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Quick Way to Arrange Multiple Windows on Your Screen

BY STANLEY ZAROWIN

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2008. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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QUICK WAY TO ARRANGE MULTIPLE WINDOWS ON YOUR SCREEN
I frequently work with two or more groups of spreadsheets on my screen because it spares me the hassle of flipping back and forth between worksheets. But I wish there were a faster way to set them up—that is, to arrange them to show in the cascade, side-by-side or stacked mode. Do you have any suggestions?

There is a neat way, and it works in both Windows XP and Vista. You can also add Word or screens of other files or Web sites to the mix. Begin by initially loading the files you want displayed and then minimizing them so the icons are in the taskbar. Then, when you want to open some of them, hold down the Ctrl key and click on their icons in the taskbar. You’ll notice the icon borders will darken, as in a 3-D effect (see screenshot below). Then right-click on one icon and a windows arrangement menu will appear (also in screenshot), giving you a display choice.

If you change your mind after you select a file you wanted to open, a second click will deselect it.