Window Opens Off Screen? Bring It Back
When a window opens off screen, usually after a monitor was disconnected, the app is still running, just out of view. You do not need to close it or reinstall it: keyboard shortcuts can drag it back into sight.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: click the app icon in the taskbar to focus it, press Alt and Space, then M, then use an arrow key and move the mouse. The window will attach to the mouse pointer, so move it onto the visible screen and click to drop it.
Follow these steps
- Focus the off-screen window first. Click the app icon in the taskbar once. The window must be focused before keyboard shortcuts can move it, even if you cannot see it.
- Use Alt, Space, then M. Press Alt and Space together, then press M for Move. The window is now in move mode, even though it is still off screen.
- Press an arrow key, then move the mouse. Press any arrow key once, then move the mouse. The window attaches to the pointer, so drag it onto the visible screen and click to drop it.
- Try Cascade windows if that fails. Right-click an empty part of the taskbar and choose Cascade windows, or use the window layout options. This stacks all windows on the visible screen.
- Reconnect the missing monitor if you can. If the window lived on a second monitor, reconnect that monitor. The window will appear there, and you can drag it to the main screen before disconnecting.
- Close and reopen as a last step. If nothing brings it back, close the app from the taskbar and reopen it. Many apps reopen on the main screen after a clean close.
What NOT to do
- Do not reinstall the app because its window is off screen. The app is running fine, and reinstalling will not change where it opens.
- Do not force-shut down the computer to fix a hidden window. A forced shutdown risks unsaved work in the very app you are trying to recover.
- Do not change the resolution wildly to find the window. A wrong resolution can move other windows too, so return to the recommended setting.
- Do not delete app settings to reset the window position. Deleting settings can lose preferences and recent files, and the keyboard move trick usually works first.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the window open off screen?
It last opened on a monitor that is now disconnected or off. Windows remembers the old position, even though that screen is gone.
What if Alt and Space does nothing?
The window may not be focused. Click its taskbar icon once, wait a second, and try the shortcut again.
Will cascading windows close anything?
No. Cascading only moves windows onto the visible screen. Your documents and apps stay open.