Windows tip of the week

Manage app and Explorer windows with keyboard shortcuts

Arranging windows on the screen is an essential task for any operation that involves moving or copying files between Explorer windows, copying text and graphics from one program window to another, or comparing different versions of a document or spreadsheet.

If you find yourself doing any of those tasks regularly, it pays to learn a handful of keyboard shortcuts that clear away extraneous windows and then snap individual windows into position. Start with a pair of shortcuts designed to reduce clutter:

• Windows key + D Press once to minimize all the desktop
• Windows key + M Minimize all windows
• Windows key + Shift + M Restore all minimized windows on the desktop

With the distractions removed, you can now snap individual windows to either side of the display, using the shortcut Windows key + left/right arrow. Press this combination once to position the current window so it occupies the left or right half of the display and then repeat the process with the second window, using the opposite keyboard shortcut.

If you have multiple monitors, you can keep pressing that key combination to move through the different snap permutations until you have every window arranged exactly as you like.