2021-09-12

[SOLVED] In Windows, how to recover an invisible application window

Scenario:

  • You are using a laptop with one or more external monitors at home and (a different set of external monitors) at the office.

Problem:

  • Every once in a while, when you switch between home and office, some buggy application will not handle its screen positioning correctly, so it will open up off-screen. In the taskbar you can see that the application has launched, but the application window is invisible.

How to fix:

  1. Switch to the application by clicking its taskbar icon and making sure it is highlighted.
    • Nothing seems to happen, but the application does receive keyboard focus.
  2. Press [Alt]+[Space].
    • The system menu of the application should now appear at the edge of one of your monitors; if not, continue following the instructions anyway.
  3. In the system menu, select "Move".
    • If you cannot see the menu, just press the [Down Arrow] key once, and then the [Enter] key.
  4. Press one of the arrow keys, e.g. the [Left Arrow].
    • This should start the window moving.
  5. Move the mouse.
    • This should bring the window into one of the monitors.
  6. Position the window where you want it, and click the mouse once to drop it there.

Alternatives

Various people on the interwebz suggest the following alternative means of fixing the problem. They seem a lot simpler, but none of them works for me.

Alternative #1:

  1. Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar to open up the taskbar context menu.
  2. Select "Cascade windows".  (Or any other window arrangement option.)

Alternative #2:

  1. Switch to the application by clicking its taskbar icon and making sure it is highlighted.
    • Nothing seems to happen, but the application does receive keyboard focus.
  2. Press [Win]+[Left Arrow].  (Or [Win]+[Right Arrow], or any other window arrangement hotkey.)

Alternative #3:

  1. Switch to the application by pressing [Alt]+[Tab] as many times as necessary to select it.
    • Nothing seems to happen, but the application does receive keyboard focus.
  2. Press [Win]+[Left Arrow].  (Or [Win]+[Right Arrow], or any other window arrangement hotkey.)

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