When a document gets hidden behind the menu bar and you can't move it

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Level 1

78 points

When a document gets hidden behind the menu bar and you can't move it

Whe, say, a Word document opens up so it's own header is behind the Apple Finder menu bar at the very top of the screen, you can't click on the header to move it anywhere on the screen. Like it's stuck there.

How Can I access documents like that?

I think this happens to me because I have a second screen (Apple 20") and when I drag documents from this screen to the PowerBook screen, this has a tendency to happen.

PowerBook G4 15 1.6 ghz, Mac OS X (10.4.3), 20" Apple Cinema Screen twinned, Safari 2.0.2, Mail 2.0.5, Address Book 4.0.3

Posted on Jan 14, 2006 2:25 PM

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Answer 1

dpace

Level 1

0 points

Jan 16, 2006 4:03 PM in response to dpace

I tried to solve this problem using the plist method described at the following thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1408414&#1408414

This method did not work.

The sucessful procedure is to access the small gear (or wheel?) icon in the bottome left corner of the character palette and select "Minimize Palette on Application Switch". Then change focus to another program that you are running, or just open a new application. This will cause the palette to shrink into a window so small that only one character is displayed. In my case the window also moved to a new position near the bottom of the screen. In this new position the palette is accessible and can be moved freely. I have even deselected the minimize feature and closed/reopened the palette successfully.

I hope this post can save someone else out there a lot of time if this happens.

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Answer 2

Jan 14, 2006 4:19 PM in response to nevets2

When that happens, bring the window to the front by clicking on it. Then, use the Window menu to select Zoom (if it's available). That should change the window's size and make it possible to see the title bar.

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Answer 3

nevets2 Author

Level 1

78 points

Jan 14, 2006 6:45 PM in response to Mike Vande Ven Jr.

Giantmike, Thanks for the suggestion.

I had tried that, but it didn't work. The very top of the Word doc - the part you need to be ableto grab to move the document on the screen, remained hidden behind the Apple menu bar. In fact I use the Windowshade utility and I'd actually somehow gotten the windowshade in the closed position and the whole header was hidden behind the Apple menu.

What you did inspire me to do was continue experimenting and I found that the "Arrange all" command under the Windows menu would coax that document out of hiding and put it somewhere I could grab it and move it away from it's hiding place. SO thanks.

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Answer 4

dpace

Level 1

0 points

Jan 16, 2006 3:14 PM in response to nevets2

I have a similar problem except that the stuck window is the character palette. There is no special menu bar for the character palette so there is no option equivalent to "Arrange all". The top of the character palette is hidden behind the menu bar and I am unable to move the window or access the tab options near its top.

Any ideas on what to do in this case?

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.4)

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Answer 5

Rothrock

Level 4

1,467 points

Jan 17, 2006 10:11 AM in response to ilikejapan

That is a genius idea and I will try it next time I have this problem.

What I found in Excel was that I could go to the View Menu and just start adding the different toolbars. As each was added it would "push" the hidden window down a bit – eventually where I could reach the title bar and drag it down. This worked because I have a decent sized monitor and the Excel toolbars didn't go all the way across the top. I would think it should work for Word as well.

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Answer 6

Jan 17, 2006 9:50 AM in response to nevets2

Use your Exposé keys and select your word document, then drag it to a convenient place on your screen.

G4 MDD Mac OS X (10.4.4)

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