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
- Start the problematic application.
- Right-click a blank area of the Desktop, then choose “Display settings“.
- Select “Advanced display settings” at the bottom of the window.
- Temporarily change the “Resolution” to another value, then choose “Apply“.
- See if you can see the window on your screen now.
- Change the resolution back to the previous value, then select “OK“.
Windows 7
- Start the problematic application.
- Right-click a blank area of the Desktop, then choose “Screen Resolution“.
- Temporarily change the “Resolution” to another value, then choose “Apply“.
- See if you can see the window on your screen now.
- Change the resolution back to the previous value, then select “OK“.
Fix 2 – Move Option
- In Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista, hold down the “Shift” key while right-clicking the item in the taskbar, then select “Move“. In Windows XP, right-click the item in the task-bar and select “Move“.
- Use your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the window back onto the screen.
Fix 3 – Cascade Windows
- Right-click a blank area of the task-bar, then select “Cascade windows“.
Fix 4 – 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“.
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.
joe says
Great, but how to fix it so the application doesn’t start up off screen every time you start it….
Anoyoumus says
Or you can just hold shift and right click it and click Maximize
Bill OKeefe says
The Move option (Fix 2) worked for me. Thanks.
Mohammed Ataur Razzak says
Excellent very helpful
Timothy OLeary says
I have a multi-monitor system, Windows 7. The application I’m trying to run is SQL Server. When MS SQL Studio is launched, you are presented with logon credentials. The Logon box IS OFF SCREEN. (This is probably not the only application that does this). Task Manager shows it running as an “Application”; ‘Switch To’ does not expose the Window. On the Taskbar, Shit-Right-Click DOES NOT DISPLAY ‘Maximize’ or ‘Move’ as an option. (Other running applications do). On the Taskbar, I have experimented with ‘Cascade’, ‘Stack’ without success. I have also experimented changing the screen resolution, and experimenting with the “Main Display” and “Extend…” settings. Nothing has worked yet. Bottom line, I am stopped in my tracks.