WindowMover

PowerShell utility to save and restore window layouts, sizes, and positions on Windows. Perfect for multi-monitor setups and quickly arranging your workspace.

Overview

WindowMover consists of two complementary scripts:

Script	Purpose
winlayout_record.ps1	Captures current window positions and saves to a config file
winlayout_apply.ps1	Restores windows to their saved positions from a config file

Quick Start

1. Record Your Layout

# Record all visible windows
.\winlayout_record.ps1

# Record specific applications
.\winlayout_record.ps1 -ProcessName "chrome","code","notepad"

# Save to a specific file
.\winlayout_record.ps1 -Path "my-layout.json"

2. Apply Your Layout

# Apply the default layout
.\winlayout_apply.ps1

# Apply a specific layout file
.\winlayout_apply.ps1 -Path "my-layout.json"

winlayout_record.ps1

Records current window positions and saves them to a JSON configuration file.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
Path	string	$env:USERPROFILE\windowlayout.config	Output JSON file path
CsvPath	string	(none)	Optional CSV output path
ProcessName	string[]	(all)	Only record these processes
ExcludeProcessName	string[]	(none)	Exclude these processes
Append	switch	false	Append to existing file
IncludeMinimized	switch	false	Include minimized windows
Deduplicate	switch	false	Keep only largest window per group
DedupBy	string	process	Grouping: process, process+title, monitor, process+monitor, process+title+monitor
DedupMonitorBy	string	device	device or index

Examples

Record all windows:

.\winlayout_record.ps1

Record only VS Code and Chrome:

.\winlayout_record.ps1 -ProcessName "code","chrome"

Record one window per process per monitor (multi-monitor):

.\winlayout_record.ps1 -Deduplicate -DedupBy "process+monitor"

Append to existing config:

.\winlayout_record.ps1 -Append -Path "shared-layout.json"

Export to CSV as well:

.\winlayout_record.ps1 -CsvPath "windows.csv"

winlayout_apply.ps1

Applies saved window layouts to restore positions and sizes.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
Path	string	$env:USERPROFILE\windowlayout.config	Config file path
BundleToApply	string	(none)	Apply specific named bundle
DryRun	switch	false	Show what would be done without moving
Record	switch	false	Record mode (instead of apply)
Process	string[]	(none)	Processes to record (with -Record)
RecordBundleName	string	(none)	Save as named bundle (with -Record)

Examples

Apply default layout:

.\winlayout_apply.ps1

Apply specific file:

.\winlayout_apply.ps1 -Path "meeting-setup.json"

Apply named bundle:

.\winlayout_apply.ps1 -BundleToApply "coding-setup"

Test without moving (dry run):

.\winlayout_apply.ps1 -DryRun

Record current layout as a bundle:

.\winlayout_apply.ps1 -Record -Process "chrome","code" -RecordBundleName "dev"

Configuration File Format

Simple Array Format

[
  {
    "processName": "chrome",
    "title": "Google Chrome",
    "x": 0,
    "y": 0,
    "width": 1920,
    "height": 1080,
    "monitorIndex": 1
  },
  {
    "processName": "code",
    "title": "Visual Studio Code",
    "x": 1920,
    "y": 0,
    "width": 1920,
    "height": 1080,
    "monitorIndex": 2
  }
]

Advanced Format with Bundles

{
  "bundleDefaults": {
    "dpiMode": "auto",
    "pad": 10
  },
  "bundles": {
    "coding": [
      {
        "processName": "code",
        "preset": "LeftHalf",
        "monitorIndex": 1
      },
      {
        "processName": "chrome",
        "preset": "RightHalf", 
        "monitorIndex": 1
      }
    ],
    "meeting": [
      {
        "processName": "teams",
        "preset": "Full",
        "monitorIndex": 2
      }
    ]
  },
  "applyBundles": ["coding"]
}

Entry Properties

Property	Type	Description
processName	string	Process name (required)
x, y	int	Position in pixels
xPct, yPct	float	Position as percentage
width, height	int	Size in pixels
widthPct, heightPct	float	Size as percentage
monitorIndex	int	Monitor number (0-based, -1 = primary)
anchor	string	Position anchor: TopLeft, Top, TopRight, Left, Center, Right, BottomLeft, Bottom, BottomRight
preset	string	Named preset (see below)
grid	string	Grid layout: 2x2, 3x2, etc.
cell	string	Grid cell: row,col
pad	int	Padding in pixels
dpiMode	string	auto, logical, or physical
ensureRunning	bool	Launch process if not running
launchPath	string	Path to executable for launching
launchArgs	string	Arguments for launching
waitForSeconds	int	Delay before targeting
retryCount	int	Retries to find window
retryDelaySeconds	int	Delay between retries

Presets

Use presets for common window arrangements:

Preset	Description
Full	Full screen
LeftHalf	Left 50%
RightHalf	Right 50%
TopHalf	Top 50%
BottomHalf	Bottom 50%
LeftThird	Left 33%
CenterThird	Center 33%
RightThird	Right 33%
LeftTwoThirds	Left 66%
RightTwoThirds	Right 66%
TopLeftQuarter	Top-left 25%
TopRightQuarter	Top-right 25%
BottomLeftQuarter	Bottom-left 25%
BottomRightQuarter	Bottom-right 25%
CenteredLarge	Centered 70%

Using Presets

{
  "processName": "code",
  "preset": "LeftHalf",
  "monitorIndex": 0
}

Grid Layouts

Define custom grid layouts:

{
  "processName": "chrome",
  "grid": "3x2",
  "cell": "1,1",
  "monitorIndex": 0,
  "gutter": 10
}

Properties:

• grid: Format rowsxcols (e.g., 2x2, 3x2)
• cell: Format row,col (1-based)
• rowSpan: Rows to span (default 1)
• colSpan: Columns to span (default 1)
• gutter: Gap between cells in pixels
• outerGutter: Padding around grid

Auto-Launch Applications

Automatically start applications if not running:

{
  "processName": "outlook",
  "preset": "LeftHalf",
  "ensureRunning": true,
  "launchPath": "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office16\\OUTLOOK.EXE",
  "launchArgs": "",
  "postLaunchDelaySeconds": 5,
  "launchTimeoutSeconds": 30
}

DPI Scaling

Handle different display DPIs:

Mode	Description
auto	Scale based on target window's DPI (default)
logical	No scaling
physical	Always scale using system DPI

{
  "processName": "chrome",
  "preset": "LeftHalf",
  "dpiMode": "auto"
}

Requirements

• Windows 8 or later
• PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+
• .NET Framework 4.5+ (for WinForms)

Tips

Create Desktop Shortcuts

Create shortcuts to quickly apply layouts:

PowerShell.exe -File "C:\Tools\WindowMover\winlayout_apply.ps1" -BundleToApply "coding"

Scheduled Tasks

Run at login to restore your preferred layout:

$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "PowerShell.exe" -Argument "-File C:\Tools\WindowMover\winlayout_apply.ps1"
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogon
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Restore Window Layout" -Action $action -Trigger $trigger

Multiple Layouts

Create different configs for different scenarios:

• coding.json - IDE and browser side by side
• meeting.json - Teams/Zoom full screen on second monitor
• admin.json - Multiple PowerShell windows

Troubleshooting

"No matching windows found"

• Ensure the application has a visible window (not just a tray icon)
• Try with -IncludeMinimized flag
• Check the process name with Get-Process

Windows not moving correctly

• Check DPI settings with -Verbose
• Try different dpiMode values
• Verify monitor indices match your setup

Application doesn't launch

• Verify launchPath points to the correct executable
• Check for typos in processName
• Ensure the path has proper escaping in JSON

Layout applies to wrong monitor

• Monitor indices are 0-based and may change with display arrangement
• Use monitorIndex in config to specify target

License

MIT License - Free to use and modify.