Move Windows
By Richard Rost
4 years ago
How to Move Windows With Keyboard Shortcuts
In this Microsoft Windows tutorial, I will show you how to move windows around on your screen without the mouse.
Usage
- Alt-Spacebar - Move - Arrow Keys
- Alt-Tab - Switch Apps
- Alt-F4 - Close Apps
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 Keywords
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Intro
In this video, I will show you how to move application windows on your screen using keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Windows. We will cover how to use Alt+Spacebar and the Move command to reposition windows, which is especially helpful for multi-monitor setups or when a window gets stuck off-screen. I will also talk about other useful keyboard shortcuts like Alt+Tab for switching between windows and Alt+F4 for closing them. This tip can save you time and frustration, especially when you can't reach a window's title bar with your mouse.
Transcript
Welcome to another Fast Tips video brought to you by WindowsLearningZone.com. I am your instructor Richard Rost.
In today's video, I am going to show you how to move windows around on the screen with your keyboard. Before you go away thinking when am I ever going to use that, if you have a multi-monitor setup on your desk where you have multiple monitors plugged into one computer, you definitely want to learn this trick.
If you have a window on your screen and you want to move it, as long as that window has focus, all you have to do is press Alt and Spacebar. Hold down the Alt key, press Spacebar, and that little guy pops up. It is a little menu in the upper left corner. Come down to Move, use the down arrow so that you are on Move, and then press Enter. Now you see you have a little four-way pointing arrow there. You can now use the keyboard. I am using the keyboard, just pressing the little arrow keys and moving around. Then press Enter when you are done. It is that simple.
So click and drag with your mouse or Alt Spacebar. Move or Size - you can change size too. Not every application, like a lot of the new ones, shows that little control box up here - it is called the control box. But if you press Alt Spacebar, it still pops up so you can still do the same trick.
If you want to switch between the different windows, you can hit Alt Tab and that will switch between the different windows. Of course, do not forget about my favorite Alt key combination. Alt F4 will close the window. It will say do you want to save changes, and I will say cancel. If you are on something like the Calculator, Alt F4 just closes it.
Why is this important to know? Sometimes you do not want to have to stop and grab the mouse, but more importantly, if you have a multi-monitor setup like I do, it is possible to sometimes move a window where you cannot click and drag it.
For example, I have a regular laptop that I work with, and then above that I have a separate monitor plugged into it. This is my laptop screen and up here, this is the bottom of my monitor above that. Here you can see this is the top window, this is the bottom window.
Just a couple days ago, I accidentally did this. I clicked this and I dragged it. If you drag it up that far, it is fine. But if you drag it right there, there is a sweet spot where if you let go of the mouse and you do not mean to, that window is now stranded. I cannot get to the title bar, you cannot click on it up here and get to it. You cannot get to it on the bottom monitor, so it is stuck. There is no way I can click on that title bar to drag the window like I can this one here. It is stuck behind the Windows taskbar on the upper monitor.
If you know how to close the window, you can click here and then just go Alt F4. But what if you have stuff on here that you do not want to lose, and you do not want to have to close the application and restart it and all that? Alt Spacebar and that menu pops up, and it popped up on the upper menu because technically that title bar is on the upper menu. Come down to Move, Enter, and then Down Arrow, and there you go. That is why it is cool to learn all these different little keyboard shortcut tricks.
So that is it. That was your fast tip for today. Now you know how to move windows around with the keyboard, and that is little windows with a lowercase w. It does not look good in the title, but it is windows with a lowercase w, generic windows, not Windows with a capital W, which is Microsoft Windows.
That is your fast tip for today. I hope you learned something. I hope this will help somebody. I will see you next time.
If you want me to post more videos about Microsoft Windows, be sure to like this video, subscribe to my channel and post a comment down below. Let me know that you want more Windows videos.
About 90 percent of what I teach is Microsoft Access database design, but I love teaching Windows, Word, Excel, and lots of other topics too. Of course, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so if you want more Windows training, make some noise.
Quiz
Q1. What keyboard shortcut opens the small menu in the upper left corner of a window for moving or sizing it?
A. Alt Spacebar
B. Ctrl Shift
C. Ctrl Alt
D. Alt Tab
Q2. After selecting "Move" from the Alt Spacebar menu, what do you use to move the window?
A. Mouse only
B. Arrow keys on the keyboard
C. Scroll wheel
D. Function keys
Q3. What should you press after moving a window using the keyboard to finalize its position?
A. Esc
B. Tab
C. Spacebar
D. Enter
Q4. If a window's title bar becomes inaccessible because it is stranded on another monitor, how can you move it?
A. Turn off a monitor
B. Use Alt Spacebar to access the Move option and use arrow keys
C. Restart the computer
D. Adjust the resolution
Q5. What does the Alt F4 keyboard shortcut do in Windows?
A. Maximizes the window
B. Switches desktops
C. Closes the current window
D. Minimizes the window
Q6. Why is it helpful to know keyboard shortcuts for moving windows?
A. It improves graphics performance
B. It avoids using the mouse and helps when windows are stuck or inaccessible
C. It makes the computer run faster
D. It enables gaming mode
Q7. What keyboard combination allows you to switch between open windows in Windows?
A. Alt Spacebar
B. Ctrl F4
C. Alt Tab
D. Shift Backspace
Q8. What is the small menu that appears in the upper left corner of many application windows called?
A. Control Panel
B. Start Menu
C. Task View
D. Control Box
Q9. If you close a window with unsaved changes using Alt F4, what happens?
A. Window closes immediately with no warning
B. Computer restarts
C. You are prompted to save changes
D. The application locks up
Answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-D; 4-B; 5-C; 6-B; 7-C; 8-D; 9-C
DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.
Summary
Today's video from Windows Learning Zone covers how you can move windows around on your screen using just your keyboard. This is especially handy if you have a multi-monitor setup with several screens attached to one computer.
When you have a window selected, you can move it without touching your mouse. Simply hold down the Alt key, press the Spacebar, and a small menu will appear in the upper left corner of the window. From there, arrow down to the Move option and press Enter. You'll now see a four-way arrow cursor, and you can use your keyboard's arrow keys to reposition the window wherever you want. When you're finished, just press Enter again. You can also access the Size option from this same menu if you need to resize the window.
It's worth mentioning that not every application displays this control box visually, especially some newer programs, but pressing Alt and Spacebar will always bring up the menu regardless.
Switching between different open windows is also quick and efficient with Alt Tab. And remember, Alt F4 is one of my favorite keyboard shortcuts to close the current window. If you're editing something, it may prompt you to save any changes before closing.
Understanding these keyboard shortcuts can save you a lot of headaches, especially in a multi-monitor setup. For instance, sometimes you might drag a window so far up that you can no longer see or reach its title bar, making it impossible to move or even grab with your mouse. This is a situation I've run into personally, having a laptop with a secondary monitor mounted above it. If you accidentally drag a window into that "sweet spot" where the title bar is off-screen or behind a taskbar, you're essentially stuck. You cannot select the title bar to move the window as you normally would.
If you ever find yourself in this predicament but do not want to lose your work by closing the window, just use Alt Spacebar to access the move menu, choose Move, press Enter, and then use the arrow keys to bring the window back into view.
These small keyboard tricks help save time and can really be a lifesaver when a window gets trapped somewhere awkward on your screens.
That wraps up today's fast tip. Now you know how to move windows on your screen using your keyboard and not just your mouse. Please note, we're talking about generic windows here, not Microsoft Windows the operating system.
If you enjoyed this tip and want to see more videos about Microsoft Windows, let me know by liking the video, subscribing, and leaving a comment. While most of my tutorials focus on Microsoft Access database design, I also enjoy teaching Windows, Word, Excel, and other related topics. If you want to see more Windows content, just let me know.
You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.
Topic List
Moving windows with the keyboard using Alt Spacebar
Accessing the window control box with keyboard shortcuts
Using the Move option to reposition windows
Resizing windows using the Size option in the control box
Navigating the move cursor with arrow keys
Restoring access to windows stuck off-screen or behind the taskbar
Switching between windows with Alt Tab
Closing windows quickly with Alt F4
Using keyboard shortcuts for multi-monitor setups
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