Windows 7 - Offscreen Window - Move Back to Desktop

Brink

How to Move a Offscreen Window Back to the Desktop in Windows 7

Information

If you have a opened window that is offscreen from your main display, then this will show you how to move the offscreen window back on your desktop in Windows 7.

Note

This would be a opened window that you accidentally moved off the screen to far to get to it with the mouse pointer, or if a laptop or desktop computer is plugged up to a temporary secondary monitor display and then disconnected without remembering to move the open window(s) back to the primary desktop display.

Here's How:

1. Hover the mouse pointer over the offscreen open window icon on the taskbar until you see it's taskbar thumbnail preview display. (see screenshot below)

2. Right click on the taskbar thumbnail preview, and click on Move. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You could also press and hold the Shift key, right click on the taskbar icon of the offscreen window, release the Shift key, then click on Move.

Tip

If Move is grayed out, then that means that the offscreen window has been minimized to the taskbar. Click on Maximize or Restore and repeat step 2 to now be able to click on Move.

3. The mouse pointer will now turn into the move cursor on the offscreen window, but you will not see this quite yet.

4. Press and release one of the arrow keys on the keyboard.

5. Now drag the offscreen window back to your desktop by either moving the mouse or using the arrow keys.
NOTE: You may need to move the mouse around a bit until you see what direction the offscreen window is coming from.

6. When you have the window back to where you want it on the desktop, left click or press Enter to drop the window into place.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

How to Move a Open Window with the keyboard

CassieFWinTeam · 03-31-2010

Thanks for sharing, Shawn!

Cassandra
Microsoft Windows Outreach

Brink · 03-31-2010

Thank you Cassandra.

RyanG · 04-24-2010

6. When you have the window back to where you want it on the desktop, left click or press Enter to drop the window into place.

when i press Enter or left click the window disappears and is offscreen again.

Brink · 04-24-2010

Hello Ryan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Strange, that should not happen. Do you have the window all the way onto your desktop and not hanging offscreen any at all? What is that window for?

RyanG · 04-24-2010

yes, the window is all the way on the screen. And the window is for Steam Community chat

Brink · 04-24-2010

Ryan,

I must admit that I'm not sure why it is doing that for you. You might see if uninstalling and reinstalling the program may be able to reset it for you so that it opens on the desktop normally again.

Torongo · 05-02-2010

Nice, thanks. =)

~Joshua~

Brink · 05-02-2010

You're most welcome Joshua. Thank you.

Kari · 01-05-2011

Sorry but IMO this is wrong:

Quote:

If Move is grayed out, then that means that the offscreen window has been minimized to the taskbar. Click on Maximize and repeat step 2 to now be able to click on Move.

I think it should be:

Quote:

If Move is grayed out, then that means that the offscreen window has been minimized to the taskbar or maximized to full screen. To move a window, it must be restored to non-full screen mode. Click on Restore and repeat step 2 to now be able to click on Move.

This is at least how this works on all my rigs; only open, non-full screen windows can be moved using this method.

Kari

Windows 7 - Offscreen Window - Move Back to Desktop

Offscreen Window - Move Back to Desktop

Offscreen Window - Move Back to Desktop problems?