Window Disappears Between Monitors

Question

Level 1

96 points

Window Disappears Between Monitors

I have a macbook pro extended to an external display which I use as my main monitor—the laptop screen is my secondary monitor. When I drag a window halfway between the main monitor to the laptop monitor, half the window disappears. I took some pictures.

1) My external monitor

2) My macbook pro monitor

3) I left-click and hold the upper left corner of this window, and

4) drag it off towards the mackbook pro.

1) As I drag I see the window appearing as expected on the macbook pro monitor. I can see the entire window, with less of it on the main monitor and more of it on the macbook pro monitor as I drag.

1) And continuing to drag...

1) I release the left mouse button to conclude my drag session.

2) The portion of the window that was visible on the macbook pro monitor during the drag session disappears. All of I can see of the window is the portion that remains on the main monitor.

There have been times that only the smallest fraction of a window remains visible on the main monitor and the window has, for all intents and purposes, disappeared.

I realize that a proper drag most likely assumes completely moving the window so that it only exists on one one monitor or the other in its entirety and that only a tedious dullard would be so sloppy as to drop his window into the void. I am that sloppy dullard.

Perhaps I have a setting that's incorrect?

Thanks!

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 14.6

Posted on Nov 24, 2024 11:00 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Nov 24, 2024 12:26 PM in response to Jeff Brewer

<<. I realize that a proper drag most likely assumes completely moving the window so that it only exists on one one monitor or the other in its entirety and that only a tedious dullard would be so sloppy as to drop his window into the void. I am that sloppy dullard. >>

That is not accurate.

the Mac continues to work properly when windows are split across displays, and continues to scroll each portion of a large window 'the right way' on each of the two physical displays.

But what might be happening, is that the part of the window on one display is UNDER another window, and is therefore hidden from view. Make certain that the App owning that window is Active and therefore its windows are frontmost.

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 24, 2024 2:38 PM in response to Jeff Brewer

do you use mission control or 'displays have separate spaces' for anything?

Reply

Answer 3

Jeff Brewer Author

Level 1

96 points

Nov 24, 2024 12:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thank you for your reply, clarification, and suggestion. I closed all the applications except for my browser (only one window open) and it's still exhibiting the same behavior. However, I just noticed something I hadn't noticed before. The monitor that my pointer is in when I release the drag is the monitor that the partial window will appear in. For example, I click and drag near the middle-top of the browser window and drag it half way across to the other monitor with my pointer just in one monitor or the other. When I release the pointer, the window appears in the monitor that the pointer is in. I can then click and drag it 20 pixels or so the other way so that the pointer is in the other monitor then release, and the window now appears in that monitor.

Another way of putting that is that when dragging between monitors, one portion of the window (the one with the cursor, apparently) is full opacity, while the other portion is semi-transparent. The portion of the window with the full opacity will remain visible after a drag, while the semi-transparent one disappears. Does this suggest anything?

Thanks again for your reply!

Reply