Drag a window by clicking everywhere in the window. Improving usability. Which programs are better to choose. My experience

This article is mainly about a program called QuickHotkeys. Or about which programs are better to use to speed up productivity. Recently I had an idea, is it possible to move a window by any place in the window, and not just by the top, the Titlebar? Perhaps by holding down some modifier key for this. There were many open tabs in the browser, and in FileExplorer, so it was absolutely inconvenient to move the window by the Titlebar. And I turned to the Internet for a search. With requests like: move a window by any place, move a window by the status bar, drag a window by clicking anywhere in the window. I could not find much. There was a lot in the search results: moving a window with keyboard buttons. To move a window using the keyboard, ... But there was nothing that was needed. At the very end of the list there was one link that related to OS Linux. To move a window by clicking anywhere in the window, press and hold the Alt key, ... Basically, all the results were related to the Linux world, to KDE. Where this function is already in the system, there is a hotkey for this, and it is called AltDrag. You hold down the Alt key, and the left mouse button, and drag the window. In addition, you can even change the size of the window by holding down the Alt key and pressing the right mouse button. AutoHotkey script simulating Linux hotkeys But nothing was found in the search for Windows. Only AutoHotkey script simulating Linux hotkeys, like in Linux, was found. I install this script and check it in action. It worked terribly. The window moved by holding the Alt key, but jerkily, intermittently, the script slowed down, loaded the processor, and the cursor lagged behind the window. The window moved completely differently than by the Titlebar. Resizing with the right mouse button worked only for one corner, and the window was glitchy, and changed in noticeable jerks. You could only resize by the lower right corner. Holding the Alt key is actually not convenient. This function is often needed. And I chose the Win modifier, instead of Alt. It is a little faster. But when you press Win, the Start menu window began to appear. But as it turned out later, the hotkey Alt + left click is not suitable. Because it creates multiple cursors in VSCode. You can't assign such a hotkey. Otherwise, multiple cursors will not work. And the best modifier here is, it seems, CapsLock + click. So, all the scripts were crooked, and I continued searching further. After a long search, several programs for Windows were found. Including paid ones. But they also worked crookedly, not well. After installation, I deleted them. AltDrag - moving a window with the Alt key There was a similar request on one forum, and many suggested using the program AltDrag. This program implements the Alt function of moving a window, like in Linux, in Windows. Having visited the program's website, this program seems to have a long history, has existed for a very long time, and seems to be outdated. It seems to be designed for very early versions of Windows, Windows 2000. This is not the main purpose of the program. There is a lot of documentation there. It is difficult to understand what kind of program it is and what it is for. It is possible that it is outdated and only works on Windows 2000, but I have Windows 11. A lot of hotkeys are installed there. You can accidentally press something, and some unknown action will occur. I don't need all the functionality. It takes a long time to study, huge documentation, 1000 pages. I can't say for sure whether this program is good or bad, I haven't installed it. Therefore, I am looking further, for something simpler. Having searched the Internet for a long time, there are many different programs for working with windows. Some remember the size of windows, others snap windows to the edges of the screen. Others add a translucent background behind the active window. Fourth - place the window on top of other windows. And a huge number of tile managers that place many windows on the screen in tiles. Not many can be found for moving windows. Most programs are outdated or do not work on Windows 11. Even paid utilities for 10-20 dollars do not work. QuickHotkeys - improving user experience and speed of work in Windows But one program was found that is designed to move windows. It is called QuickHotkeys. I install this program and check it works. Windows move smoothly, without jerking. Like the Titlebar. Changing the window size works for all corners. Everything is also smooth, without bugs. You can change the window size by dragging anywhere, and not just the lower right corner. Windows do not jerk. Everything works as if you drag the edge of the window. In addition, modifier keys are not used for this at all. This does not conflict with modifiers such as Alt+Click, which is intended to create multiple cursors in VSCode. Here, to drag a window, you use the right and left

Apr 12, 2025 - 22:42

Drag a window by clicking everywhere in the window. Improving usability. Which programs are better to choose. My experience

This article is mainly about a program called QuickHotkeys. Or about which programs are better to use to speed up productivity.

Recently I had an idea, is it possible to move a window by any place in the window, and not just by the top, the Titlebar?
Perhaps by holding down some modifier key for this.
There were many open tabs in the browser, and in FileExplorer, so it was absolutely inconvenient to move the window by the Titlebar.
And I turned to the Internet for a search. With requests like: move a window by any place, move a window by the status bar, drag a window by clicking anywhere in the window.
I could not find much.

There was a lot in the search results: moving a window with keyboard buttons.

To move a window using the keyboard, ...

But there was nothing that was needed.
At the very end of the list there was one link that related to OS Linux.

To move a window by clicking anywhere in the window, press and hold the Alt key, ...

Basically, all the results were related to the Linux world, to KDE.

Where this function is already in the system, there is a hotkey for this, and it is called AltDrag.
You hold down the Alt key, and the left mouse button, and drag the window.

In addition, you can even change the size of the window by holding down the Alt key and pressing the right mouse button.

AutoHotkey script simulating Linux hotkeys

But nothing was found in the search for Windows.

Only AutoHotkey script simulating Linux hotkeys, like in Linux, was found.
I install this script and check it in action.
It worked terribly. The window moved by holding the Alt key, but jerkily, intermittently, the script slowed down, loaded the processor, and the cursor lagged behind the window.
The window moved completely differently than by the Titlebar.
Resizing with the right mouse button worked only for one corner, and the window was glitchy, and changed in noticeable jerks.
You could only resize by the lower right corner.

Holding the Alt key is actually not convenient. This function is often needed. And I chose the Win modifier, instead of Alt.
It is a little faster.
But when you press Win, the Start menu window began to appear.

But as it turned out later, the hotkey Alt + left click is not suitable.
Because it creates multiple cursors in VSCode.
You can't assign such a hotkey. Otherwise, multiple cursors will not work.
And the best modifier here is, it seems, CapsLock + click.

So, all the scripts were crooked, and I continued searching further.
After a long search, several programs for Windows were found.
Including paid ones.
But they also worked crookedly, not well.
After installation, I deleted them.

AltDrag - moving a window with the Alt key

There was a similar request on one forum, and many suggested using the program AltDrag. This program implements the Alt function of moving a window, like in Linux, in Windows.
Having visited the program's website, this program seems to have a long history, has existed for a very long time, and seems to be outdated.
It seems to be designed for very early versions of Windows, Windows 2000.
This is not the main purpose of the program.
There is a lot of documentation there. It is difficult to understand what kind of program it is and what it is for.
It is possible that it is outdated and only works on Windows 2000, but I have Windows 11.

A lot of hotkeys are installed there. You can accidentally press something, and some unknown action will occur. I don't need all the functionality.
It takes a long time to study, huge documentation, 1000 pages.
I can't say for sure whether this program is good or bad, I haven't installed it.
Therefore, I am looking further, for something simpler.

Having searched the Internet for a long time, there are many different programs for working with windows.
Some remember the size of windows, others snap windows to the edges of the screen.
Others add a translucent background behind the active window.
Fourth - place the window on top of other windows.
And a huge number of tile managers that place many windows on the screen in tiles.
Not many can be found for moving windows.
Most programs are outdated or do not work on Windows 11.
Even paid utilities for 10-20 dollars do not work.

QuickHotkeys - improving user experience and speed of work in Windows

But one program was found that is designed to move windows.
It is called QuickHotkeys.
I install this program and check it works.
Windows move smoothly, without jerking. Like the Titlebar.
Changing the window size works for all corners. Everything is also smooth, without bugs.
You can change the window size by dragging anywhere, and not just the lower right corner.
Windows do not jerk. Everything works as if you drag the edge of the window.

In addition, modifier keys are not used for this at all.
This does not conflict with modifiers such as Alt+Click, which is intended to create multiple cursors in VSCode.

Here, to drag a window, you use the right and left mouse buttons.
Which is much more convenient and faster.
As if you were just clicking on a window, and you can drag the window anywhere, just holding down the left mouse button.

You can change the size of a window very instantly. To do this, you just need to click on the window, left and right click, and hold down the right mouse button.
No need to look for the modifier button and hold it.
You can move windows using only the mouse, with one hand.
Or even align the window to the middle of the screen, using only the mouse. To do this, you just need to click in the middle of the window, left and right click.
Or change the size of the window from both sides at once.
Many many more other features.
For example, sticking a window to other windows, to the edges of the screen, and to the middle of the screen.

The first impression is excellent.
The program is not large, so it does not take long to learn and understand it. There is even a training tutorial about the program on Youtube, which is rare for most programs.
(Usually you need to read a lot of documentation, which is very difficult).

There are settings, which are not as many as everywhere else.
There are also about 40+ additional hotkeys, and different functionality.

This program works in the tray, there are no windows on the screen.
Going to the settings menu, there is a description of all the hotkeys, all the features.
And starting from the very beginning of the list, I check each one in action.
This is even much more than you might expect.
There are a lot of different productivity features here.
These are like different separate programs in one.
You don't need to install many different programs. It seems to have everything you need to work with windows.
There are already some hotkeys enabled here, and it's better to know them and spend some time studying them.
Otherwise, you can accidentally press some keys, and some unknown action will occur.
It took me about 20 minutes to test all the hotkeys and features in action.

This can also:

Make windows transparent.
Always place the window on top of all other windows.
Remove the window title, Titlebar. And so on.

This is a very useful feature.

Since the window can now be moved anywhere, the window title is not needed.

It takes up extra space.

It is especially useful to remove this in the Vim code editor.
You can close, minimize, and maximize windows using hotkeys.

I constantly make browser windows transparent, it makes the text much easier to read.

Always place the window on top of other windows - is also often needed.
Especially if the window of some program is always placed on top, and interferes, then you can turn it off for the window, and send the window down.

I did not find anything rare or unnecessary here. All functions are needed and often used.
This program is not loaded with unnecessary functionality.

This does not bring any hotkeys from the Linux or Mac world.
It has its own hotkeys.
But of course you can reassign them in the settings to more familiar ones. But this is not recommended. It is recommended to learn new hotkeys.

Disabling the `Ctrl+Wheel` hotkey

This even replaces some hotkeys in Windows with others, more convenient ones.
For example, the hotkey Ctrl+Wheel.
Initially, in Windows, this will zoom the page.
Zooming the page is not the most frequent action, and usually it only gets in the way.
And the hotkey is selected as for a very frequent action.
And the most frequent action, which is done more often than all others, is going to the beginning and to the end of the page. This is required constantly.
Let's imagine that in order to scroll the page, you need to spin the wheel.
And what do you need to press to scroll the page quickly, go to the beginning or to the end of the page?
Most likely, hold down Ctrl and spin the wheel.
But if you check it in action, it starts to zoom the page. Which is completely unexpected.
Therefore, this hotkey is assigned to go to the beginning and to the end of the page.
And in order to zoom, Ctrl+Win+Wheel is assigned.

The Ctrl+Wheel hotkey actually caused a lot of problems before.
And since this is the last key, it is constantly pressed by accident, and the page in the browser is constantly zoomed.
The previously set zoom is reset.
And I don’t remember what the zoom was before. The best one was chosen.
And now I need to set everything from the beginning. And so on constantly.

There were even separate programs on the Internet hanging in the tray to disable this hotkey, and when you press Ctrl+Wheel, nothing happens.
This problem was discussed on many forums - how to disable Ctrl+Wheel.

Disabling the Win key

Another very unnecessary hotkey that always gets in the way is the Win button.
When you press this button, the Start menu window opens.
This Win button is pressed constantly, and accidentally. So, this window appears many times a day, and it really gets in the way.
But recently, a Windows update was released.
I rebooted the computer, and when I press the Win button, nothing happens. The window does not appear.
It seems they fixed this problem, and now the Start menu window no longer appears. It has become noticeably better.

As it turned out later, the problem was not in the Windows update. But in the fact that I installed this program, QuickHotkeys, and it disabled this functionality, and not the Windows update.

This program starts automatically when Windows starts, and hangs in the tray.
If you press the Pause button in the program tray to stop the script, then when you press the Win button, the window will appear again, as before.
Then if you press Play in the tray to start the script, the Win window will not appear.

I actually had a program Disable Win Key that worked in the tray to disable the Win window, because it was very annoying.
But it did not work very well.
Most of the time, 80-90 percent, the Win window did not appear.
But sometimes, when you press Win, it appeared.
Still this window continued to appear, it constantly appeared.
So, it is really difficult to disable this window.
But after installing QuickHotkeys, this window completely disappeared, and never appeared again.

Disabling the `Alt` key

Also, an unnecessary hotkey is the Alt key.
When you press this key, many programs display a menu.
For example, when you press Alt in the Firefox browser, an unnecessary menu appears at the top.
This is very annoying.
The Alt key can also be pressed accidentally.
Therefore, of course, this key should also be disabled.
QuickHotkeys disables this as well.
But composite hotkeys, such as Alt+V, remain working.

Hide/show desktop icons via hotkey

Usually I hide the Taskbar completely to free up more space on the screen.
And the desktop icons too.
And only the desktop background remains on the screen, with some background, picture.
But sometimes, you need to show the desktop icons.

Usually the trash bin to delete files from there.
To do this, you need to right-click and select View -> Show Desktop Icons in the menu.

This is very, very long. Takes a lot of time.
Surely there must be some hotkey for this.
Of course, QuickHotkeys has such a hotkey.

No need to remember any complex hotkey combinations, like: Ctrl+Shift, Ctrl+Alt, Shift+Alt, and the like.
Usually all hotkeys in QuickHotkeys follow the combination - Ctrl+Win, so they are easy to remember.

D - Desktop, means desktop icons. So, easy to remember - Ctrl+Win+D- to show/hide desktop icons.
T - Top, means place the window always on top of other windows - Ctrl+Win+T.
C - Caption, means hide the Titlebar, the window title - Ctrl+Win+C.

Scroll tabs in the browser

There are very convenient hotkeys for scrolling tabs in the browser.
Tabs are scrolled with the mouse wheel, holding Shift.
You can select in the settings - Scroll tabs by holding the right mouse button + spin the wheel.
But initially this is intended to minimize and maximize windows.

You can quickly close a tab by pressing Ctrl+right click.
But I disabled this function, since closing tabs with Mouse Gestures is more convenient.

Open links in a new tab with left and right mouse buttons

A very cool feature, open links in a new tab, only with mouse clicks (without a menu).
No need to open the right-click menu to select from the menu - Open in a new tab. This is very long and inconvenient.
To open a link in a new tab, you need to press the right mouse button, hold, and then press the left mouse button.

To go to a tab, it is better to use Mouse Gesture. To do this, you just need to draw a line to the right.
Mouse Gestures

Mouse Gestures is one of the coolest features.
I've never used it before.
But it turned out to be super cool, and fast.
And now I only scroll and close browser tabs with Mouse Gestures. And windows too.
You just need to draw the necessary command on the screen.
In this case, just a line. Which is very fast.

It was known before about the existence of some mouse gestures.
But it was thought that mouse gestures are an absolutely unnecessary feature, this is not necessary, this is absolutely useless, there is no useful practical application for this.

But here it seems to be a very useful feature.
You don't need to draw any long figures. As you might have thought at first. Just cross the screen. Just a line. From the upper right corner, to the lower left.
Which is very fast.
This way you can close a tab.
You can also close a window. Also cross the screen, but in the other direction, from left to right.
No errors or accidental closings.

Restoring a closed tab is very simple.
You don't need to remember any hotkeys at all.
You just need to draw a line from the bottom up.
It's easy to remember.
If a line from top to bottom is to close a tab, then a line from bottom to top is to restore.

Gestures are drawn by holding down the right mouse button.
A very, very useful thing. Super cool.
Very quickly close tabs and windows, without any hotkeys.
You don't have to remember them, it's easier to remember Mouse Gestures.
You don't even have to draw carefully and slowly.
You can draw carelessly and quickly. You can draw a curve, not a line.
You just need to push right or left to scroll through tabs.
Scroll like on a mobile phone.
And to close a tab, you just need to push down.

There are also mouse gestures for copying, pasting, cutting.
Lately I've been copying like this instead of choosing copy, paste from the menu.
You can guess that here you just need to draw the letters like on the keyboard.
C - to copy, V - to paste, and X - to cut.
You can also draw Z to undo.
It's a faster than choosing from the menu.

A very useful gesture is to save. Draw S.
Now I save everything only like this. It's very fast to draw.

No need to search for the letter S on the keyboard. It's difficult, and a lot of stress.

There are also gestures for:

Find, you need to draw F. This presses Ctrl+F.

Draw a to select everything. This presses Ctrl+A.

There is a video on Youtube on how to draw it exactly.

Draw a left arrow to go to the previous page, and a right arrow to go to the next page.
You can draw a square root, and it will open the calculator.

You can even draw it crookedly, not necessarily straight, and neatly.

I advise you not to use the right-click menu to copy, paste, or the Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V keys anymore. This leads to errors.
It is much easier to draw mouse gestures.

Sticky keys for a second

Another very useful feature is Sticky keys.
This is not Windows Sticky keys. It works differently.
Sticky keys in Windows, as you know, are turned on if you press Shift many times, then a window appears, and a terrible sound signal. Enable Sticky keys?
It was always unclear what this thing is, and how it works.
But if you press OK, the keyboard glitches, and nothing is pressed.

This is absolutely unnecessary and useless.
So, if this function in Windows is not yet disabled, then I advise you to disable it in the settings.
To do this, press Win + I, then in the search Sticky Keys, uncheck all the boxes.
So that when you press Shift many times, this window does not appear.

So, when it is disabled.
Let's look at how Sticky Keys works in QuickHotkeys, what it is, and what it's for.
Don't be scared, it's not something scary, and not necessary.
There are no horrible sound signals here.
So what does Sticky Keys mean?
This refers to modifier keys such as Shift, Ctrl, Win, and Alt.
This is when you press one of these keys, release this key, but in reality they remain pressed.
This allows you not to hold down all the keys at the same time to press a key combination, for example Ctrl+S.
Press Ctrl, then release it, don't hold it, and then press S. And pressing Ctrl+S works.

For example, this allows you to press a key combination, such as Ctrl+S, with only one hand.
Since the modifier keys are stuck, you don't need to hold them down.

In QuickHotkeys this feature is enabled by default, and there is usually no reason to disable it.
That is, the modifier keys always stick when pressed.
But here you can ask - if they always stick, then won't there be glitches with the keyboard?, because some keys are stuck, and nothing is known about which ones.

The thing is that the modifier keys are automatically released. They are released after a timeout, 1 second.
And if you don't have time to press the key during this time, the modifier will be released.
That is, there is only one second to press the S key, after Ctrl. And if you don't have time to press S in a second, then S will be printed, and not Ctrl+S pressed.

Can I ask - are there any problems with this?
No. There are no problems with this.
Of course, Sticky Keys can be disabled in the settings.
But there is absolutely no reason for this.
Sticky Keys are always required.
This is a very cool feature.
Now I never hold down Shift+Key at the same time to type a capital letter. I always press Shift separately.
You just know that modifier keys always stick, and you don't need to hold them down and press them simultaneously with the key..

One of the main purposes is typing with one hand.
How can you type a capital letter with only one hand?
You need to press CapsLock, all letters will be printed in capital letters, then turn it off.
Or, for example, how to type symbols such as !?:()+_, and so on?
This is not possible. To type them, you need to hold down the Shift modifier.
Here, since Shift sticks, there are no problems typing them. First, press Shift, and then the symbol.
You just need to do it in a second.

Now I don't press keys like Ctrl+F9 simultaneously.
I don't like pressing keys simultaneously.
It seems inconvenient, and it limits me in some way.
I press them separately. First Ctrl, and then F9, with a small interval. It's much more convenient.

Hotkey aliases

Another cool feature is Hotkey aliases.
For example, in Windows, I have hotkeys assigned to switch from one language to another.
This can be set in Windows settings, languages, advanced settings.
And there you can select a hotkey to switch to one language, and a hotkey to switch to another.
But you can't assign any hotkey there, but only options are offered: Ctrl + 1, 2, ... 9. Or Ctrl + Shift + 1, 2, ... 9.
And I have a hotkey Ctrl + 9 assigned to one language, and Ctrl + 8 to another language.
But it is not convenient to press these hotkeys, they are somewhere in the middle of the keyboard, you can make a mistake.
And this function is needed very often, I constantly switch from one language to another.

In addition, these hotkeys conflict. In many programs, they perform some actions, and it is better not to assign such hotkeys.
For example, in the browser, the hotkey Ctrl+9 goes to the last tab.
If you assign this hotkey to switch to a language, then this hotkey will no longer work in the browser.
Therefore, I choose the hotkey Ctrl+Shift+9, and Ctrl+Shift+8, to switch between languages, so that there are no conflicts with hotkeys in other programs,
And I assign an alias in the QuickHotkeys settings.

I choose the alias Ctrl+F9, and Ctrl+F8. It is very convenient to press this, you can't make a mistake.
Because they are at the very top, between F9 and F8 there is an empty space.
Now if you press Ctrl+F9, it will press the hotkey Ctrl+Shift+9.

Fixing damaged files, enabling ratings and tags

And another useful function.
Fixing damaged, blocked files.
This is a very useful thing that allows you to fix a blocked file, where the file attributes, comment fields, tags, rating are blocked.
They cannot be edited. And the preview, picture, is not displayed for the file.
Or if the file does not open in the video editor, because it is damaged.
The recording was interrupted unexpectedly, and therefore the file is damaged.

For example, I had video courses, and I needed to give them a rating, comment, and tags.
So that I could find them later in the search.
But when I opened the file properties, the fields: tags, comments, and ratings were blocked.
Turning to the Internet for a search, I found a Microsoft site where this problem is discussed.
And the consultant answers.
It seems that Windows does not support comments, tags, and ratings for video files.
Only for regular text files.
So this problem seems to be unsolvable. I couldn't find anything else on the Internet.

So I fix it like this:
I put a rating at the beginning of the file name so that the files are sorted.

And I add a comment to the end of the file name, in brackets. So that I can find it later in the search.

The file name turns out to be long.
And for some reason the files don't display a preview.

But it turns out that this problem can be solved. And very simply.
In QuickHotkeys there is a menu - Fix file.
Select file in FileExporer and click - Fix file.
A few seconds, and the file is fixed.
Tags, comments, and ratings can now be set, and the picture, preview is displayed.

You can set a different picture, preview for the file.
To do this, you need to specify the time of the video in the field, from where to set the picture.

There are many other things, I do not have time to describe everything.
Here i mentioned only the most memorable things.

Description of all the features, can be found in the Settings menu.
Also, if you subscribe to the Youtube channel, they constantly post new productivity features there.