Recover Windows Opening Off Screen?

Question

Background: I have a three monitor setup, but sadly one of my monitors has died (control board is probably bad). I'm using Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with an ATI Radeon HD 5670 card.

The third monitor has been disabled in the monitor setup for weeks now, but I still have windows that want to appear on the monitor that no longer exists. I know how to right-click on the task bar, select Move (for the programs that actually implement that context menu) and arrow-key the windows into view, but I'm really tired of having to do this for something just about every day it seems.

Is there a single Windows command/action that can instruct all off-screen Windows to reposition to the closet desktop real estate that is actually visible?

Answer 1

Is there a single Windows command/action that can instruct all off-screen Windows to reposition to the closet desktop real estate that is actually visible?

Yes, resize the desktop to a different resolution.

All already open windows will snap to places in the new screen real estate. You can then change the resolution back.

The disadvantage is that this works for open windows. (It also feels as a kludge, there should be a better way. Maybe someone will post that. Meanwhile you can use my method so you can continue working).

Answer 2

Windows 7 has a cool new feature that should help. Click the icon in the taskbar to ensure that the program has focus. Then hold down the Windows key and press the right or left arrow a few times:

+→ or +←

That should move the window across your screens and eventually bring it back onto the screen that is still active.

Answer 3

You could also just press WIN + P and select to use a second device and expand the desktop there. Afterwards switch back to single screen. Worked like a charm for me.

Answer 4

This issue was bothering me for a while. I use multiple display at my office. And when I take the laptop out of the docking station, some application like Slack, Skype would try and open in a non existent second or third window.

I went through a bunch of questions over the internet. There were many solution but this one helped me.

Operating System: Windows 10 Professional
Application which was opening in a new window: Slack

• Step 1: Use Window+Tab or Alt+tab to focu on the application which is opening in a different window
• Step 2: Press Alt + Space, it will display the context menu with the option to Restore, Move, Size and so on..
• Step 3: If Move option is enabled for you then skip to step 4.The move option won't be enable if the window is maximized. To make move option enabled - do a Alt + Space > After you see the menu > Press R
• Step 4: Press Alt + Space > Once you see the context menu > Press M
• Step 5 - Pres the direction arrow key a couple of time, so the window gets in to the move mode.
• Now Use your mouse to drag the window back in to your current view port.
• Depending on where the rogue application was opening (to the right or left of your current screen), you may have to drag the window accordingly.

Hope this helps. Thought silly issue, it is an irritating one.

If nothing else helps, restart your system. All the best!

Answer 5

You can also go to Task Manager, find the process, Right click and then click Maximize or Bring to Front

Answer 6

Make your missing window active (from alt-tabbing or from the taskbar), then press alt-space to bring up its menu; it will show up on the edge of your screen even if the window isn't actually on your screen. Select "Move" and bring your window back using the arrow keys.

This is slower than the other methods, but works when everything else fails or when you don't want to break your desktop arrangement with a resolution change.

Answer 7

NirSoft's MultiMonitorTool can show you what windows are on what monitors and allows you to move them between them:

You can even script it using the /MoveWindow command line option.