Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
One of the ways to handle an off-screen window - particularly useful for Windows Media Center - has changed slightly in Windows 7.
My Windows Media Center suddenly popped up too high so can't get to controls to pull it down to close/max/minimize screen. Your answer about alt+space, m doesn't work with media center. Desperate to get it back under control!
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You didn't indicate whether or not you were using Windows 7, but given that Windows Media Center is part of it, and it does indeed not pay attention to ALT+SPACE like it should, I'll show you "the other way".
The problem is that "the other way" changed from Windows XP to Windows 7, and many people that used to use it are also somewhat lost searching for it.
What's called the "System Menu" used to be accessible in a single click from the task bar. In Windows 7, there's an additional step.
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In Windows XP and Windows Vista, if you right click on a running program in the taskbar up would pop the System Menu for that program (type the Windows key once first if your taskbar isn't showing):
That's the same as the ALT+Space trick mentioned in an earlier article, except that the system menu shows up near the task bar instead of in the upper left of the application window.
At that point you could click on Move and use your keyboard arrows to move the program's window around the screen.
In Windows 7 it gets only slightly more complicated.
When you right click on a program on the Windows 7 taskbar, you get something else:
As you can see, there's nothing at all like the old System menu.
The trick is to instead, Shift right click:
In other words, hold down the Shift key while right clicking on the running programs entry in the task bar.
And once again you can click on Move, and use the keyboard arrow keys to move the window around.
In the case of Windows Media Center specifically it seems to get a little weird if the program has been maximized to full screen, as many of us do when watching a movie or otherwise using the program. The problem is that Windows Media Center basically ignores all of the standard keyboard shortcuts we might use, and does not display the System Menu using the techniques above.
ALT+Enter to the rescue.
Simply hold down the ALT key and type Enter. This keystroke toggles Windows Media Center between Full Screen and Windowed mode. Once you're in Windowed mode you can once again move it around as you like. (Occasionally, just toggling out of and back into Full Screen mode can also quickly resolve some display issues.)
Article C4098 - January 13, 2010 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
January 7, 2013 5:39 PM
Thanks a lot Leo, you solved one hell of problem for me.
January 15, 2013 12:38 PM
Great info, saved my day... you do wonder why so many useful features from XP have become such a hassle in 7 ...maybe they want us to switch to Mac?
January 23, 2013 2:51 PM
Thank you so, so much for this article and the related ones! My iTunes window was so tall that I couldn't see the bottom and couldn't grab a corner to re-size it. Seems like a small thing, but it was driving me nuts. Now it's fixed. Thanks so much...
March 2, 2013 5:35 PM
ohhhhhhhhhh thankssss a looooooooot , i needed notepad and its justt HIDEEE's but after thiss its got FIXED thank you a looooooot Leo :) ....
March 18, 2013 4:00 PM
Thanks, worked a treat
Cheers