear on your screen.
  • If you cannot see the application at all, make sure you have it selected in the task bar, press Alt+Spacebar and then select Maximize from the system menu. After doing this, the application will be maximize on your screen.

I have tested these methods on Windows 7 and they do work. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, so if you have a trick on recovering applications trapped on a nonexistent monitor, please share.

Opt In Image
Free Weekly PCMech Newsletter
Almost 500 Issues So Far, Received By Thousands Every Week.

The PCMech.com weekly newsletter has been running strong for over 8 years. Sign up to get tech news, updates and exclusive content - right in your inbox. Also get (several) free gifts.

Comments

  1. Mark Weingarten says:

    You can also click on the application on the taskbar. Then click move, then use the arrows on your keypad. It does the trick!

  2. Another similar trick that works for some applications is done in the same way as the maximize method – select the app in the taskbar, press alt + space, and select move. Then you can either use the arrow keys or drag the mouse to move the window on to your monitor.

  3. Vertimyst beat me to it. This is always happening to me and I use this trick all the time. I like it better than the maximize method as it’s one less step if I don’t want the window maximized. Also I think sometimes if you “Restore” the maximized window it may go offscreen again, although I’m not positive about that.

    I also have this window-offscreen problem when using Remote Desktop sometimes. If myself or another admin remotes into a machine using a higher res, moves a window to the outskirts of his screen, and then I remote in with a lower res, the windows will be offscreen.

  4. merciiiiiiiiiiiiii

  5. Thank you! You’ve saved my week

  6. I have been stuck with this problem for 2 weeks …

    - Thank you so much!

  7. Thanks !!!! – Saved my day.

    Another reason to avoid Microsoft …..

Leave a Reply

PCMech Insider Cover Images - Subscribe To Get Your Copies!
Learn More
Tech Information you can use, sent to your inbox each and every week. Check out PCMech's digital e-zine...