How to move a tab between two maximized Google Chrome windows

If I un-maximize one window I can easily drag from one window to the other but if both windows are maximized I can only pull tabs out to their own windows.

I expect it to work like file dragging where you can drag a file in Windows between two maximized windows by hovering the the file over the taskbar during the drag but when I try that with chrome, my mouse gets stuck 1 pixel above the taskbar and refuses to allow me to do it.

Is there a convenient way to do it without un-maximizing one of the windows and going through that hassle?

user1886419

Posted 2016-03-11T17:17:46.343

Reputation: 118

Answers

This isn't much better, but it does technically avoid un-maximizing any windows.

Assuming you currently have two maximized Chrome windows, we'll call them window A and window B:

Drag the tab in question off of the tab bar of window A, then release; it will become the only tab in a new window C.
Alt-Tab over to window B.
Alt-Tab back to window C.
Drag the sole tab of window C off of the tab bar (window C will cease to exist, having no remaining tabs), then drop it onto the tab bar of the thus-revealed window B.

Dan Henderson

Posted 2016-03-11T17:17:46.343

Reputation: 865

2This kind of works, but is very disappointing – dashesy – 2017-09-11T23:24:30.367

I have no idea if these will work as I don't have a Win10 installation, but on the off chance I can snarf some points, here you go:

One solution that has claims of working is to tap the escape key right after you start dragging. I haven't been able to find an explanation for why this would work and there are claims both of it working and not working.

The other isn't so much a solution, but a state of affairs: Windows 10 seems to put legacy apps into admin mode (or compatibility mode) and drag and drop is not permitted to apps that are in this mode. (The apps will also not work outside of this mode because of some changes to general permissions strategy in Windows 10.) The proposed solution is to disable UAC and go from there. (Not really a solution, IMHO, but some users claim this lets drag and drop work.)

Ouroborus

Posted 2016-03-11T17:17:46.343

Reputation: 2 549

cancels the drag too :( The security stuff you mention is very interesting however. Links? – user1886419 – 2016-03-11T22:39:56.253

The answer, here, mentions it. There's also a number of comments relating to this in the thread I mentioned elsewhere. – Ouroborus – 2016-03-12T00:15:19.787

After re-reading OP, it seems like, in general, the drag and drop works fine and has basic functionality, just all the extra features associated with it disappeared in Win10. – Ouroborus – 2016-03-12T02:41:01.787

-1

Drag the tab to the bottom-row task bar entry of the other maximized window, and wait a second (do not let go the mouse button!). The other window will open up, then drag it there, and drop.

Aganju

Posted 2016-03-11T17:17:46.343

Reputation: 9 103

2One would think so. Does not work on Windows 10 64bit + Chrome 49.0.2623.87 m (64-bit). When you pull down the tab it "hangs" above the taskbar and does not allow to hover over any icon on it. While a Notepad++ tab goes down all the way...So I always put them in arrange one window left one right view and move. Annoying... – Zina – 2016-03-11T19:17:15.293

I expect it to work like file dragging where you can drag a file in Windows between two maximized windows by hovering the the file over the taskbar during the drag. i guess i should clarify windows 10 but I thought it worked the same in windows 7. maybe its just the windows 8 line – user1886419 – 2016-03-11T21:59:23.787

@user1886419 You might be able to get away with using alt-tab to switch between windows rather than trying to use the task bar. – Ouroborus – 2016-03-11T22:02:31.937

1@Ouroborus alt-tab cancels the drag and resets everything. i like your thinking though – user1886419 – 2016-03-11T22:11:13.137

1sigh This thread is essentially a whole lot whingeing about this as a missing feature of Win10. – Ouroborus – 2016-03-11T22:15:57.863