desktop: Window is offscreen, won't come back on monitor

Description

Had the new github desktop open, unplugged a monitor at some point and it must have been open on that one. Now when I try to open the window, it seems to open off-screen. Now i can’t get it back onto any of my other monitors (tried windows key + arrow keys, shift right clicking the icon on the taskbar doesn’t show the “move” option. Tried uninstalling and re-installing, still happens). I think the main problem here is the shift+right click on the icon doesn’t bring up any options.

Version

GitHub Desktop version: 1.0.1

OS version: Windows 10

Steps to Reproduce

Have 2 1440p monitors connected
unplug one, plug in a 1080p monitor NOTE: both of these steps i’m pretty sure was the initial issue, though I can’t try again since I can’t get the window to come back.
Github desktop is now “off the screen” (this isn’t abnormal for windows).
try all “window moving” tricks on windows (cascade, alt+tab, windows key+arrow keys) None work.
Try shift+right clicking the icon to “move”, notice the windows dropdown doesn’t appear (also doesn’t show up on co-workers “working” github window).
Uninstall/re-install
Problem persists.
NOTE: Old version of Github was installed (and working) this whole time.

Expected behavior: Window should open and be visible when I click the icon.

Actual behavior: Window seems to appear off-screen, but I can’t use any of the windows troubleshooting methods to get it back on-screen

Reproduces how often: Once, since I can’t get the window to show up on the screen even after uninstall/restart/

Logs

Additional Information

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 7 years ago
Comments: 24 (2 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

Well, fixed my own issue.

Hit Alt+space to bring up the menu I couldn’t with shift+right click.
Press ‘M’ to make it move
Hit one of the arrow keys
now moving your mouse will have the window attached to it. Move it wherever until it shows up.

Still strange that Uninstalling the program and reinstalling didn’t default it to opening on one of my two active monitors. Not sure if this is just a Windows bug or a GitHub bug…will wait to close issue.

+119

aleccaputo on Feb 2, 2019

Alt+M Did not work for me. Solved by going into %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\window-state.json and changing the window position.

+90

NassirAlawar on Sep 28, 2017

@aleccaputo,

It’s Alt+Space.

I was also able to fix it by right clicking the launcher, choosing Launch Full-Screen, and re-launching it.

+77

pale2hall on Feb 21, 2018

A little easier than editing the AppData JSON file, this also worked for me:

Right-click the GitLab Desktop shortcut, click Properties, go to the Shortcut tab
Set Run to “Maximized”, like this:

The Library of Babel

(from https://www.computerhope.com/tips/tip201.htm)

+22

tengbao on May 16, 2018

Following the advise of NassirAlawar with a little modification for the lazy like me I closed Git client and deleted the file %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\window-state.json

This did the trick!!

JasonStapley on May 9, 2018

Try shift+right clicking the icon to “move”, notice the windows dropdown doesn’t appear (also doesn’t show up on co-workers “working” github window).

To me, this seems potentially the easiest part to fix (knowing absolutely nothing about why it is broken 😄). I have had issues before with other apps ending up off screen and have used this right click menu trick to get them back. It is unclear why GitHub desktop is missing this right click menu. It should have it though, and that should be fixed.

BertLamb on Oct 3, 2017

Yeah, I also tried to move the window when I got it back in view and Alt+M also didn’t work. I right clicked the github icon and selected move and even then I couldn’t move the window though the usually 4 direction pointer finally showed up. The only way I’m able to move the window is by clicking on the bar at the top with the normal pointer.

Same as you the Windows key + arrow years didn’t respond when the window was off screen

After clicking “Move”, you need to press one of the arrow keys, and only that! Not Win+Arrow, just one arrow key! Then it will “snap” to the mouse cursor and can be moved.

treysis on Apr 6, 2020

Alt+M Did not work for me. Solved by going into %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\window-state.json and changing the window position.

%APPDATA%\roaming\GitHub Desktop\window-state.json

pjlasl on May 11, 2019

Still an issue, but

@aleccaputo,

It’s Alt+Space.

I was also able to fix it by right clicking the launcher, choosing Launch Full-Screen, and re-launching it.

Thanks for this! It really helps!

rnd00 on Nov 16, 2018

Alt+M Did not work for me. Solved by going into %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\window-state.json and changing the window position.

Thanks for this man. This helps!

mikependon on Nov 9, 2018