Quick Tip: Disable Snap in Windows 7

As you know, with the introduction of Snap in Microsoft Windows 7, we now have a completely new way of managing open windows. This feature allows you to arrange open windows, including maximizing and resizing, just by dragging and dropping a window to different edges of the screen. When a window is dragged to the correct position, a ripple effect will emanate from the cursor and you’ll see an animated outline of the window instantly appear in its new position. As soon as you release the mouse button, the window will snap to that position.

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For example, you can maximize a window in Windows 7 by clicking and dragging its title bar to the top of the screen. To restore a maximized window, just click and drag the title bar toward the middle of the screen. To position a window on half of the screen, just click and drag the title bar toward the left or right side of the screen. (The further to the right or left side of the title bar that you click and drag, the quicker the snap occurs.) To stretch a window that is in the middle of the screen so that it spans from the top to the bottom, just click the bottom or top edge and drag toward the bottom or top of the screen.

While many of us think that Snap is an awesome feature, many others think that it is annoying. For those in the latter category, I recently discovered that you can disable Snap.

Begin by clicking the Start button and typing Snap in the Start Search box. When you do, you’ll see a result titled Turn Off Automatic Window Arrangement. When you select that result, you’ll see the Make the Mouse Easier to Use panel in the Ease of Access tool and can select the Prevent Windows from Being Automatically Arranged when Moved to the Edge of the Screen check box, as shown in Figure A. Click OK in that box and that’s it, no more annoying Snap.

Figure A

If you find Snap annoying, you can disable it.