Right Click + Move
I haven’t written in quite some time, but I thought I’d take some time this morning to share a little tidbit of information that I found quite handy. Every once in a while I’ll dock my laptop or log into a machine that had been in use via remote desktop and a window will be off the screen. So far to one direction that there is no practical way to get it back into the main desktop area of the machine.
Logically you’d think that since this is such a common occurrence that you’d be able to return it to the normal positioning on the screen with a couple of clicks. Following that logic you’d think that you’d be able to move the window using the “Move” prompt when you right click on pretty much any application in the windows task bar.
Well in Microsoft’s omnipotence they have decided that since this is such a useful function that they’d include it in nearly every windows dialog. The only draw back being that the only time you’d find such a function useful, when the window is outside of the clickable area, the “Move” option doesn’t do squat but move your cursor to the very edge of the screen.
I shared my frustration with a co-worker here and he shared what must be the most useful key combination since CTRL+C, CTRL+V. Behold the Right Click + Move + [Arrow Key].
This particular key combination will allow you to move the window, even if it is outside the viewable area. It’s a slow process, moving only a pixel at a time, but its usefulness is undeniable.
Ok, for clarification, you right click the window you'd like to move in the task bar and select move. Your mouse cursor will turn into a 4 way arrow. Then can use the appropriate arrow key in the direction that you'd like to move the window.
Go now, and rest easy knowing that I've made you slightly smarter.
Logically you’d think that since this is such a common occurrence that you’d be able to return it to the normal positioning on the screen with a couple of clicks. Following that logic you’d think that you’d be able to move the window using the “Move” prompt when you right click on pretty much any application in the windows task bar.
Well in Microsoft’s omnipotence they have decided that since this is such a useful function that they’d include it in nearly every windows dialog. The only draw back being that the only time you’d find such a function useful, when the window is outside of the clickable area, the “Move” option doesn’t do squat but move your cursor to the very edge of the screen.
I shared my frustration with a co-worker here and he shared what must be the most useful key combination since CTRL+C, CTRL+V. Behold the Right Click + Move + [Arrow Key].
This particular key combination will allow you to move the window, even if it is outside the viewable area. It’s a slow process, moving only a pixel at a time, but its usefulness is undeniable.
Ok, for clarification, you right click the window you'd like to move in the task bar and select move. Your mouse cursor will turn into a 4 way arrow. Then can use the appropriate arrow key in the direction that you'd like to move the window.
Go now, and rest easy knowing that I've made you slightly smarter.
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Comments
Allen said...
once you hit an arrow key, the mouse will then move the window. when you've positioned it where you want it, left click once and it'll drop there. seems like an odd behavior to me but windows has worked that way for years.
3/3/2008 11:14:55 AM
Phil said...
Bless you.
4/5/2008 7:12:33 AM
said...
THANK YOU! You''re my hero.
7/16/2008 2:00:55 PM
said...
GOAL.
8/4/2008 6:28:00 PM
said...
Still useful as ever, should be on page one of every manual ever written.
10/28/2008 1:50:01 AM
said...
I always wondered about that. Kool, Thanx! Really needed it today.
11/7/2008 6:04:07 PM
said...
THANK YOU
3/22/2009 7:58:05 PM
said...
Finally that function has an actual use! Thanks for pointing this out.
5/10/2009 7:56:19 AM
said...
Thank you for posting this info! I found that by hitting the arrow key once, that seemed to lock the window under the mouse... then just move the mouse around (not holding down any mouse buttons) until the window is where you want then left-click.
8/14/2009 11:45:38 AM
said...
but when i right click, the move button isnt ''clickable''
9/27/2009 9:28:11 PM
said...
I''m having the same problem as the guy above me, when i right click in vista it wont allow me to select "move" or "size" or "maxamize"
10/27/2009 10:23:53 PM
said...
Since Windows 3.1 I have not known how to use the move command.....weeeeeeeeeee Bravo! MY hero!
12/17/2009 8:26:14 AM
said...
WOW..
I have been using computers for over a decade, but couldn''t figure out this... I thought "move" was just there to piss people off when they actually meant to click maximize or minimize...
Thanks. I really didn''t know..
This is sooo awesome!!!
2/15/2010 12:43:51 PM
said...
Now I can go to my grave in peace
2/19/2010 11:41:00 AM
said...
Thank you! Wonder where you are meant to find that information..
4/7/2010 10:40:25 AM
said...
Holy shit it actually has a purpose!
6/28/2010 8:25:00 AM
said...
Thanks so much for this. I was having this problem with a couple of windows now showing up at all in the deskop even though they were in the taskbar. Restarting the programs and the PC didn''t fix it. THIS DID!
7/28/2010 3:43:56 PM
said...
You are amazing... thank you.
8/3/2010 5:20:59 AM