Section 3.6. Sizing, Moving, and Closing Windows


3.6. Sizing, Moving, and Closing Windows

Any Windows window can cycle among three altered states:

  • Maximized means that the window fills the screen; its edges are glued to the boundaries of your monitor, and you can't see anything behind it. It gets that way when you click its Maximize button (see Figure 3-1)an ideal arrangement when you're surfing the Web or working on a document for hours at a stretch, since the largest possible window means the least possible scrolling.

    At this point, the Maximize button has changed into a Restore Down button (whose icon shows two overlapping squares); click this to return the window to its previous size .


    Tip: Double-clicking the title barthe big, fat top edge of a windowalternates a window between its maximized (full-screen) and restored conditions.
  • When you click a windows Minimize button (Figure 3-1), the window gets out of your way. It shrinks down into the form of a button on your taskbar, at the bottom of the screen. Minimizing a window is a great tactic when you want to see what's in the window behind it.

    You can bring the window back by clicking this taskbar button, which bears the window's name . On Aero machines (Section 2.2), this button also displays a handy thumbnail miniature when you point to it without clicking, to remind you of what was in the original window.

  • A restored window is neither maximized nor minimized; it's a loose cannon, floating around on your screen as an independent rectangle. Because its edges aren't attached to the walls of your monitor, you can make it any size you like by dragging its borders.

3.6.1. Moving a Window

Moving a window is easyjust drag the big, fat top edge.

Most of the time, you move a window to get it out of the way when you're trying to see what's behind it. However, moving windows around is also handy if you're moving or copying data between programs, or moving or copying files between drives or folders.

3.6.2. Closing a Window

Microsoft wants to make absolutely sure that you're never without some method of closing a window. Here are just a few ways to do it:

  • Click the Close button (the X in the upper-right corner).

  • Press Alt+F4. (This ones worth memorizing . You'll use it everywhere in Windows.)

  • Double-click the windows upper-left corner.

Be careful. In many programs, including Internet Explorer, closing the window also quits the program entirely.

3.6.3. Layering Windows

When you have multiple windows open on your screen, only one window is active , which means that:

  • Its in the foreground, in front of all other windows.

  • Its the window that "hears" your keystrokes and mouse clicks.

  • Its Close button glows red. (Background windows Close buttons are transparent.)

As you would assume, clicking a background window brings it to the front. And what if it's so far back that you can't even see it? Read on.


Tip: For quick access to the desktop, clear the screen by clicking the Desktop button on the Quick Launch toolbarits icon looks like an old desk blotteror just press +D. Pressing that keystroke again brings all the windows back to the screen exactly as they were.



Windows Vista for Starters
Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual
ISBN: 0596528264
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 175
Authors: David Pogue

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