How to Move or Resize an Off-Screen Window in Windows?
I’m sure you have faced this situation many times when a program window opens in a way that you can’t see either its titlebar or the whole program window. Most of the times it happens when you close a full screen program like a game or movie.
I have faced this problem many times with Internet Download Manager (IDM). I think its a bug in IDM. Whenever I open IDM, each time its window automatically shifts a few pixels to the left side of screen. After many open and close operations, one moment comes when the whole program window disappears and moves off-screen. Sometimes you can only see its border as shown in following screenshot:
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There is one more similar problem when a program window automatically moves a few pixels to the top of the screen which hides the window titlebar completely as shown in following screenshot:
In both situations, you can’t move the program window as you need to click and hold the cursor on program titlebar and then you can move it on the screen by dragging the window.
So if you face such kind of problem in future, how will you fix it? How will you move or resize an off-screen window? Don’t worry! Here is the solution.
Today in this tutorial, we’ll tell you a very simple and easy to use trick to move and resize a program window which is not showing properly on screen or the window is too large and wide that you can’t resize it.
There are 2 ways to move or resize an off-screen program window:
- Using keyboard shortcut
- Using mouse
METHOD 1: Using Keyboard Shortcut
You just need to press “ALT+SPACEBAR” keys together and it’ll open the System Menu which shows minimize, maximize, restore, close, size and move options.
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Once you get the menu, you can use arrow keys to go to the desired option and press Enter key.
For example, to move the window select “Move” option (or press m key to select the option) and then you can use arrow keys to move the program window to left, right, top or bottom.
Similarly, to resize a large and wide window, select “Size” option (or press s key to select the option) and then use arrow keys to resize it.
METHOD 2: Using Mouse
If you don’t want to use keyboard shortcut, you can use your mouse to access system menu. Just right-click on the program button present in Taskbar. Windows 7 and later users will need to press SHIFT key while right-clicking on the program button otherwise it’ll bring jumplist.
Right-clicking on the program button will show the same system menu and then you can click on the desired option but you’ll still need to use arrow keys to move or resize the program window.
Have you faced such kind of problem in Windows? How did you fix it? Did you know this trick? Feel free to share your experience in your comment…
This happens to me when running Avid MC all the time. I have to save my work and close the program and restart it to retrieve the full window again. This article saved me that hassle so I can get the Avid window from the boondocks without closing it. I knew there was a shortcut, I just couldn’t find what it was. This always happens when I need to access my desktop while in full screen with Avid. It comes back to Avid with only the bottom half of the window hanging down from the stratosphere. Very annoying. Those who didn’t like this article are obviously searching for answers on a different problem. They didn’t pay attention to the question you were answering. Oh well. This saved me, that’s what I’m grateful for.
This did not help, there is a game i want to play but the game’s configuration screen is too big, and when i press alt+spacebar the only options in the menu that come up are “move” and “close”, any time I try to move the window it automatically shifts to where I cannot confirm my custom configuration settings. Please me out with this!!!
Regarding only non-movement of the Settings window in Windows 10:
I could move most windows fine across desktops on dual monitors, but not the Settings window.
One day I noticed a smaller subtle redundant title “Settings” way up in upper-most left-most corner.
Voila, if you grab it close to or on that smaller title, the Settings window moves fine, otherwise no.
I was unable to use the “ALT” “SPACEBAR” method for a program that opened too high on the screen.
RON’s method worked: With more than 1 app open, right click on task bar and select “Cascade Windows”
I often read through other peoples comments for tips and hints. RON’s was a smash hit!
Thank you.
If nothing works, try CTRL ALT and the left or right buttons. that flips the too big window on its side, you will then be able to see the accept/decline button. to get it back, CTRL ALT and the top button.
Chrome was stuck on the left side of my window. Your instructions fixed the problem.
Thanks you!!!
Alt + Space bar -then Maximise = YES !!!!! Many thanks
Very useful! Thanks!
thanks! help me finish a much-needed download
Still having difficulty in accessing “Words”
still cannot move my gmail page to the left… tried everything.. am on windows 10.. thank you
Thanks! I accidentally maximized a window within a program, and it didn’t have a resize icon on it. I shut off the computer without saving, problem was still there when I restarted. Removed and reinstalled the program – problem was still there. Normal window resizing would do nothing. [Alt + space bar] and I was able to resize the window.
THANK YOU!
thanks a lot.
Hey thanks for looking out man! Much appreciated! I didn’t even know there was a hotkey for that! Looks like despite using Windows for the vast majority of my life since I was a child, there are still things even a veteran can learn! (And I am talking ancient Windows. Was using Windows back during the XP era when it was still the new thing with dial up.) This will surely come in handy later on down the line as there are many times I come across this issue with Windows devices. Bookmarking this article for sure in-case I forget! Thanks again for looking out brother! Much appreciated!
After this problem drove me nuts for 3 days, I replaced my wireless mouse and keyboard and didn’t even need to resolve my problem.
Hope this helps someone keep their sanity.
Oops! I meant to say I didn’t even need to reboot to resolve my problem.
Everything immediately started working perfectly as soon as I switched out my wireless mouse & keyboard with another wireless mouse & keyboard.
Thanks this was super helpful 🙂
I used a right-click on the application icon on the task bar which allowed me to maximize the screen. This moved the window so I could move, resize, etc.. Thank you!
Why don’t MS make an option in Windows to force windows to stay within the physical constraints of the screen. I know how to resize the windows when it goes outside, but it’s an annoyance to have to do this all the time!
Thanks a lot man! For me Dashlane got stuck on the side of the screen.
I can’t move my screen so I can use the red dot.
One windows overlay appears with a comment “The App is unable to display this page. Please check your internet connection.
THANK YOU!!
Great tip. Note: The part that says ” Windows 7 users will need to press SHIFT” maybe should say “Windows 7 or later.” I needed to press SHIFT in Windows 10, so it was probably a permanent change in Windows 7.
Windows 10 Wrong. ctrl alt del open task manager. Kill word by ending task. Reopen Word. Open doc. and continue. All above descriptions FAILED>
this was very helpful, thank you.
Thank you so much.
thankyou so much….
I can’t thank you more