Have you ever been in a situation where the app you are using suddenly disappears, to the point where you can’t move your mouse cursor or pointer to drag it back into place? This is an issue dating back to when Windows 10 was introduced, and it seems Microsoft Windows 11 is still stuck on the same problem.
That leaves the solution in our hands, which is why you are here. In this guide, I will show you how to move your off-screen window back onto the screen within a few minutes with some proven and effective methods.
So, grab a cup of coffee and follow the instructions carefully.
What is the Reason for the Off-Screen Window?
The reason for the off-screen window is pressing a hotkey accidentally or by the software itself accidentally moving the window. The reason happens if your monitor is set with a lower resolution and uses multiple displays. It also happens with portable apps or running an app from a flash drive.
The most common reason for the off-screen window problem is secondary or multiple displays. Sometimes, windows create problems in detecting secondary or various monitors. To fix the problem, you can disconnect the cables and reconnect them or adjust display settings.
In the following section, I will show you some effective ways to move a window off screen in Windows 11 system computer.
The “Cascade windows” setting, for example, will immediately arrange all open windows in a cascade, moving all windows back onto the main screen in the process.
Let’s dive right in and see what options you have to move the off-screen window.
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How to Move a Window that is Off-Screen on Windows 11
Suddenly the active application window disappears on the screen and becomes unclickable creates very frustrating situations.
Whether you have additional displays or just one, the solution is different, and it is manageable to fix the problem within a few steps in most cases.
There are many solutions you have to fix the off-screen window problem on your Windows 11 computer. Use the effective solutions listed below to help you to resolve the issue. Try the other if one doesn’t work.
Here are the steps to move a window that is off-screen in Windows 11:
1. Move Off-Screen Window Back On Screen With Windows + Arrow keys
On your Windows 11 system, you can snap a window back into view by pressing the Arrow and Windows key together.
Follow these steps to move an off-screen window on your PC using the move option:
- Select your problematic application or missing window on the taskbar.
- Hold the Windows key and the left or right arrow key to snap or get back the window right side of the screen.
- Press the Windows + Up arrow key to snap or move it back to top of the screen and use the right or left arrow key to place any top-side of the screen.
- Press the Windows + Down arrow key to snap or get back the window bottom of the screen and use the right or left arrow key to place any bottom-side of the screen.
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2. Use Taskbar Thumbnail Preview
Another way you can fix your problematic application window is by using the taskbar’s application menu options.
Follow these steps to move an off-screen window on Windows 11 system using the application window menu options:
- Select your problematic application or application window on the taskbar.
- Press the Alt + Space key and select the Maximize option to maximize your application window on the screen.
- Press the Alt + Space key again and select the Move option or press the Alt + Space + M to move the window if your window isn’t maximized.
- Click and hold the left mouse button and move the mouse to drag the window where you want to place it or use any arrow keys to move the window.
- Press the Alt + Space key to open the application window menu and select Restore to get back the window on the screen if the move option isn’t available in the Window menu.
Follow our guide on How to Boot to Safe Mode in Windows 11.
3. Use Window Maximize Option
Another effective way to move your problematic application window is by selecting the Maximize option.
Follow these steps to move an off-screen window back to your desktop using the Maximize option:
- Select your problematic application or application window on the taskbar.
- Press the Shift + Right-click on the mouse button to open the application window menu.
- Choose the Maximize option to maximize on your application window.
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4. Use Alt+Tab Shortcut
This method is another effective method to move your problematic application window.
Here’s how to move an off-screen window on your laptop:
- Press Alt + Tab keys on your keyboard and hold the Alt key.
- Press the Tab key to switch the window only by one or press the right or left arrow key to toggle the window.
- Select the missing application window and release the Alt key or hit the Enter button to open the window.
- Press the Windows + any arrow keys or to move the window.
- Press the Alt + Space + M to move the window.
5. Use The Task Manager Trick
Using the task manager is an effective way to recover an off-screen window.
Follow the steps below to recover an off-screen window back to your main screen using the Windows task manager:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
- Click on the More details button to expand the Task Manager if your task manager window is not extended.
- Under the Processes tab, find the off-screen application.
- Select the application and click on the arrow icon or right-click on it and select Expand to find the hidden windows.
- Choose Maximize after right-clicking to open the application window.
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6. Change Your Screen Resolution
Another tested and effective method to fix the off-screen window issue in Windows 11 is to change the screen resolution.
You can try changing the resolution to see if the off-screen window can reposition on the main screen.
Follow these steps to solve the off-screen window problem by changing the screen resolution:
- Press Win + I on your keyboard to open the Windows Settings.
- Click on the Start icon to open the Start menu and click on the Settings app under the Pinned apps.
- Select the System tab on the left side settings menu panel.
- Click on the Display section on the right side of the window panel.
- Find Display resolution under the Scale & layout.
- Click on the Display resolution options and select another screen resolution.
- Click on the Keep changes button to apply the screen resolution when the prompt window appears on the screen.
- All open windows are reset to the primary visual screen when the screen resolution is changed.
- Once the problem has been fixed, change the screen resolution back to your desired setting.
There is another method that involves modifying the lost window position values in Registry, but tweaking the registry can cause serious problems if you are not careful.
In other cases, if you can’t interact with your window because it’s simply hidden, you can unhide them with the Desktop toggle shortcut.
Final Thoughts
The off-screen window is caused by mistakenly activating a hotkey or by the software itself relocating the window. Secondary or multiple screens are the most typical cause of off-screen windows.
The active application window suddenly disappears from the screen and becomes unclickable, causing a lot of frustration. Whether you have multiple screens or only one, the problem can solve in a few steps.
By following the post, you can understand the reason for the off-screen window and get some tested and effective methods to move or fix the off-screen problem on your system computer.
I hope you found this post to be helpful and informative. Please feel free to share this article with your friends or family who may need it.
