In this article, I’ll tell you how to move a window in small increments to the exact position you want, how to snap a window to the left or right and how to move a window between monitors on a multi-monitor setup, all by just using the keyboard!
Method 1 – Incremental Move
For exact positioning, you first need to click on the window. Now this is obviously going to only work for windows that are not fully maximized. If it’s fully maximized, there is really nowhere to move the window. Step 1: Either click on the window or if you want to use the keyboard, press ALT+TAB and make the window you want to move active. Step 2: Now go ahead and press ALT+SPACEBAR and you’ll see a small menu appear in the window.
Step 3: Now press M, which will basically choose the Move option in the menu. Step 4: Now use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the window to the new position that you desire. Step 5: Press the Enter key to get out of the move mode. Also, if you want to have the window go back to the original position before you started the move, press the Esc key instead.
Method 2 – Windows Snap
Windows has a nifty feature that lets you snap windows to the left-hand or right-hand side of the screen. If you drag a window to the right or left, it will automatically resize and snap to the side.
To do this using the keyboard, press the Windows Key + the right or left arrow. Make sure to hold down the Windows key while pressing the left and right arrow keys. It’s actually pretty neat and much faster than dragging the window around the screen.
Method 3 – Multi-Monitor Setups
Lastly, for moving between multiple monitors, all you have to do is add SHIFT to the above key combo, so it would simply be Windows Key + Shift + right or left arrow. For the power users who really want to control their windows, moving may not be enough. So here’s a few other shortcuts that could come in handy if you are left with nothing but a keyboard and Windows: End – Will display the bottom of the active window (in case you need to scroll using the keyboard) Home – Will display the top of the active window F11 – Will either maximize or minimize the active window Ctrl + Tab – If you have a window with tabs, then this will move you forward through the tabs Ctrl + Shift + Tab – Will move you back through the tabs Windows Key + Shift + Up Arrow – This will stretch a window to the top and bottom of the screen.
