Remember window positions

Question

Okay so I'm really going back in time, I seem to remember on window 3... something that you could tell it to remember a window position so it opened in the same place each time.

I use a widescreen monitor and have several apps open at the same time.

Is it possible to "tell" an app to open at a certain position on screen. i.e I like my calculator to be bottom right corner, but it always opens up top left.

Cheers

Answer 1

Hello PaulGibbs,

Thank you for visiting the Microsoft Answers Community.

Does this happen with all of your applications, or just calculator?

Windows stores the location where you close your application and opens it the next time in that location. However, there could be third party software that may be interfering with this process.

Try performing a clean boot:

Step 1: Perform a clean boot

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Note If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from following these steps. We strongly recommend that you do not use the System Configuration utility to modify the advanced boot options on the computer unless a Microsoft support engineer directs you to do this. Doing this may make the computer unusable.

·          Log on to the computer by using an account that has administrator rights.

·          Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER to start the System Configuration Utility. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.

·          On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear the Load startup items check box. (The Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable.)

·          On the Services tab, click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then click Disable all.

Note Following this step lets Microsoft services continue to run. These services include Networking, Plug and Play, Event Logging, Error Reporting, and other services. If you disable these services, you may permanently delete all restore points. Do not do this if you want to use the System Restore utility together with existing restore points.

·          Click OK, and then click Restart.

Step 2: Enable half of the services

·          Follow steps 1a and 1b to start the System Configuration utility.

·          Click the Services tab, and then click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box.

·          Click to select half of the check boxes in the Service list.

·          Click OK, and then click Restart.

Step 3: Determine whether the problem returns

If the problem still occurs, repeat step 1 and step 2. In step 2, click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Service list.

If the problem does not occur, repeat step 1 and step 2. In step 2, select only half of the remaining check boxes that are cleared in the Service list. Repeat these steps until you have selected all the check boxes.

If only one service is selected in the Service list, and you still experience the problem, the selected service causes the problem. Go to step 6. If no service causes this problem, go to step 4.

Step 4: Enable half of the Startup items

Perform a clean boot by repeating step 1.

Click the Startup tab, and then click to select half of the check boxes in the Startup Item list.

Click OK, and then click Restart.

Step 5: Determine whether the problem returns

If the problem still occurs, repeat step 1 and step 4. In step 4, click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Startup Item list.

If the problem does not occur, repeat step 1 and step 4. In step 4, select only half of the remaining check boxes that are cleared in the Startup Item list. Repeat these steps until you have selected all the check boxes.

If only one startup item is selected in the Startup Item list, and you still experience the problem, the startup item that is selected in the list is the service that is causing the problem. Go to step 6.

If no startup item causes this problem, a Microsoft service most likely causes the problem. To determine which Microsoft service may be causing the problem, repeat step 1 and step 2 without selecting the Hide all Microsoft services check box in either step.

Step 6: Resolve the problem

After you determine the startup item or the service that causes the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the problem can be resolved. Or, run the System Configuration Utility, and then click to clear the check box for the problem item.

Step 7: Reset the computer to start as usual

After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the reset the computer to start as usual:

·          Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.

·          On the General tab, click the Normal Startup option, and then click OK.

·          When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart.Collapse this imageExpand this image

Hope this helps

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Chris.H

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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Answer 2

"errogant" is a lovely alternate spelling. Nearly 3 years later and apparently still not fixed. Microsoft had a (relatively) good thing in XP, but they are going downhill now.

Answer 3

I can not believe that even the Microsoft support teams seem to be unaware or are pretending to be unaware of this issue.  In Windows 7 - they made the unbelievable decision to eliminate the classic clean simple start menu and to do away with Windows remembering the size and position of the windows you use.  No matter what you do, anytime you open a window - it opens in the position and the size of the last window closed.  What an AWFUL waste of time having to re-build and setup your desktop each time you start Windows

• even worse if using a dual monitor setup.

The standard response to date seems to be that this is 'new' and we will have to get use to it as windows has evolved (backwards?).  This would be like me telling you that the next new car you buy is NOT going to have a battery for the starter - in an effort to move forward and evolve by lossing weight and becoming more efficient.  Instead, you will have a nice ergonomic and AEROdynamic crank that you can stick in the side of the car and crank it up to get it started.  Yeah, I'm sure you would buy that....

C'mon Microsoft - admit you goofed and fix these issues.

The PC vs Mac commercials seem to be gaining steam.  A friend of mine who is somewhat up in management at Best Buy has said that the % of converts to Macs for people who have been waiting for Windows 7 (after being forced to experience the Vista debacle) is growing and about double what it was last year at this time.

Microsoft needs to listen to its users and climb down off their errogant pedestal in their ivory towers.