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73
Cascade Windows

I often want a Word document open next to a browser window or a worksheet side-by-side with an

Access report.



The trick is hiding away in Windows itself! I found it by accident and now swear by it.



If you right mouse click on the taskbar you can get a series of options including such goodies as:



Cascade Windows

Arrange all the windows so only the title bar shows for each. I think of them arrange like a column

of cards in Solitaire.

Tile Horizontally

Fill the screen with windows, each one stretched across the desktop

Tile Vertically

Fill the screen with windows, each one going from top to bottom -- ie side-by-side

Show Desktop



A fancy name for minimizing all open windows leaving the desktop and icons visible plus any error

messages or other 'modal' windows or dialog boxes.

Can't find that menu? You need to click on an 'unused' piece of taskbar not on a button. On a

crowded taskbar that means the sliver between the open application buttons and the system icons

on the right.



These options I've found on Windows 2000 and Windows XP - they should be available in Windows

ME and 98 as well.



The trick is that the right-mouse 'Tile' options work on the visible windows only. Any window

that's minimized to the taskbar is ignored.



To arrange the windows the way you want:



Minimize all unwanted windows, just click on the first of three little buttons on the top right of

each window (the other two Maximize and Close the window respectively). Leave only the two or

three windows you want to arrange open.

Right click on the taskbar and choose one of the 'Tile' options.

Presto! Your windows are side-by-side.

Are the windows in the wrong places? Simply drag the windows nearer to the correct sides and

choose the 'Tile' option again. Windows will move each window to the nearest edge.

That's it! You can get on with your work and stop clicking between windows.

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