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Sizing Windows

Sizing a Window with Maximize, Minimize, and Restore

You may want to increase the size of a window to see its full contents, or you may want to decrease a window to a button on the taskbar in order to make room for other windows. One way to resize a window is to use the Maximize, Minimize, and Restore commands found on the Control menu. If you use the mouse, you will use the Maximize, Minimize, and Restore buttons located at the right end of the window's title bar. The Restore button and the Maximize button will appear interchangeably on the title bar of a window. For example, if you maximize a window, the Restore button replaces the Maximize button and you can then minimize or Restore a Window. If you restore a window, the Maximize button replaces the Restore button.

The buttons and commands work as described here.

Click the Maximize button, or command, to enlarge the window. A maximized window fills your entire screen, hiding any of the desktop in the background.

Click the Minimize button, or command, to reduce the window to a button on the taskbar.

Click the Restore button, or command, to return a window to the size it was before it was maximized

To maximize, minimize, or restore a window with the mouse, click the appropriate button in the title bar of the window. To maximize, minimize, or restore a window using the Control menu, follow these steps:

1. Click the Control menu button to open the window's Control menu; alternatively, press Alt+Spacebar.
2. Click the command (Restore, Minimize, or Maximize) you want to initiate. Alternatively, use the down arrow to move to and highlight the command, and then press Enter.

Sizing a Window's Borders

At some point, you'll need a window to be a particular size to suit your needs. For example, you might want to fit two or more windows on-screen at the same time. You can drag the window's frame, or border, to change the size of the window. A window's border appears only on a restored window, not on a maximized or minimized window.

To use the mouse to size a window's borders, follow these steps:

1. Place the mouse pointer on the portion of the border that you want to resize: left or right side, top or bottom. When the mouse is positioned correctly, it changes shape to a double-headed arrow.
   Use the vertical double-headed arrow (on the top or bottom of the window border) to resize the window's height by dragging the frame up or down.
   Use the horizontal double-headed arrow (on the left or right window border) to resize the window's width by dragging the frame left or right.
   Use the diagonal double-headed arrow (on any of the four corners of the window border) to resize the window's height and width proportionally by dragging the corner diagonally.
2. Click and drag the border toward the center of the window to reduce the size of the window, or away from the center to enlarge the window.
3. When the border reaches the desired size, release the mouse button.