Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10  

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
    Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10

    Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10

    How to Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    16 Aug 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10


    Your screen can get cluttered if you have a lot of opened app windows. The Snap windows (aka: Aero Snap) feature includes Snap Assist and 2x2 snapping to help you organize these opened windows on your desktop.

    For more details about Snap windows, see: Arrange your Windows in a Snap

    Starting with Windows 10 build 10547 when in Tablet mode, from Task View you can now snap apps to left and right, replace a previously snapped app with another (teeter) and swipe down to close an app.

    Snap Assist

    Drag a window to the left or right edge of your screen until you see a transparent overlay appear, then drop the window to have it snap to that half of the screen.

    Snap Assist will then show thumbnails of all other snappable windows in the available space on the other side for you to click/tap on one to choose, and it'll also automatically snap in to place.

    2x2 Snap

    You can snap up to four windows in a 2x2 grid on your screen.

    Drag a window to the top or bottom corner of the left or right edge of your screen until you see a transparent overlay appear, then drop the window to have it snap to that quadrant of the screen.

    Modern universal apps will not reduce in vertical height as much as a desktop app, so a they will be larger than a quarter of the screen.

    Keyboard shortcuts:

    Win + Left arrow
    Press to snap the current active window to the left half of the screen. If you have multiple screens, then you can keep pressing to move and snap the window to the screen to the left.

    Win + Right arrow
    Press to snap the current active window to the right half of the screen. If you have multiple screens, then you can keep pressing to move and snap the window to the screen to the right.

    Win + Up arrow
    If the window isn't snapped, then it will maximize the window. If the window is snapped to a side, then it will snap the window to the top quarter of that side.

    Win + Down arrow
    If the window isn't snapped, then it will minimize the window. If the window is maximized, it will restore down the window. If the window is snapped to a side, then it will snap the window to the bottom quarter of that side.

    This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off the Snap windows (Aero Snap) feature for your account in Windows 10.

    If you turn off Arrange windows automatically by dragging them to the sides or corners of the screen (Aero Snap), you will no longer be able to drag maximized windows.



    Contents

    • Option One: To Turn On or Off Snap Windows, Snap Fill, Snap Assist, and Snap Auto Resize in Settings app
    • Option Two: To Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Ease of Access Center
    • Option Three: To Turn On or Off Snap Windows, Snap Fill, Snap Assist, and Snap Auto Resize using a REG file



    EXAMPLE: Snap windows in Windows 10

    Music in video is "Do the Pump" by Mr Juan licensed under a Attribution 3.0 France License.










    OPTION ONE

    To Turn On or Off Snap Windows, Snap Fill, Snap Assist, and Snap Auto Resize in Settings app


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the System icon.

    2 Do step 3 (on) or step 4 (off) below for what you would like to do.


     3. To Turn On Snap Windows

    This is the default setting

    A) Click/tap on Multitasking on the left side, and turn on Snap windows under Work with multiple windows on the right side. (see screenshot below)

    B) Check (on - default) or uncheck (off) the Snap settings below for what you want, and go to step 5 below.
    • When I snap a window, automatically size it to fill available space (Snap Fill)
    • When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it (Snap Assist)
    • When I resize a snapped window, simultaneously resize any adjacent snapped window (Snap auto resize)

    Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10-snap_windows_settings-1.jpg


     4. To Turn Off Snap Windows

    A) Click/tap on Multitasking on the left side, turn on Snap windows under Work with multiple windows on the right side, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10-snap_windows_settings-2.jpg

    5 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    To Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Ease of Access Center


    1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Ease of Access Center icon.

    2 In the Ease of Access Center, click/tap on either the Make the mouse easier to use, Make the Keyboard Easier To Use, or Make it easier to focus on tasks link. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10-aero_snap_ease_of_access_center-1.jpg

    3 Do step 4 (on) or step 5 (off) below for what you would like to do.


     4. To Turn On Snap Windows

    This is the default setting.

    A) Uncheck the Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edged of the screen box, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)


     5. To Turn Off Snap Windows

    A) Check the Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edged of the screen box, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below.

    6 When finished, you can close the Ease of Access Center if you like.

    Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10-aero_snap_ease_of_access_center-2.png






    OPTION THREE

    To Turn On or Off Snap Windows, Snap Fill, Snap Assist, and Snap Auto Resize using a REG file


    The downloadable .reg files below will change the registry key and value below.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

    WindowArrangementActive REG_SZ (string value)

    0 = Off
    1 = On

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

    JointResize DWORD
    SnapFill DWORD
    SnapAssist DWORD

    0 = Off
    1 = On


    1 Do step 2 (Snap), step 3 (Snap Fill), step 4 (Snap Assist), or step 5 (Snap Auto Resize) below for what you would like to do.


     2. To Turn On or Off Snap Windows

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    Turn_On_Aero_Snap.reg (default)

    Download

    OR

    Turn_Off_Aero_Snap.reg

    Download


     3. To Turn On or Off Snap Fill

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    Turn_On_Snap_Fill.reg (default)

    This will also turn on Snap windows.

    Download

    OR

    Turn_Off_Snap_Fill.reg

    Download


     4. To Turn On or Off Snap Assist

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    Turn_On_Snap_Assist.reg (default)

    This will also turn on Snap windows.

    Download

    OR

    Turn_Off_Snap_Assist.reg

    Download


     5. To Turn On or Off Snap Auto Resize

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    Turn_On_Snap_Auto_Resize.reg (default)

    This will also turn on Snap windows.

    Download

    OR

    Turn_Off_Snap_Auto_Resize.reg

    Download

    6 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    7 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    8 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    9 Sign out and sign in or restart the PC to apply.

    10 You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink






  1. Posts : 255
    Win 10 64bit
       #1

    A good one, Shawn.

    On first trial, the shortcut keys seem much easier to use than dragging windows, but it maybe depends just how many things you have open.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 7
    Windows 10
       #2

    Hi Shawn! Is there a way to turn off "When I snap a windows, show what I can snap next to it" in setting/multitasking but, from the registry editor?

    Thanks!
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hello @rspy24 ,

    OPTION THREE has been updated to include a .reg option for Snap Assist. :)
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 7
    Windows 10
       #4

    Amazing @Brink! Thanks! works great!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #5

    You're most welcome. :)
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 1
    windows 10
       #6

    Is there any way to just disable the corner snap? I kind of hat hate that part. I love the old snap feature but I can't for the life of me, train myself to stop using the corners for a side snap. Thanks
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
       #7

    Is there any way to get it like Windows 7? I find myself having lost more features than gained with upgrading to Windows 10. Every time I try to move a window from 1 monitor to the other, it gets "stuck" trying to bloody snap in between my two monitors. Windows 7 didn't do this. If I then turn off snap, I can no longer make a window 'fullscreen' by simply dragging it to the top of my screen (like I could in windows 7) hence I lost a feature. This and many other nuisances really deterers me from keeping Windows 10.

    Thanks,
    -lindenkron
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    lindenkron said:
    Is there any way to get it like Windows 7? I find myself having lost more features than gained with upgrading to Windows 10. Every time I try to move a window from 1 monitor to the other, it gets "stuck" trying to bloody snap in between my two monitors. Windows 7 didn't do this. If I then turn off snap, I can no longer make a window 'fullscreen' by simply dragging it to the top of my screen (like I could in windows 7) hence I lost a feature. This and many other nuisances really deterers me from keeping Windows 10.

    Thanks,
    -lindenkron
    Hello lindenkron, :)

    For sticky edges and corners, you might see if the tutorials below to disable them may help with that.

    Sticky Edges for Multi-Monitors - Enable or Disable

    Sticky Corners for Multi-Monitors - Enable or Disable
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
       #9

    Brink said:
    Hello lindenkron, :)

    For sticky edges and corners, you might see if the tutorials below to disable them may help with that.

    Sticky Edges for Multi-Monitors - Enable or Disable

    Sticky Corners for Multi-Monitors - Enable or Disable
    I don't believe any of that applies. This is the feature in question:
    (NSFW background I spose)


    It used to NEVER do it in Windows 7 between the two monitors ie: [ | ] at the middle line. Only top / bottom / sides. Now it does it in between in Windows 10 so everytime I wanna move something over with low sensitivity on mouse it gets stuck. And it's quite frankly enough to drive you crazy.

    All you can do is completely disable it, so top/sides (usually used top) doesn't work either, meaning I have to double click to make a window full screen. When you do that a few 100 times a day, a minor inconvenience turns into a hassle. As with a ton of things in Windows 10. Not impressed :/

    Appreciate the reply,
    -lindenkron
    Last edited by Brink; 22 Apr 2017 at 12:32. Reason: removed image
      My Computer


 

Tutorial Categories

Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10 Tutorial Index Network & Sharing Instalation and Upgrade Browsers and Email General Tips Gaming Customization Apps and Features Virtualization BSOD System Security User Accounts Hardware and Drivers Updates and Activation Backup and Restore Performance and Maintenance Mixed Reality Phone


  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:01.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums