Easy Way to Get Two Windows Open on the Same Screen
Do you have only one computer monitor on a Windows 7 or Windows 8 or Windows 10 system and want to split the screen into two halves? Do you envy those with dual monitors who can be working in two programs at once?
Below is a quick video demonstration on how you can split your monitor into two equal halves, and work on two programs running next to each other, or just have two windows of the same program open next to each other (useful for cutting and pasting between documents).
If you’d rather not watch the video below, we’ll put into words how to do this:
- Let’s assume you have two open windows on your computer, but one is behind the other. Let’s say each window is a different running program, maybe email on the one hand and word processing on the other.
- Take your cursor to the center (or so) of the topmost part of the open window on your screen.
- Depress the left mouse button and “grab” the window.
- Keep the mouse button depressed and drag the window all the way over to the RIGHT of your screen. It will automatically resize to take up the RIGHT half of your screen.
- Now you should be able to see the other open window, behind the half window that’s to the right.
- Take your cursor to the center (or so) of the topmost part of that open window.
- Depress the left mouse button to “grab” that window.
- Keep the mouse button depressed and drag the window all the way over to the LEFT of your screen. It will automatically resize to take up the LEFT half of your screen.
- Voila! Can you copy and paste between the two? You bet!
- If you are feeling really crazy, you can of course start with the left half first. Not recommended for the faint of heart, however.
If you think that written tutorial was fun (or if it did not make sense to you), watch the video. In either case, have fun splitting your screen!
Video Tutorial: How to Split your PC Monitor into Two Equal Windows
Why do you split the monitor into two halves? Do you have a better way to do this? Leave a comment!
This doesn’t work on my hp laptop. I can’t use an extension and my window doesn’t detach from the top. Is something blocking it?
I’m afraid I’m really not sure about that one. I’ve not heard of that problem before. If you find a solution, please let us know!
I already figure out how to enable and disable those functions. Just go to the control panel and then go to ease of access and then go to make the mouse easier to use and find the “Make it easier to manage the windows” make sure it is unchecked
Glad you found a way to do it!
thank you! this is so helpful
Thanks this helped a lot for my online zoom classes.
Hi, if screen sharing whilst on a platform such as Zoom, will the connected parties see both screens or only the platform screen?
I believe it depends. Zoom gives you the option to share a screen (which would include any open windows on the screen) or a window. If you just share a window, only the window will be shared.
Thanks.
Hi,
There is a way using the keyboard.
Click the first App. to fill the screen > prees and hold “Win key” while pressing the Right Arrow.
Click the second App. to fill the screen > prees and hold “Win key” while pressing the Left Arrow.
You will, probably, end up with two halfs of your screen – each App filling a exactelly one half.
I have been needing the option to split the screen, This will definitely be helpful!
Thanks. This is exactly I was looking for
thank you. it’s a very helpful tip.
You can also right click on the task bar, click on show windows side by side. I happen to find this the quickest and easiest way.
Thanks for the tip!
AWESOME! Just what I needed!
Nice!
I’m using windows 10 should the same instruction work?
Yep!
Love the humor at the bottom of this helpful tutorial. Definitely made me smile haha
Isn’t there a way to use keys for that?
Yes! Windows Key + the left or right cursor can work, too.
This isn’t true split screen it just auto resizes two programs to fit on one screen…..
Sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for. You might try searching for virtual or multiple desktops. See https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-multiple-desktops-windows-10
Worked like a charm!
Glad it worked.
You may have to go into settings, system and multitask to turn the snap feature on,
Thanks for the tip.
Thank you very much!
Most welcome!
I have Windows 10 and only documents would get over one another. I need to split screen between a document and a video on You tube and I ma finding it very annoying that every time I need to switch between them i need to go to the whole screen, where they are, I can’t find the icon bar, which is usually on the bottom of the screen. Basically, I am puzzled with my whole new laptop
Maybe you have a local computer shop nearby who can help?
I have Windows 7 and following your instructions, my screen doesn’t automatically resize when dragged to the right. And when I let go of the mouse, the screen returns to its original place. What else can I try?
Hi, Amalia. Sorry you’re having troubles. Make sure you’re dragging all the way over. The window should give an indication it will resize to half if you have. Also try “Windows” key plus right arrow key.
Great!
Thank you very much!
Glad you found the information helpful!
I want to use the same
Programme but didderent files to use. I that possible?
I think that may depend on the program, but in general with a reasonably up to date system, yes.
Thank you for providing the option of reading instead of watching a video. Both are useful; some of us prefer to read!
Hey, A.M., I tell that to my clients all the time. When putting together a website, you need to provide content in all sorts of ways precisely for the reason you indicate!
Thank you
Most welcome!
Isn’t there a keyboard shortcut or something like that where you push shift and the left/right arrow? I remember being told how to do this a long time ago but cant remember the steps.
Windows button and arrow left, right, up or down works well
is there a way to use the function keys so that you can put four documents up when utilizing 2 monitors?
I’ve found, Sherri, that if you have a window in a monitor you can use the “Windows” key with left or right arrow to get the window to size in the left or right hand portion of that monitor. Usually you then get an option to place another window in the remaining space on the monitor. Give it a try!
I might just do that.
It is easier to just select the window and then use (Window key + left arrow/right arrow) to push window to left or right
Nice, Neil. Thanks!
Great it worked. Much easier than I thought it would be. Didn’t know if you just drag to the right or left windows did that. Thanks!
Great!
This works for win 8, but what about win 7? Thanks.
Definitely did not work for Windows 7? My recollection is it should work.
How do I do this with two monitors? I want a split screen on one of them, but the other window just goes to the other screen. I know I can play around with it to make it fit the remainder of the screen but is there a trick to do this in one quick motion? Takes time to do it manually every time.. Thanks!
You can drag one window to the edge of a single screen and it should fill up just half of the screen.
is it possible to split it horizontally rather than vertically?
In my experience, yes. You just may need to drag and resize the windows a bit.
Drag it to the middle right and then to the top.
Thanks for the tip!
Useful.. thank you..!!!
Glad, Kalesh!
Thank you for sharing this! This was the third website trying to explain how to use split sceen properly, but by following these instructions I was able to create and actually use this feature! Thank you so much!
Jadv, you made my day. Glad to help!
i love this but my problem is the information is on the same screen but on a different tab. anyway to split that.
If I’m understanding correctly, Wanda, you should just be able to grab the tab (for example, two tabs in the same browser windows) and pull them apart.
My screen has split 4 identical times and i cannot restore to full screen pliz help
I think you ought to be able maximize any window you want to be full screen and that should do it. Or, you could close (“x out”) the windows you don’t want open and then maximize the remaining window you want to have open.
I have tried and tried but all it does is make to separate tabs and still no split screen 🙁
Hmmm. I’m not sure what “separate tabs” means. Others in the comments have suggested other methods. Maybe one of those would work better for you.
Yep the same here all it does it separate he tabs
Make sure to hold onto that window until you hit the edge. Not sure why you’re having those troubles. If you figure it out, please share!
Thank you .. 🙂 🙂 You helped me.
Glad to be of help, Dhanya!
How can I split screens into two half in windows server 2012 R2?
Afraid I don’t know the answer to that on, Suren. I’m surprised it’s not the same.
Very helpful. Thx! Now I can move files into other folders with ease.
Glad to know, James. I split screens to do that all the time!
Thank you for that. You have a great website and a cool name 🙂
Thank you. Nigel the Goat approves this comment.
thank you very much. very helpful.
first i thought its stupid but when i watched the video and did the same on my second monitor. wowwwwwww…
thanks
Glad it helped, Mayank.
Windows Key and Left. Windows Key and Right. Boom. Windows 7 compaitble.
Nice, Pete! What I like about the “grab and move” approach is you really get a chance to place the window where you like.
Wonderfully explained, thank you so much!
Very glad the information was of use, Maria!
If you are using a Logitech mouse and you have a right thumb button. You might need to disable it because it can switch applications by default. I had know idea I was squeezing the mouse that hard while playing a game and it was minimizing screens. AKA aero snap. frustrating.
Thanks for the tip!
that was good.
Glad you liked.
I have been seeing this all over the Internet, and this method does not work for Windows 7 – it does not automatically resize anything no matter how many times you try. Please edit this post to omit that Windows 7 has this feature, since it does not. Thank you…
Sorry it wasn’t working for you, Geoffrey. When I first posted this I was using Windows 7 and it did work. I would be surprised that it no longer works owing to the parallels between Windows 7, 8 and 10. Maybe there was something else going on? In any event, I hope you’ve resolved the issue.
@Geoffrey…. Cliff is right with the clue about it working in Win 7, because i had to try it again now to confirm if it still works as before and i can give you a Yes as an answer..
I have dual monitors and would like to do this on the left monitor only (I usually have my outlook open on the right and 2 excel spreadsheets open on the left that I need to view at the same time.), however, dragging right just pushes it into the right monitor, it doesn’t lock it like you show.
Hi, there, Adam. I’ve had luck on my end (using Windows 10) dragging a window just to the edge of either the right side of my left monitor or right side of my left monitor (still with me), letting go of the mouse, and the window takes up only half of the corresponding monitor. The trick, I think, is to not be too fast about the dragging of the window. Hope that helps!
How do you put it back to just one open screen?
Hi, Amy. In the upper right corner of the window, you should see a rectangle icon. Clicking on that should take the window to full screen.
Thank you Kind Sir! This was very helpful! ^_^
Glad the information was of use!
Bless you. That actually worked. The other instructions for some reason did not. You are a life saver. I’m editing a book and about to tear my hair out.
I’m not sure a blessing is merited, but glad it helped!
Thank you .. this was helpful .. 🙂
Glad to know it!
Oh!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I really needed this!!!!!! 🙂
Very welcome!
Thank you! Love this feature and the click and drag wasn’t working for some reason. The keyboard shortcut did the trick.
Great tip! Thank you.
Can I have three windows working at the same time?
Thank You 🙂
I have done this, but they overlap not the same size. which means I can still only see onescreen at a time. Any suggestions.
Thanks,
Glo
That’s certainly possible! You may need to manually adjust the size of the windows. Perhaps you could draft one to the left and size the other two to fit on the right side of the screen. Good luck!
hello friend, just press your windows key (the one with windows sign on bottom left between alt and fn) then press right arrow key, then open windows tap will move to right corner of screen. After this you just have to open another program and maximize that or again press arrow and left arrow key. Voila! you have two windows open side by side.
Thanks for the tip, Dhiraj!
This is the best solution. When you have dual monitors the dragging to the right/left doesn’t work.
Hello, Kal. Please see the comments in the YouTube video for a solution for dual screens.
THANKS!
Very welcome!
Thank you so much! Learn something new every day
Glad to be of help, Cheryl!
the Windows key and arrow tip worked perfectly and is even easier than dragging! thanks!!
Always glad when people find this content of use!
Thanks dear… Its just one of the easiest trick a person can learn. was able to use without the video
Glad you enjoyed!
Could someone please explain what I’m doing wrong? When I drag the screen to one side with my mouse, it is NOT automatically resizing the page. Please help!
Thank You!
Hope you were able to figure that out, Stan.
okay . so how do you go back to being just one page like it was before you split?
Hi, Lanette. Just close one of the windows (“x” out of it) and maximize the remaining one.
Good Morning, {Thursday, October 1, 2015}
I do not understand how to make this change work on my new Dell PC. I’m told that there is a key on my keyboard that is suppose to split two separate files, documents, programs, etc. (tutorials), and not only can I not find it, but all of these “do’s and don’ts have become VERY tedious and laborious…crazy! I have an evil box at work who will not allow us to spend 1 minute with researching software information, nor can we sit down in a 12 hour day, I go straight from that job to school (this class has no relation to computer/pc and software education, currently, however). Could you please explain this to me as though you’re telling someone for the very first time how all of this works?????? How do I split my screen in order to use to separate files/programs? What do they mean by Clouds? What is One Note? My new PC is suppose to be user friendly and came without any instructional pamphlets/books. Well, if you’re an IT expert or even IT/MIS savvy, you’re probably good to go. I know a great deal about computers as an Emergency 911 Supervisor however, {QUOTE FROM MY SUPERIOR} – “Tax dollars aren’t to be spent on non-sense education (“as the captain quoted “unimportant, a waste of time, in which couldn’t possibly ever benefit us in the future”? WHAT?? I’ve been in this field for almost 30 years, now. I promise you, when a mother calls 911 because her baby is drowning in the pool, the quickest and most efficient means of calming her down (if possible) is (aside from having paramedics and fire dept. on the way, rather than finding a manual in the desk drawer, why can’t we immediately split our screen, so that I see where she is per our map, am still communicating with her, yet my CPR instructions are all listed in great detail on a program, file, etc. on the screen to my left. This way, I do NOT have to take my eyes off of either her or make any mistakes as to what I’m instructing her to do word for word. In this job, staying ahead, keeps us MUCH more calm with our screaming callers. This would help everyone on these types of calls if we, as 911 dispatchers are linked into a way to BREAK/PAUSE the screen, then add CPR Instructional Manuel to the left (or right side) of our monitor. I know it can be done. I simply can’t find anyone here who will show initiative. Perhaps once they’re sued, they’ll change their perspectives then….
Thank You,
Stan M
[email protected]
**** PLEASE – SOMEONE HELP ME TO LEARN SO THAT I CAN THEN TEACH MY DISPATCHERS HOW TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT THEIR JOBS. AFTER ALL, WE SAVE LIVES EVERY MINUTE. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT!
Peace and Love to you all —
Gosh, Stan. Best of luck.
Thank you!! :o) Just what I was looking for – worked perfectly. I just dragged the open program way to the right side of the screen, it popped in place, and then it pulled up options for the other side of the screen from my other open programs! I just upgraded to Windows 10, in case that helps anyone.
Hi, Cosette! Glad it worked for you. Sometimes the little things put a smile on our face. 🙂
dats great. working fine. thnx for saving my time
Glad it worked for you, ashwinikumar!
Too bad it doesn’t work for playing games :/
Sorry it didn’t work. You might need the “virtual monitor” solution talked about in some of the comments.
Or you can just push WindowsKey+LeftArrow/RightArrow to move it to that side of the screen, even in multiple-monitor situations (keep pressing Windows+either left or right arrow to cycle through all the available positions). WindowsKey+UpArrow will maximize the selected window, while WindowsKey+DownArrow will minimize it (though you have to select the program in the taskbar again to get it back)
Thanks for the comment. The WindowsKey+LeftArrow/RightArrow is a handy solution!
Sweeeettttt !!!
That was really cool !!!
Wasted half my life resizing windows 😉 😉
Glad you liked, Pandit. Now with all this free time you’ll be able to catch up on all the cat videos you missed! 😉
I watched the video and think I did exactly what you said. I must have missed something. I have several different programs, a webinar and the sight its discussing. I can click and drag one, but when I do the other it still hides behind the one even though I drug it to the other side.
Sorry it didn’t work out, Kathy. I’m afraid it’s hard to trouble shoot without being there. What I might suggest you do first is minimize all windows. Then open one that you want to take up half the screen and drag it to one side. Then open the other window and drag it to the other. Hope that helps!
What most people want when they say, “split the screen in half” is not opening two different windows and sizing them in halves, but rather make it so the screen acts like two different monitors in a single monitor. So EVERYTHING, like the desktop and all applications can be opened on either side without interfering with the other side. Not just the browser.
Sounds like this is not exactly what you were looking for. You can open any type of openable window in either half. Nothing preventing you from, say, having a browser in one half and a word processing document in the other.
I already knew this information… However – my monitor is large enough that I could technically have 4 monitors worth of readable content displayed. The issue that I’m trying to figure out is how to “split” the screen so that I can have 2 programs running full-size next to each other (I know 3.1 had that in place, but I’m not sure how to do it with 7)…
Thanks for the comment, Rick. Not sure I’m following the comment, as this solution will enable two programs or windows to be as full as they can be in half the screen. If you find a different solution, please let us know.
You actually miss the point completely… the idea of splitting the screen in to 2 virtual monitors is so that NEW WINDOWS SEE the 1/2 screen as a full monitor. e.g. I use a CAD program where every new window opened is 80% of full width. I’d like for it to open in 80% of 1/4 of my 4k monitor. I open new windows every few minutes and as such, IT SUCKS to use this feature dragging to one side or the other.
So while this is an important feature you’ve shown, it is not what you claim it is. It is simply half-maximizing. You can also double click in the middle of any top-edge and maximize the height. cool, but not what it actually means to make multiple screens on a single page.
I WANT the maximize, cascade, and all features to see 1/2 the screen as the bounds… your method does NOT address this.
Sorry this functionality isn’t what you were looking for, cakeller98. I think you are looking for what may be called a “virtual monitor” or “virtual desktop” solution, which this post does not address. I have seen different software solutions advertised to create a virtual monitor or multiple virtual desktops, but I have not deployed them. Two windows open at a time has sufficed for me. Best of luck finding what you’re searching for. If you find it, please let us know.
Great tip here guys I just discovered – I’m using Windows 7.
Using the tutorial described above, snap your windows left and right then use Windows key + P and choose the extend feature.
Drag your window (whichever one) to the left (or right) and it should appear on the external monitor, leaving your laptop desktop space free to do whatever you wish.
You will need to move the cursor left (or right) to move from one screen to the other. For example I have my laptop connected to my TV and I am watching a downloaded tutorial on a media player on the TV (connected to laptop), and am able to use an application on the laptop screen whilst looking at the tutorial without having the windows (tutorial and application screens) overlapping each other.
Hope someone finds this useful.
Thanks for the tip, Vin! Glad you found this of use.
Press “Windows Key+Right Arrow” or “Windows Key+Left Arrow” — this will do the same trick.
Awesome solution, Ganesh. Though I will say it doesn’t always seem to work for me. There is something to be said for manually controlling individual windows by dragging them to the left or right.
This is not splitting monitor into two, but rearranging windows. I need to [fool] a full screen running game into believ[ing] that it[‘]s got [the] whole monitor for itself, and play youtube on the other half of monitor. Any idea?
This solution splits the screen into two. You end up with two windows, each showing in exactly half the screen, regardless of what your overall screen or monitor size is.
Good question about tricking a program into thinking it’s using the full screen, porryporr. I’m not quite sure what the answer would be. Many websites now respond to screen size, so will give you a different look if your screen size (or window size) is not full size. There may be an option on the game you are playing to “play full size” or some such, though if so, you’ve probably tried that. Does the game/website provider have a support page? Send them a note and see what they say.