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Windows: Bring Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen

Windows: Bring Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen

Posted on by Mitch Bartlett 77 Comments

While using Microsoft Windows, I had a window that had somehow fallen completely off of my screen. Right-clicking the window in the Taskbar and selecting Maximize brought it back, but there was no way I could get the window restored to where I could move it around my screen with my mouse.

Luckily, there are a couple of ways to bring off-screen windows back to the desktop screen.

Fix 1 – Resolution Trick

Windows 10 & 8

  1. Start the problematic application.
  2. Right-click a blank area of the Desktop, then choose “Display settings“.
  3. Select “Advanced display settings” at the bottom of the window.
  4. Temporarily change the “Resolution” to another value, then choose “Apply“.
  5. See if you can see the window on your screen now.
  6. Change the resolution back to the previous value, then select “OK“.

Windows 7

  1. Start the problematic application.
  2. Right-click a blank area of the Desktop, then choose “Screen Resolution“.
  3. Temporarily change the “Resolution” to another value, then choose “Apply“.
  4. See if you can see the window on your screen now.
  5. Change the resolution back to the previous value, then select “OK“.

Fix 2 – Show Desktop Toggle

  1. Hold down the Windows Key, then press “D“. Repeat these steps to see if it makes the window you are looking for reappear.
  2. Alternately, you can right-click a blank area of the taskbar, then choose “Show the desktop“, then repeat.

Fix 3 – Move Option 1

  1. Select the program in the task bar.
  2. Hold the Windows Key while pressing Left Arrow or Right Arrow repeatedly to move the window back into view.

Fix 4 – Move Option 2

  1. In Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista, hold down the “Shift” key while right-clicking the program in the taskbar, then select “Move“. In Windows XP, right-click the item in the task-bar and select “Move“. In some instances, you may have to select “Restore“, then go back and select “Move“.Windows option to Move window
  2. Use your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the window back onto the screen.

Fix 5 – Cascade Windows

  • Right-click a blank area of the task-bar, then select “Cascade windows“.
    Win7 Cascade windows option

Fix 6 – Maximize

Sometimes a single app will get stuck in a state where it cannot redraw onto the Window. You can usually alleviate this by doing the following.

  • Hold “Shift” and right-click on the program icon in the taskbar, then choose “Maximize“.
    Windows Maximize App

FAQ

How do I prevent my application from starting off the screen every time I launch it?

Most applications will stop doing this if you properly exit out of the application while it is on the screen. If you have already properly exited the application, you might need to uninstall and reinstall it.

Otherwise, you can try right-clicking the icon for the application, then choosing “Properties“. Under the “Shortcut” tab, change the “Run” setting to “Maximized“, then select “OK“.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Sylectra says

    Thanks so much! You helped me find my ghost window. I used Tip #4 with a couple modifications that might help others to know about. I am on a Windows 10 laptop with a second monitor connected in Extended Display mode.

    First, as you start the troublesome app, observe the ghost trail as it slides off screen. Remember that.
    Then while holding down the Shift key, right click on your app icon in the Taskbar and select Move.
    Hold down the arrow key that is the opposite of the direction where you saw the app go off the screen to move it back into view. Close and reopen the app to save that view.

  6. Bess says

    None of this worked for me, not even Peter Bruin’s suggestion. :( If anyone knows another fix, please help me.

    I’m using Win 10 and the problem is the sub sub (yes, 2 subs) dialog box in a scanning app disappears when I go and use another app .

    Paperport opens its dialog box when I start a scan. The PP dialog box (#1) opens another scanning dialog box (#2, the device’s own dialog box) where I select the scanner settings. When I switch to another app (e.g., Chrome) and go back to PP, dialog box #2 is gone. Clicking on dialog box #1 just shows a continuously spinning circle. Even when I minimize everything and just have PP open, dialog box #2 is gone. The only solution is to end the app via the TaskManager but then I lose whatever I’ve scanned already and havent saved yet.

    It’s really annoying. I’ve never had this problem of a lost dialog box with Win 7.

  7. Carter says

    Life save! :P

    right click and maximize saved me. Nothing could get this application to show on screen anymore no matter what I tried.

    Thanks

  12. Noah says

    Fix 3. Oh my god. Im actually in tears. I have been away from friends in discord for MONTHS because of this :'(

  18. Simon Newell says

    For a small 3rd party type program (Any Password Pro) which didn’t have move options on its window, I needed to use the ‘Windows key’ and ‘right arrow’ method. Highlight its icon in status bar first. Worked a treat.

  21. Jafrican says

    My New Email window disappeared a week ago on Windows 10. Cascade did the trick! Thank you!!

  22. Trevor Boardman says

    Fix 2 worked for me for inkscape on a acer Aspire E 15 Windows 10. Most appreciated.

  23. Gérald says

    For me with Windows 10 pro (1903) the only thinks that worked is:
    alt-tab until the needed invisible window-application (release)
    alt-space to see Maximize,Move, etc. Window

    And that’s it !

  27. Dawn says

    I have Windows 7 and my husband has Windows 10. The issue I

    had with the windows just started today but my husband has

    been experiencing this for awhile on his Windows 10 PC. When

    toggling between two application windows it would not bring

    the active window to the front. For example, a Word document

    is open and Chrome is open. I need to switch back and forth

    between the two applications. When I click on one it should

    bring that window to the front, it wouldn’t overlay the

    window. I tried all the fixes but nothing worked. However, on

    Fix 5 instead of “Cascade windows” choose “Show windows

    stacked” or “Show windows side by side”, that worked and now

    I can just click on an area of the window that I want to and

    it will overlay.

  30. David says

    Fix 2 worked for me, I had to select the window first using alt tab.

    Thanks so much!

  33. Charlie says

    Fix 5 was on the critical path to displaying less than maximized windows and the being able to use the mouse to resize and move when the other fixes did not.

  35. Michael Farrow says

    Make sure the window is active, then Alt+Spacebar, arrow down “Move” then arrow keys/mouse usually works for me.

  39. denby says

    Good advice! :) My display was faulty for a while with w7 (despite checking the drivers) but was easily fixed by altering resolution everyday – but now I’ve sadly had to downgrade to w10, the previous fix won’t work! – My display looks like it’s fallen half inch downwards & is resisting all efforts to mend it.. Pfff; micro$oft..

  41. Jackson Douglas says

    Shift Right-clicking the program on taskbar brings up nothing for me, can’t maximise, can’t move, can’t do anything

  49. June says

    After a Windows update last night I now have nothing showing on my screen. I can log in then nothing shows except a nice blue screen. How do I fix this

  50. Ryan says

    Fix 3 for Windows 7 fixed it for me! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thank you, thank YOU, THANK YOU for sharing this. Peace and love.

  51. Benicio says

    It works! Is this more like going into a parallel dimension to bring back your window? I’d like to think so. Thanks.

  53. Kathleen R Berger says

    i accidentally moved the screen up but cannot find the same dialog box that moved it to reset it?

  56. Eammon says

    Nice one Mitch

    The off-screen has been a constant pain for years and it was always way to fiddly to resolve.
    You have just shown me a tip that worked in seconds. Fantastic.

    Thanks for posting this.

  57. David says

    Resolution for me: click on window to maximize it, then press ALT+Space which brings up the menu where you can select Maximize, and then I just dragged the window so I could control where it went when it was “un-maximized”

  59. Joshua83702 says

    Well done: desktop toggle recovered the program. The “move” command was not available.

  60. Brad says

    +++
    Bob says

    October 24, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    My solution: None of these worked for me. After screwing around for an hour, I found a way that did for Win 7. Start program that won’t maximize, press ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ keys, Start task manager, click ‘applications’ tab, click ‘windows’ in top bar, click ‘maximize’. The problem program immediately maximized. I hope this helps at least one of you
    ————————
    A big thank you. This is the only solution that worked for me. Very grateful.

  61. buubot says

    I tried every step but wasn’t able to get the program back on screen. I restarted and everything. It was so frustrating. The fail-safe that actually worked for me was hold ALT and press Spacebar. A menu appeared and I just hit X for maximize and it came on the screen. Somehow my program was thrown off the left side of my 3rd monitor in a blank space. Weird

  62. Andrew says

    Fix 3-Move Option 1 really worked. My issue was that my window for Autodesk Sketchbook was missing and that option really worked. Now I can finally draw my designs and get some work done.

    Thank You!!!

  63. Kahuna says

    So this may be kinda late, but for anyone that comes across this page and reads this, try Alt+ Space +R it should bring up the same thing as fix 4, its just a different way of doing it because shift + right click never worked for me, hope it helps

  64. Karen Greenough says

    Peter J. de Bruin’s solution worked for Windows 10 for a sub window of an application. Took a few tries and using the arrow keys, then the touch pad.

  67. Chris George says

    Found another solution that worked for me. I dragged another window I had open to one side of my monitor (as you would if you wanted to split the monitor screen to 2 panes). Windows then brings up all other open applications for you to select which go to the other half of the screen. I think this is a relatively new thing in Windows but it works!

  69. Gamal Gasser says

    Google applications having a havoc with windows. If gmail is on my second monitor and I ask for am email to be expanded, it would always give me a window with its head up and off the display area.

    This page has many solution, More than one worked for me.

    Thank you

  71. Peter K. de Wolf says

    Upvote for Peter J de Bruins solution! Some “tray applications” like Slack don’t show up on the desktops, tabs, cascades etc and “move” doesnt appear on the window menu. His solution of “Alt” “Space” after selecting application on taskbar definitely is the universal solution.

  72. Misho says

    If the browser was maximized on the other screen, then the Move trick won’t do.

    The easiest trick that works for me every time is Windows key+Right key few times. (or left, depending on which side is the browser stuck). No need for complicating. :)

  73. David Bowie says

    Found another fix that may help others. I tried all of the above techniques and the application would close if I tried to click on it. The fix was disconnect the second monitor and restart the app. Hope this helps others.

  75. Peter J. de Bruin says

    Correction for fix 4: one needs to press an arrow key first before one can use the mouse.

    Some tools have no maximize button, neither does the ‘move’ option appear in the task bar menu, neither does any of the other fixes work.
    The following ALWAYS works:

    * Select the program in the task bar
    * Hold down the Alt key and press space. The window menu should appear on the border of the screen.
    * If it doesn’t, the window is minimized. In that case, start again.
    * Select ‘Move’
    * Press any arrow key.
    * Move the mouse to position the window.
    * Click (only) when the position is right

  76. Bob says

    My solution: None of these worked for me. After screwing around for an hour, I found a way that did for Win 7. Start program that won’t maximize, press ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ keys, Start task manager, click ‘applications’ tab, click ‘windows’ in top bar, click ‘maximize’. The problem program immediately maximized. I hope this helps at least one of you.

  77. MXHowes says

    While waiting for your reply I was trying a lot of other things to restore the browser. When I closed all tabs but one, right clicked on the top of the tab that was still open, I was able to drag the browser back to where it belonged. I must have done just the opposite when I dragged it off the screen by accident.

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