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@fixer1234 has kindly found and linked a similar question - but that one does not have the good, working answer. Please link to this answer, which is the one which I am now using on my machine, it works!!: Here the link to an awesome answer, using AutoIt

Win 10 pro 64 bit: I have two full HD screens/monitors next to each other. They both have exactly 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution; nothing fancy.

I have searched on this site with different wordings and was surprised that nobody had asked or answered this or something similar.

Now we all know that in the title bar of each window, top right corner, we have quick buttons to maximise, to minimise or to "restore" or whatever that is called in English.

I have several programs which need to work accross both monitors and use the maxium space available. But I have not found the button or command to maximise over both screens. Sorry if this is too obvious.

I can do this manually of course: Click on restore (the middle button in the top-right window-corner) and then drag over both screens. But:

  • This takes time and feels frustating and stone-age
  • I never manage to drag all the way, so on the left I am always missing a few pixels, because I can not drag any further
  • Most programs forget they were dragged over both screens and I have to do this again and again, every time I boot

So please tell me this little trick and you will make me muchly happy and somewhatly more productive. Thank you.

If this command does not exist in Windows 10 (hard to believe) then I am willing to install and use a tool for that purpose. It could be a MS tool, or third-party; it could be a free tool or I would pay resonable money for it. But an ideal answer would find me a setting or command within Windows.

I found this quote by a MS Volunteer Moderator re Windows 7 :

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-desktop/is-there-a-shortcut-key-for-stretching-program/04899e44-b19e-44b3-904d-49a70bd43220

Windows no longer supports horizontal span for multiple monitors.

This capability is now integrated into the graphics device. This allows you to use 2 or more monitors as if they were 1 large monitor.

I do not have this option, since my two screens are driven by two separate graphics units (still I claim that my setup is nothing fancy). One is the screen in my notebook the other is an external portable screen by Asus connected by USB3. But for Windows 10 it should not make a difference how my screens are driven, since my extended desktop and all other features are running just fine. Just this one useful commant is missing.

Martin Zaske
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  • This was a feature with nVidia drivers a while ago... the virtual desktop could span multiple screens in a special mode... I don't know if it's still a thing, and I've not seen it from other manufacturers. – Attie Jun 06 '18 at 16:08
  • Current Nvidia user here, but I was just about to mention that that was a features in AMDs graphics cards called eyefinity since the 5800 series. Windows does (did?) not support that natively. – Hennes Jun 06 '18 at 16:59
  • Thank you @Hennes that means that at least my question was not entirely useless, as I cannot find this. But it is so basic; many users certainly go over two entire screens for certain jobs. So I will keep this question open, hoping for a tool which can do it. – Martin Zaske Jun 06 '18 at 17:05
  • You can always max maximize the windows and manually drag it over two side by side screens. I often do that when working with large excel sheets (on two side by side 2560x1440 displays). Nearly the same effect, but not quite. – Hennes Jun 06 '18 at 17:15
  • @Hennes if you read my question again, you will see that I am aware that I can drag. Still thanks for pointing out something potentially helpful. But with mouse-dragging I do not reach the entire screen (always loosing seveal millimeters) and it is slow and feels like the Flintstones dragging dinosaur-bones into their caves. Is there a way to keyboard-drag maybe, so that at least I can really reach the very edge of my screen? – Martin Zaske Jun 06 '18 at 17:22
  • Whoops. You are right. Read it. Answered. Came back later because there was a reply and did not properly reread. My bad. – Hennes Jun 06 '18 at 17:34
  • found another similar question, because still searching for a solution: https://superuser.com/questions/1173329/maximize-program-across-multiple-monitors – Martin Zaske Jun 06 '18 at 20:04
  • And found another one, and I will try the AutoIt solution from this one: https://superuser.com/questions/186633/how-can-you-maximize-a-window-on-to-dual-monitors-in-windows – Martin Zaske Jun 06 '18 at 21:28
  • Possible duplicate of [Maximize program across multiple monitors](https://superuser.com/questions/1173329/maximize-program-across-multiple-monitors) – fixer1234 Jun 06 '18 at 23:03
  • @fixer yes that is my comment two above yours, I have not enough veteranicy here to make the fancy tagging and linking, but the likely solution is in the my comment right above yours - will test it today, thanks – Martin Zaske Jun 07 '18 at 07:34
  • I used the first because that is linked to the second. So future readers will see the available answers on both. – fixer1234 Jun 07 '18 at 07:38
  • @fixer1234 I edited my question and put the link to the working answer at the very top. I guess you can make an "official this-is-the-solution-link". I am already using this solution right now on my machine (had to crash-course-myself in AutoIt) and it works great. Sorry I created an almost double. But my question is for Windows 10 and I give reasons why I do not want to drag thousands of time each year. So this could stay because it shows that the problem still exits in Win 10 and points (soon) to an awesome answer. Thanks. – Martin Zaske Jun 07 '18 at 11:52
  • Great that you found a good solution. People can only vote once on a duplicate, so others may choose the one you show in the question. I actually think it would be better to link the other. You already show the solution that worked for you. A different solution may be best for the next reader with a similar problem. The one I linked to creates a chain to the thread that was best for you, so it adds additional potential solutions. – fixer1234 Jun 07 '18 at 17:26

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