How to Move a Window with the Keyboard in Windows 11, 10, and 7

Aseem Kishore
·
4 min read

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Hands typing on a dark laptop at a wooden desk with a blue mug, plant, lamp, and framed photo in the background.

Your window is stuck off-screen, or you just need to reposition it precisely without touching the mouse, keyboard shortcuts can handle all of it in Windows 7, 10, and 11. Here are three methods, from exact pixel-level moves to snapping and multi-monitor juggling.

Method 1: Move a Window in Small Increments (Alt + Space)

This is the method you need when a window is partially or fully off-screen, or when you want to position it exactly. It works on Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11, as long as the window isn’t maximized.

Fix #1: Move a non-maximized window with Alt + Space

  1. Press Alt + Tab to make the window you want to move the active window.
  2. Press Alt + Spacebar. A small system menu appears in the top-left corner of the window, even if the title bar is off-screen.
Windows 11 window with the Alt+Space system menu open in the top-left corner, showing options including Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, and Close
  1. Press M to select Move. Your cursor changes to a four-arrow move icon and the window enters move mode.
  2. Use the arrow keys (Up, Down, Left, Right) to nudge the window to where you want it.
  3. Press Enter to lock in the new position, or press Esc to cancel and snap the window back to where it started.

If Move is greyed out: The window is maximized. Press Alt + Spacebar, then R to Restore it first, then repeat the steps above.

Fix #2: Recover an off-screen (hidden) window

If a window is running but invisible, usually because a second monitor was disconnected, this sequence brings it back.

  1. Click the app’s taskbar button or press Alt + Tab to make the hidden window active.
  2. Press Alt + Spacebar, then M.
  3. Press any arrow key once. This “attaches” the window to your cursor even though you can’t see it yet.
  4. Move the mouse toward the center of your screen, or keep pressing arrow keys, until the window slides back into view.
  5. Press Enter to confirm.

Alternatively, Win + Shift + Left/Right Arrow (covered in Method 3 below) can yank a window off a ghost monitor in one keystroke.

Method 2: Snap Windows Left, Right, or Fullscreen (Win + Arrow)

Windows Snap lets you tile windows to the sides or corners of your screen without dragging. The keyboard shortcuts work on Windows 7 through 11.

Fix #3: Snap a window to the left or right half

  1. Make the window active.
  2. Press Win + Left Arrow to snap it to the left half of the screen, or Win + Right Arrow to snap it to the right half.
Windows 11 desktop with one window snapped to the left half and Snap Assist showing available windows to fill the right half

On Windows 10 and 11, pressing the same shortcut again cycles the window between the snapped position, other monitors, and its original unsnapped size.

Fix #4: Maximize, restore, or snap to corners

  • Win + Up Arrow Maximize the active window.
  • Win + Down Arrow Restore a maximized window; press again to minimize it.
  • Corner snapping (Windows 10/11 only): Snap left or right first with Win + Left/Right, then press Win + Up or Win + Down to move it into a quarter-screen corner.

Windows 11 bonus: Hover over the maximize button or press Win + Z to open Snap Layouts, a visual picker for common tiling arrangements. The Win + Arrow shortcuts still work underneath it.

Method 3: Move a Window Between Monitors (Win + Shift + Arrow)

Fix #5: Send a window to another monitor

  1. Make the window active.
  2. Press Win + Shift + Left Arrow to move it to the monitor on the left, or Win + Shift + Right Arrow to move it to the monitor on the right.

The window keeps its relative size and position on the new screen. This is also the fastest fix for a window that’s stuck on a monitor you’ve unplugged.

If the shortcut does nothing: A third-party display utility (common with USB display adapters) may have hijacked the hotkey. Check the adapter’s software settings and disable or remap its custom shortcuts.

Bonus: More Keyboard Shortcuts for Windowless Mice

If you’re working keyboard-only, these additional shortcuts round out your toolkit:

ShortcutWhat it doesWindows version
Win + Shift + Up ArrowStretch the window to fill the full vertical height of the screen7, 8, 10, 11
Win + Ctrl + Left/Right ArrowSwitch between virtual desktops10, 11
F11Toggle fullscreen in most apps and browsersAll
Ctrl + TabMove forward through tabs in a tabbed windowAll
Ctrl + Shift + TabMove backward through tabsAll
Home / EndJump to the top or bottom of the active window’s contentAll

When the Built-In Shortcuts Aren’t Enough

If you need more control, such as custom snap zones, ultra-wide monitor layouts, or per-app window rules, Microsoft PowerToys FancyZones is the go-to free tool. It layers on top of Windows Snap without replacing any of the shortcuts above.

Conclusion

For most situations, Win + Left/Right Arrow to snap and Win + Shift + Left/Right Arrow to jump between monitors will cover 90% of what you need. If a window has gone completely off-screen, Alt + Space → M → any arrow key is the reliable rescue sequence that’s worked since Windows 7 and still works perfectly in Windows 11 in 2026.