Learn how to disable the feature that lets you drag a maximized window to move or restore it in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
On Windows 11 & 10, you can click and drag the title bar of any maximized window to move and restore it to its previous size. This allows you to quickly rearrange windows as you want without having to manually click the un-maximize button. While this simple feature is useful, in certain circumstances, it can be a big hindrance. For example, I use a high-DPI monitor, and whenever I want to click the title bar of a maximized window, I accidentally drag it, causing it to move & restore.
If, like me, the drag-to-restore feature is causing problems for you or you rarely use it, you can disable it using the registry editor. In this quick and easy guide, I will show you the steps to disable dragging to restore and move maximized windows. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Administrator rights are required to disable drag to move and restore maximized windows.
- The process below requires modifying the Windows Registry Editor.
- Before proceeding, please back up the registry. It helps you restore the system if something goes wrong.
Disable Dragging to Restore and Move Maximized Windows
- Open the Run dialog by pressing the “Windows key + R” shortcut.
- Type “regedit” and click “OK“.
- Go to the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop” folder in the registry.
- Double-click the “DragFromMaximize” value.
- Replace “1” with “0” and click “OK“.
- Close the registry editor.
- Restart your computer.
- With that, you’ve disabled the drag-to-restore and move feature in Windows 11 & 10.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, we must open the Registry Editor. There are many ways to do it. One such way is to open the Run dialog box by pressing the “Windows key + R” shortcut, type “regedit” in it, and then click “OK“.
Once the Registry Editor opens, go to the following folder on the left sidebar. To make things easier, you can copy the path, paste it in the Registry Editor’s address bar, and press “Enter”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Here, find the “DragFromMaximize” value on the right panel and double-click it.
The above action opens the Edit Value dialog. In it, replace “1” in the “Value Data” field with “0“. Next, click the “OK” button.
Finally, close the Registry Editor window by clicking the “X” button on the title bar. Next, restart your computer to apply the changes. After restarting, clicking and dragging the title bar of a maximized window will not restore or move it.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
