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PowerToys FancyZones is a Windows window manager that lets you draw a layout of target areas—called zones—on a display. You choose or design a layout, then drag windows into those targets; FancyZones resizes and repositions each window to fit.
It does not split a monitor into physical screens or create extra displays. The zones are software-defined destinations for windows, assigned per monitor by default, with an optional mode that treats matching-DPI monitors as one large workspace.
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What FancyZones changes—and what it does not
FancyZones is one of the utilities included in Microsoft PowerToys. Its purpose is to make repeatable window arrangements easier than manually dragging borders and guessing at alignment.
A zone is a rectangle in a layout. When a window is placed in that rectangle, FancyZones applies the zone’s position and size to the window. The monitor itself remains a single display, and applications still run in ordinary resizable windows. You can change the layout or move a window to a different zone at any time.
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FancyZones normally works with the monitor that currently has focus. Each monitor can have its own layout, so a laptop screen might use two columns while an attached ultrawide uses a three-column or custom arrangement. A separate setting can expose zones on every connected monitor during a drag.
The official FancyZones documentation describes two editor models for custom layouts: Grid and Canvas. Grid is structured around rows and columns; Canvas is free-form and permits overlapping zones.
Open the layout editor and choose a monitor
- Install and open PowerToys, then select FancyZones in PowerToys Settings and make sure the utility is enabled.
- Open the layout editor from the FancyZones settings page, or press Win+Shift+` (the backtick key) by default. The shortcut can be changed.
- If more than one display is connected, select the monitor whose layout you want to edit. The editor previews the available layouts for that display.
- Choose a built-in layout, or select the option to create a custom layout. Apply the layout when the preview matches the arrangement you want.
Layouts are targets, not permanent reservations. A window can cover a zone until you snap it elsewhere, and closing FancyZones does not turn the monitor into separate hardware displays.
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Grid: rows, columns, splits and merges
A new Grid layout starts as three columns. You edit it by dividing areas, moving the dividers and merging adjacent zones. The resulting proportions are relative, so the arrangement scales when the same layout is used on a display with a different resolution or size.
For example, you can split the center column into two stacked zones, widen the main work area by moving a divider, then merge two small regions into one larger zone. The grid remains organized around shared rows and columns, which makes it useful when you want clean edges and predictable alignment.
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Canvas: freely placed and resizable zones
A new Canvas layout starts with one zone. You can add zones, drag them to any position and resize them independently, much like arranging windows on a desktop. Canvas zones may overlap. That makes it possible to reserve a large background area and place smaller zones over it, but overlapping targets require more deliberate dragging because more than one zone may be available under the pointer.
| Characteristic | Grid | Canvas |
|---|---|---|
| Starting arrangement | Three-column grid | One zone |
| Editing method | Split areas, move dividers and merge zones | Add, move and resize zones freely |
| Scaling behavior | Relative arrangement resizes with different screen sizes | Zones retain their free-form placement and size relationships |
| Overlap | Structured adjacent zones | Overlapping zones are allowed |
| Best fit | Aligned columns, rows and repeatable proportions | Irregular layouts, floating regions and layered workspaces |
Snap windows with the mouse
The default drag workflow is designed to keep the editor out of your way until you need it.
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- Press and hold Shift while dragging a window by its title bar. FancyZones displays the available zones according to your activation settings.
- Move the pointer over a zone. The zone under the pointer is highlighted.
- Release the mouse button. FancyZones moves and resizes the window to that target.
The activation key and related behavior can be changed in FancyZones settings. If one window needs to occupy more than one target, hold Ctrl while dragging to select multiple zones. You can also combine adjacent zones by hovering near their shared edge when the editor supports that operation.
If zones do not appear, verify that FancyZones is enabled, that you are dragging the window by its title bar, and that the configured activation behavior matches the key or gesture you are using. A window that cannot be zoned because of application compatibility will not behave like a normal supported window.
Move windows with the keyboard
Keyboard placement requires enabling Override Windows Snap in FancyZones settings. Once enabled, the Windows-arrow shortcuts can move a window through the zones instead of using only Windows’ standard edge snapping.
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| Mode or shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Zone-index mode | Win+Left and Win+Right move the window through zones by their index. The Up and Down Windows shortcuts retain their usual behavior. |
| Relative-position mode | All four Win+Arrow shortcuts move the window to a zone based on that zone’s position in the layout. |
| Expand across zones | With relative positioning enabled, Win+Ctrl+Alt+Arrow can expand a window across multiple zones. |
| Cycle windows in one zone | Win+PgUp and Win+PgDn cycle through windows assigned to the same zone. |
| Quick layout switch | After enabling quick layout switching and assigning a number to a custom layout, Win+Ctrl+Alt+[number] applies that numbered layout. |
Index mode is useful when you think of zones as a numbered sequence. Relative-position mode is usually easier when the layout has clear left, right, top or bottom relationships, especially after creating an irregular Grid or Canvas arrangement.
Per-monitor layouts and cross-monitor spanning
Normal per-monitor behavior
By default, FancyZones shows the zones for the monitor involved in the drag. This lets every display have a layout suited to its shape. A setting can instead show zones on all monitors while you drag, which is helpful when you regularly move a window from one display to another.
Spanning several monitors as one screen
FancyZones also has an option to span zones across monitors. In this mode, connected displays are treated as one large screen when the layout is applied. Microsoft requires every connected monitor to use the same DPI scaling for this feature.
Different physical orientations can produce unexpected results in spanning mode. A portrait monitor beside a landscape monitor may not map to the combined layout in the way you expect, so test the arrangement after changing orientation or scaling.
Moving windows between monitors
To cycle open windows across displays, enable Rotate windows across monitors. The documented default shortcut is Alt+X, followed by Left or Right. This is separate from choosing a zone: it changes the monitor on which the window is placed.
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DPI scaling and application compatibility limits
Most windows will meet a zone’s edges, but mixed display scaling introduces an important exception. When monitors use different DPI scaling and a zone touches a screen edge, an application that is not DPI-aware may stop a few pixels short of that edge. The gap is a Windows scaling and application-awareness issue, not a failure of the layout geometry.
Elevated applications can require an elevated PowerToys process. Microsoft specifically notes that applications such as Windows Terminal or Task Manager may need PowerToys to be run as administrator before FancyZones can snap them. Running PowerToys with administrative rights has security implications, so use it only when the affected windows require it.
The Microsoft compatibility section also identifies applications that cannot be zoned. If a particular program ignores the drag target, refuses to resize, or immediately returns to its previous dimensions, check that compatibility information rather than repeatedly rebuilding the layout.
A practical setup for common workspaces
Two-column writing and reference layout
Use a Grid layout with a wide primary column and a narrower secondary column. Put the editor or browser in the larger zone and documentation, chat or a file list in the smaller one. Move the divider until the main application has enough width for its toolbars; because the Grid uses relative proportions, the relationship remains usable if the display resolution changes.
Three-column monitoring layout
Keep the default three-column Grid when you need three similarly sized applications visible at once. This is appropriate for a terminal, browser and monitoring window that should share the same vertical edges.
Irregular dashboard layout
Choose Canvas when one large application needs most of the screen while several smaller windows sit in specific corners. Resize and position the zones directly, and remember that overlapping zones can make mouse selection less obvious.
Mixed-resolution multi-monitor desk
Use separate layouts on each monitor rather than spanning them when their DPI scaling differs. This avoids the spanning requirement and keeps each display’s zones aligned with its own coordinate system.
Troubleshooting checklist
- The editor does not open: Open FancyZones settings and confirm the utility is enabled. Use the displayed shortcut, since the default Win+Shift+` combination may have been changed.
- No targets appear while dragging: Check the activation setting, hold the configured key while dragging the title bar, and make sure the pointer is over the monitor whose zones you intend to use.
- Keyboard movement only goes left and right: Confirm Override Windows Snap is enabled. Choose relative-position mode if you need all four arrow keys to follow the layout’s physical positions.
- A window lands on the wrong display: Disable cross-monitor spanning unless you deliberately want one combined screen, then assign a layout to each monitor separately.
- There is a small edge gap: Check whether the displays use different DPI scaling and whether the application is DPI-aware. A non-DPI-aware application can sit a few pixels from a screen edge in that configuration.
- Task Manager or another elevated app will not snap: Run PowerToys as administrator and try again, while considering the security implications of elevated execution.
- A program cannot be resized into a zone: Consult the compatibility section of Microsoft’s FancyZones documentation; some applications are explicitly unable to be zoned.
What FancyZones is best suited for
FancyZones is most useful when you repeatedly arrange the same kinds of windows: a writing application beside references, several monitoring tools in aligned columns, or a dashboard with fixed regions. Grid is the safer choice when alignment and predictable resizing matter. Canvas is better when the arrangement is intentionally irregular or needs overlapping targets.
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For the complete list of settings and current compatibility notes, use Microsoft’s FancyZones Window Manager documentation. The broader utility overview is available in the Microsoft PowerToys documentation.
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