Moving a window from a disconnected monitor to connected monitor

Challenge:

Consider a laptop that runs a Windows Operating system. (We have found that this applies to Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 as well.)
Let’s say, when at work, I connect a monitor via USB to the \”left\” of the laptop monitor. It\’s identified as monitor 3.
At home, I use a monitor that sits to the right of the laptop monitor. It\’s monitor 2.
Monitor 1 is the inbuilt laptop monitor.
Now at home I open a window, any window, on monitor 2. Then I come to work and plug in monitor 3. Anything I had open on monitor 2 is now stuck in un-retrievable land. It keeps attempting to display on a monitor that is no longer connected.

Solution:

If you look closely, you’ll see that you still get the icon for the app down in your task bar. If so, do the following:

  • Select the icon for the app and hit ALT+ SPACE and then M.
  • This will select Move for the Window selected.
  • Now use your keyboard arrow to move the window in the proper direction to the active monitor.

Once you have hit at least on arrow key to start the move, you can them use the mouse for the rest, which unless the resolution of the screen that isn\’t present is small is usually a bit quicker.