How to Bring an Off Screen Window Back on Windows

Last Updated: September 4, 2018

This wikiHow teaches you how to move an off-screen window back to the main desktop when you’re using a Windows PC. These solutions are especially helpful when you have more than one monitor connected to your system.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Cascading or Stacking All Windows

1
Right-click the Windows taskbar. This is the bar that’s usually at the bottom of the screen which contains various icons and the Windows button. A menu will appear.
2
Click Cascade windows or Show windows stacked. Both options will display a list of all open windows on your PC, including those currently off-screen.
3
Click the window you want to access. The contents of that window will appear.
4
Hold ⇧ Shift as you right-click the active app on the task bar. The task bar is the bar that runs along the bottom of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
5
Click Move. This turns the mouse cursor into an arrow that points in 4 directions.
6
Use the ↑+↓+←+→ keys to move the window back into view. As you tap each directional key, the window will move one step in that direction. Keep tapping the arrows until you’ve come to a good stopping point.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Using the Alt and Tab Keys

1
Press Alt+Tab ↹ and release the Tab ↹ key. Don’t remove your finger from Alt! You’ll see a list of all open applications on the PC as long as you continue holding Alt.
2
Press Tab ↹ until the window you want to access is selected. You should still be holding down the Alt key. You’ll know the window is selected when you see a different colored outline around its edges.
3
Lift both fingers to move to that window. The contents of the window now appear on the screen.
4
Hold ⇧ Shift as you right-click the active app on the task bar. The task bar is the bar that runs along the bottom of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
5
Click Move. This turns the mouse cursor into an arrow that points in 4 directions.
6
Use the ↑+↓+←+→ keys to move the window back into view. As you tap each directional key, the window will move one step in that direction. Keep tapping the arrows until you’ve come to a good stopping point.