Moving a window from a disconnected monitor to connected monitor on Vista

I have a laptop that runs Vista Mega Ultimate Amazing for Business 64-bit.

When at work, I connect a monitor via USB (which totally rocks) to the "left" of the laptop monitor. It's identified as monitor 3.

At home, I use an old CRT monitor that sits to the right of the laptop monitor. It's monitor 2.

Monitor 1 is, of course, the inbuilt laptop monitor.

Now at home I open a window, any window, on monitor 2. Then I come to work and plug in monitor 3. Anything I had open on monitor 2 is now stuck in unretrievable land. (Actually, it's probably anything that was minimised when I left home that belonged on monitor 2 will expand back onto monitor 2, even though it's disconnected)

How can I get those windows back onto connected monitors?

RickMeasham

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 1 558

related question (for dialogs with no entry on the taskbar): http://superuser.com/q/187176/45662

– yhw42 – 2010-09-12T04:08:47.203

Answers

142

You still get the icon for the app down in your taskbar, yes? If so, select the icon for the app and hit ⎇ alt+space and then M. That'll select Move for that window. Now use your keyboard arrow to move the window in the proper direction to the active monitor.

Chris_K

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 7 943

This doesn't work for some apps for some reason – None – 2015-12-26T07:18:10.800

16 years later and this answer saved me getting fired, had to finish some work from home and my text editor was stuck on my work monitor's ghost. – None – 2016-05-02T00:37:44.317

2does not works for me on windows 10 – Wakan Tanka – 2017-01-16T07:36:58.590

1+1 On Windows 10 64bit Pro (build version 1607) I found this to work, thank you Chris_K. Wakan Tanka, sorry that this didn't work for you, I would expect it should on the basis that I found it to work. If you have any further details about your set up please share here and that may help us to help. – therobyouknow – 2017-04-30T21:32:30.677

For me that also works on Windows 10 - 64 bit. Before pressing Alt+Space, just need to be sure that window is activated, for example by pressing Alt+Tab. – Liker777 – 2017-07-11T22:34:49.553

That helps, thanks a lot for that. But what in case I have 15 windows and run between floors of my work building to meetings with my laptop multiple times per day? There should be some magical button to resolve this....? – Liker777 – 2017-07-11T22:37:56.497

I also had a problem on Win 10. It was because the window was maximized and in that case the Move option in the menu is unavailable (grayed). You need first use Restore, which makes the window normal size (not maximized) by using Alt + Space and then Enter. Then you can apply the move mentioned above. – eXavier – 2017-12-03T22:33:43.247

13Once you have hit at least on arrow key to start the move, you can them use the mouse for the rest, which unless the resolution of the screen that isn't present is small is usually a bit quicker. – David Spillett – 2010-01-20T00:33:12.783

That's a really good point, David. I had tried to test out my answer as I was typing it up, but I had to simulate by almost moving a window of the screen since I'm on a single monitor at the moment :-) – Chris_K – 2010-01-20T01:42:24.543

When you load the app/program, the focus is on the program even though you cant see it. Then use the windows-key and left/right arrow to move the window across (windows snap). Thats what I do :)

This only works in windows 7 and later

klj613

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 549

Why exactly are we approving Anonymous edits? Adding a statement like "this only works for Windows 7" changes the answer drastically. – Ramhound – 2016-03-22T20:23:47.207

This is a much better solution. Alt-Space is not nearly as efficient. Seems there should be a better way, though. – User51 – 2017-05-30T15:52:11.687

Just need to say thanks, this was the solution to an issue with WinCC where when opening the code editor the application would 'hang', turns out the modal window would be open on my non-existent monitor. – Keagan Ladds – 2018-05-24T06:56:28.810

Win+Up/D/R/L doesn't work for this case in Windows 10. – Noein – 2019-04-09T11:24:30.587

+1 for the actual solution. The solution given by by Chris_K works, but is terribly slow. Pressing a key two to four times is just waaaays faster. – Arseni Mourzenko – 2012-04-10T18:17:21.067

For Windows 7 if you turn off one monitor you can move the application over to the current active screen by using the following quick keys (depends on which side your monitor was originally on).

Press either ⊞ Win+⇦ or ⊞ Win+⇨

The above is actually normally used for moving a window on the current monitor to either side of the current display but works well when a program is lost on a detached monitors desktop. This trick will bring the active screen to its current desktops left or right side half but, since there is no desktop, it moves it to the current active desktop.

If your monitor is still attached you can use ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+⇦ or ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+⇨ to move a window from screen to screen (this will not work if the monitor is not attached).

Paul Josephson

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 141

I'm using windows 10 and non of the above suggestions worked. However, I did manage to get all windows on the active display again by pressing ⊞ Win+d twice, which is the shortcut to show the desktop (and minimize all on screen windows). So, pressing once shows the desktop, then pressing again will open all windows again. That seemed to do the trick for some reason.

chef

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 222

doesn't work on windows 10 – rofrol – 2016-05-25T20:38:10.803

this is the only solution that worked in my case. I had the XAMPP Control panel outside the laptop monitor. I have a lenovo touch laptop with win 10 ... – Benjamin – 2017-04-01T18:51:43.510

3Thanks a lot, that works for me on Windows 10. I don't understand why this answer is less ranked. – Liker777 – 2017-07-11T23:50:33.680

THANK YOU. Alt+Space,M and Win+left or right did not work for me as my monitor and this solution worked! Not sure if the positioning of the external display affects this, as I have it placed above my main display. – MrU – 2019-07-17T14:14:56.303

I'm Using windows 10.

For some reason none of the answers here worked for me.

This worked:

Put the mouse on the app icon in the taskbar.
Move up to the preview of the app window.
Right-click the preview and click Move (option not available if the windows is maximized -- go figure).
Press and hold the appropriate arrow key to move the app window from the missing screen to the laptop screen.

Source

Vetras

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 121

You should press Windows-P and adjust connected projectors.

ZaB

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 2 365

right click on the taskbar button of the program, select Move, then use the arrow key to move window. - this works in earlier versions of Windows but not Windows 7.

Molly7244

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation:

In Windows 7, maximizing the window in question and then clicking and holding from top, dragging the windows to another position worked for me.

This action restored the windows to their original size.

Endless

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 11

Alt + Spacebar to display the properties of the Window and arrow down to Move then use left or right arrow to move the Window to where you need it to be.

Tony Brusk

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 11

Go to screen resolution and where it says "change the appearance of your displays", grab your secondary monitor and move it on the other side and hit ok. When you maximize the program it will show up on your secondary monitor now.

Nathan A

Posted 2010-01-20T00:14:27.817

Reputation: 1