When you launch an application it is opened in a window. There are several features windows offer that can be used to control your applications:

  • The very top of the window in the center is called the title bar, which contains the name of the application. If you click and hold on the title bar with the right mouse button you can actually drag the window to a different position on the desktop.
  • The button at the far right with the picture of the file cabinet is the Window Menu button. This button allows you to control the window with several commands:
    • Maximize: This causes the window to take up all of the available screen area
    • Iconify: This causes the window to be displayed as just an icon on the task bar, taking up no space on the desktop.
    • Move: This allows you to move the windows around opn the desktop using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
    • Resize: This allows you to change the window size using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
    • Sticky: This special button will cause the window to be displayed on all desktops, not just the desktop where it was created (which is the default behavior).
    • To Desktop: Use this to move the window to another desktop, when moved the window will only be displayed on the new desktop.
    • Close: This closes the application entirely.

  • The button to the immediate left of the Window Menu button has a thumbtack icon and is called the sticky button. By default, a window will only be displayed on the desktop where it is created (e.g. a window created in desktop one is not visible on desktop two). If the sticky button is set then the window is visible from all desktops.


  • At the far right of the title bar are three shortcut buttons: the button that looks like a dot will iconify the window, the button that looks like a hollow square will maximize the window and the X button will close the window.


  • By moving the mouse to any of the corners of the window the pointer changes to an arrow pointing at an angle. When you see this pointer you can hold down the right mouse button and drag the window border to change the size of the window. Once the window is the size you want, let go of the mouse button.