So, for those of you who don’t like using a mouse, it would be great if you could move the window using only the keyboard in Windows 7, right? Well, there are several ways to do this, and even if you don’t need to do it very often, on rare occasions it will come in handy!
In this article, I’ll show you how to move a window in small increments to the position you want, how to anchor a window to the left or right, and how to move a window between monitors in a multi-monitor setup, all just using your keyboard!
The first method – an incremental transfer
For precise positioning, you first need to click on the window. Now this will obviously only work for windows that are not fully expanded. If it is fully expanded, there really is 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 press ALT + SPACEBAR and a small menu will appear in the window.
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Step 3: Now press M, which will basically select the Move option from the menu.
Step 4. Now use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the window to the new position you want.
Step 5: Press the Enter key to exit the move mode. Also, if you want the window to return to its original position before moving it, press the Esc key instead.
Method 2 – Windows Snap
Windows has a nifty feature that lets you snap windows to the left or right side of your screen. If you drag the window to the right or left, it will automatically resize and snap to the side.
To do this, using your keyboard, press the Windows key + Right or Left arrow. Be sure to hold down the Windows key while pressing the left and right arrow keys. It’s actually quite convenient and much faster than dragging the window around the screen.
Method 3 – Multiple Monitor Settings
Finally, to move between multiple monitors, all you have to do is add SHIFT to the above keyboard shortcut, so it will just be Windows Key + Shift + Right or Left Arrow.
For power users who really want to control their windows, movement may not be enough. So, here are a few more keyboard shortcuts that might come in handy if you only have your keyboard and Windows left:
End – will display the bottom of the active window (if necessary, scroll with the keyboard)
Home – displays the top of the active window
F11 – maximize or minimize the active window
Ctrl + Tab – if you have a tabbed window this will move you forward through the tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Tab – will take you back through the tabs
Windows Key + Shift + Up Arrow – This will stretch the window to the top and bottom of the screen.
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