Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
To make windows snap into a repeatable ultrawide arrangement, open PowerToys Settings → FancyZones → Open layout editor, select the ultrawide monitor, and apply either a preset or a custom layout. By default, hold Shift while dragging a window, hover over the intended zone, and release. You can also enable keyboard movement, persistence, and quick layout switching in FancyZones settings.
The steps below explain how to choose the right zone geometry, adjust spacing, handle multiple monitors, and fix the common cases where a window does not land exactly where expected.
What FancyZones changes on an ultrawide monitor
FancyZones is the PowerToys window manager that divides a display into named regions, or zones. Instead of manually resizing every application, you drag a window into a zone and FancyZones resizes and positions it to that region. The layout belongs to the display you selected in the editor, so an ultrawide monitor can have a different arrangement from a laptop screen or a second monitor.
Recommended Free Tools
You do not need to buy additional hardware to configure it. You need Windows, PowerToys, and the ultrawide display connected and recognized by Windows. Microsoft’s feature documentation is the authoritative reference for the available controls: FancyZones Window Manager for Windows – PowerToys. The documentation supplied for this guide does not expose a revision date, so labels can vary slightly between PowerToys releases even though the workflow remains the same.
#1 Best Overall
- DO MORE ON ONE SCREEN: See every detail on the wider display featuring a 21:9 aspect ratio; Ultra WQHD provides the simplest way to maximize screen real estate and experience truly seamless multitasking on just one screen.Brightness (Typical) : 300 cd/㎡. Static Contrast Ratio 3000:1.
- ENJOY A BILLION COLORS W/ INCREDIBLE DEPTH: With HDR10 that displays over 1 billion colors compared to 16.7 million for typical SDR technology, dark colors are darker and the brightest are even brighter; Content is experienced as the creator intended
- CARE FOR YOUR EYES DAY and NIGHT: An ambient light sensor on the monitor detects lighting in your workstation and automatically adjusts brightness; Eye Saver Mode minimizes excessive blue light, and Flicker Free relieves eye strain
- SEE CONTENT SMOOTHER, EVEN GAMING: A faster than average refresh rate updates the image on screen more often every second; 100Hz refresh rate reduces lag and motion blur when playing games, watching videos, or working on design projects
- STAY IN SYNC WITH THE ACTION: AMD Radeon FreeSync keeps the refresh rate of your monitor and graphics card in sync to reduce image tearing for a superfluid entertainment experience; Watch movies and play games without interruptions
Open the layout editor and target the ultrawide display
- Open PowerToys Settings from the Start menu or the PowerToys icon in the notification area.
- Select FancyZones in the left sidebar.
- Choose Open layout editor. The default shortcut is Win+Shift+` (the grave or backtick key). If that conflicts with another application, change the shortcut in FancyZones settings.
- In the editor, select the ultrawide monitor. The selected monitor is the target for the layout you choose.
- Click a layout to preview it. Selecting a layout applies it; double-clicking applies it and closes the editor.
Always check the monitor selection before editing. If the wrong display is highlighted, you can create a perfect arrangement and still see it applied to another screen.
Choose a layout model that matches your work
Choose based on the number of windows that must remain visible, whether widths should be equal, whether the arrangement should scale proportionally, and whether you need overlapping or freely placed regions. FancyZones provides two fundamentally different custom-layout models.
| Layout model | How zones are arranged | Best fit | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid | A relative split of the display into rows and columns. | Side-by-side applications, dashboards, browsers, terminals, and other workspaces that should resize with the monitor. | Starts with three columns and lets you split or merge zones and move gutters. The arrangement remains proportional when the display size changes. |
| Canvas | Independently positioned and resized rectangles. | Workflows needing deliberately placed floating regions or unusual shapes. | Zones can overlap. You control each zone’s position and size rather than working from a shared row-and-column grid. |
Grid is usually the easier starting point for an ultrawide screen because its relative divisions remain coherent if resolution or scaling changes. Canvas is more suitable when a strict column structure gets in the way, such as a narrow reference panel floating over a larger work area. These are workflow choices, not tested monitor-specific presets.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCommon ultrawide arrangements
- Equal columns: Use a two- or three-column Grid when applications deserve similar width, such as two documents beside a browser or three monitoring panes.
- Primary app plus side panel: Start with Grid, then move a divider so the main editor, spreadsheet, or browser is wider than a chat, notes, or reference column.
- Two wide workspaces: Use two broad zones for two independent tasks, such as a development workspace and a communications workspace.
- Large center with narrow edges: Split the Grid into a dominant center zone and slim left and right zones for tools or status information.
- Floating or overlapping tools: Create a Canvas layout when a palette, preview, or reference window needs a custom position or should overlap another region.
Create and tune a custom Grid layout
In the layout editor, choose Create new layout and select Grid. The Grid editor gives you a relative arrangement that can be reshaped without calculating pixel coordinates.
- Start with the number of columns closest to the number of windows you normally keep visible.
- Use the split control on a zone to divide it vertically or horizontally.
- Drag a gutter to change the relative width or height of adjacent zones.
- Merge adjacent zones when a single application needs a larger uninterrupted surface.
- Continue splitting, merging, and moving dividers until ordinary windows fit without excessive resizing.
- Give the layout a descriptive name and save it, then select it for the ultrawide monitor.
Design around the application that needs the most width rather than making every zone equal by habit. A browser with a wide table, a code editor, or a video timeline may become uncomfortable if it receives the same narrow column as a chat window.
Rank #2
- Improved ComfortView Plus: Reduces harmful blue light emissions to ≤35%, for all-day comfort without sacrificing color accuracy.
- Refresh rate: A smooth, tear-free experience with AMD FreeSync Premium (refresh rate up to 120Hz) and an ultra-low 0.03ms response time create a captivating experience for work and play.
- Vivid colors: Enjoy vibrant, true-to-life colors with 99% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 coverage. The VA panel with 3000:1 contrast ratio and HDR readiness delivers stunning depth, detail and realism.
- Re-engineered sound quality: Enjoy more detailed sound with spacious audio featuring greater output power, deeper frequency response and more decibel range than the previous generation.
- Easy connectivity: Keep your desk organized and clutter-free with a single USB-C cable (up to 65W power delivery).
Create and tune a Canvas layout
Choose Create new layout → Canvas when independent placement matters more than a shared grid. Add zones, drag them into position, and resize their edges. Canvas zones may overlap, so leave enough visible area for the window you intend to select and drag.
- Use a large base zone for the primary application.
- Add smaller zones for notes, monitoring, or a reference document.
- Place a narrow zone at an edge when it should remain visible without consuming a full column.
- Check overlapping zones carefully: a window can match more than one region, and the highlighted region determines where it lands.
Canvas does not have a universal best coordinate set. Tune it while real windows are open and keep the spacing that makes borders, text, and controls easy to read.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Adjust gaps and adjacent-zone behavior
FancyZones exposes spacing controls in its settings and layout editor. Two settings are easy to confuse:
- Space around zones sets the margin around each zone. Increase it when you want a visible gutter between applications; reduce it when every pixel of the ultrawide is valuable.
- Distance to highlight adjacent zones controls how close the pointer must be to a shared edge before adjacent zones can be treated as a combined target or highlighted together.
There is no Microsoft-prescribed gap value. Set a small margin, test text-heavy windows, and adjust for your display’s scaling and your preference for visual separation. Select the finished layout again after changing these values so the active monitor uses the current design.
Snap a window with the mouse
- Select a normal application window and press and hold the left mouse button on its title bar.
- Hold Shift while dragging. By default, this reveals the FancyZones overlay.
- Move the pointer over the desired zone until that zone highlights.
- Release the mouse button. The window is resized and positioned in the highlighted zone.
If you turn off the Shift activation option, zones appear as soon as a drag begins. FancyZones can also be configured to use a non-primary mouse button to toggle activation. These choices are useful if Shift conflicts with an application or if you want the overlay to appear on every drag.
Rank #3
- 1ms MPRT: Colors fade and illuminate instantly with a 1ms response time, eliminating ghosting and piecing together precise imagery during action-packed scenes and gaming.
- Luminous Backcover Lights: A colorful LED light illuminates the back cover of the monitor, delivering a uniquely modern design.
- WQHD Resolution: At 5 million pixels, Wide Quad HD Resolution (3440 x 1440) display resolution provides you with the next level of refined, and detailed picture over the current 1080P standard.
- 21:9 Ultrawide: See more and do more with an ultrawide monitor. 21:9 provides you with 30% more screen space versus the conventional monitor. With an ultrawide resolution of 3440 x 1440, expand your performance and productivity.
Use more than one zone for a large window
Adjacent zones can activate together when the pointer is near their common edge. You can also drag into one zone and hold Ctrl while dragging to select multiple zones. The window then occupies the combined area rather than a single narrow region.
Combined zones are useful for a wide spreadsheet, design canvas, or document that needs more width temporarily. They do not change the saved geometry of the layout.
Configure keyboard movement
Keyboard snapping is optional. In PowerToys Settings → FancyZones, enable Override Windows Snap hotkeys before using the arrow-key behavior.
Zone index mode
With Zone index selected, Win+Left and Win+Right move a window according to the numerical order of zones in the layout. Win+Up and Win+Down retain their usual Windows behavior. This mode is predictable when your layout is a straightforward row of zones and you want a window to move through a known sequence.
Relative position mode
With Relative position selected, all four Win+Arrow directions are overridden. The window moves to the zone that is spatially relative to its current zone, which is generally more natural for layouts with rows, columns, or unequal divisions.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #4
- Bring virtual worlds to life with WQHD quality: Explore your games' vast, detailed landscapes with WQHD resolution and fluid, responsive visuals in an iconically designed ultrawide gaming monitor.
- Dive into expansive details: Whether you’re exploring open worlds or completing challenges, you’ll never miss a detail thanks to WQHD resolution and a 34” ultrawide panel with a 1500R curve.
- Fluid Performance: Get in the game with a smooth 180Hz refresh rate, 1ms gray to gray response time, AMD FreeSync Premium and VESA Adaptive Sync Technology.
- Sharp visuals: Enjoy vibrant colors with DCI-P3 95% color coverage and VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification.
- Game longer: Lock in for marathon gaming sessions with a dedicated console mode and hardware-based low blue light solution that reduces eye strain while preserving color.
FancyZones does not override Win+Shift+Arrow, the Windows shortcut commonly used to move a window to an adjacent monitor. You can therefore keep that shortcut for cross-monitor movement while using the FancyZones override for movement within the selected layout.
Keep windows in useful zones after changes
FancyZones includes settings for preserving placement when the display configuration changes:
- Enable the option that keeps windows in their zones after a screen-resolution change when you want existing placements restored after docking, undocking, or changing resolution.
- Enable the option to resize and reposition zoned windows after a layout change when you want existing windows mapped to the same zone numbers in the new geometry.
- Enable Move newly created windows to the last known zone when an application should reopen where it was previously placed.
- Use the setting that moves new windows to the current active monitor when you prefer newly launched applications to follow the display where you are working. This is especially useful when there is no known prior zone or when last-zone behavior is disabled.
Zone-number preservation means the same logical zone is reused; it does not guarantee that an application will keep an identical pixel size after a resolution or layout change.
Switch between layouts quickly
If one arrangement does not suit every task, enable quick layout switching in FancyZones. Assign a number to a saved custom layout, then use Win+Ctrl+Alt+[number] to activate it. The documentation also allows the custom layout’s assigned shortcut to be pressed while dragging a window, so you can choose another arrangement during the placement gesture.
For example, keep one layout for a three-column research session and another with two wide zones for focused work. Save each with a descriptive name and use different shortcut numbers so you can change the display structure without reopening the editor.
Best Value
- 34 inch Curved 1500R UWQHD(3440 x 1440) @ 200Hz Fast VA Ultrawide Gaming Monitor with AI built-in.
- Performance: Up to 200Hz Refresh Rate | OD 1ms Response Time丨 FastVA | AI Blue light reduction | AI Crosshair | AI PQ | Sniper Scope | Support VRR with HDMI2.1
- Ergonomic Stand: Tilt / Kensington Lock: -5°~15°(+/-2°) / Yes丨VESA Compatible (100 x 100mm) | 178° Wide Viewing Angle | PIP/PBP,21:9
- Input &Output: DP 1.4 (Up to 200)|HDMI2.1 X 2 (Up to 200)|Earphone |No speakers
- Warranty: SANSUI 34-inch Curved gaming computer monitor support money-back and free replacement warranty from order date within 30 days and lifetime technical support.
Fix zones that do not behave as expected
The overlay does not appear while dragging
Check the FancyZones activation settings. If Shift activation is enabled, hold Shift from the start of the title-bar drag. If it is disabled, the overlay should appear immediately after the drag begins. If you enabled a non-primary mouse-button option, use that button to toggle the overlay. Also confirm that you are dragging a normal, movable application window rather than a control that cannot be repositioned.
An elevated window will not move or resize
PowerToys may not be able to resize or move an application running with administrator privileges unless PowerToys is also running as administrator. Microsoft documents this case, including Task Manager, at Run PowerToys in Administrator Mode on Windows. Start PowerToys with elevated privileges only when necessary; running everything elevated reduces the separation between ordinary and administrative applications.
A window is a few pixels away from an edge
Microsoft notes that a monitor using a different DPI scaling factor can expose edge-alignment differences when an application is not DPI-aware and a zone touches the screen edge. Try matching scaling across displays, leave a small margin around the edge, or accept the minor offset for that application. Compatibility is application-specific, and some applications cannot be zoned exactly.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Spanning zones across monitors behaves strangely
The Allow zones to span across monitors option requires every connected monitor to use the same DPI scaling factor. Microsoft also warns that different monitor orientations can produce unexpected effects. Disable spanning and keep each layout on its own display if your monitors use different scaling or portrait and landscape orientations.
A particular application cannot be placed in a zone
Some applications do not support the resizing or positioning FancyZones needs. Test another ordinary, resizable window to distinguish an application limitation from a FancyZones configuration problem. If only one program fails, check whether it is running elevated, uses a special window mode, or has its own forced-size behavior.
The wrong layout appears after changing displays
Reopen the layout editor and select the ultrawide monitor explicitly. Layouts are associated with the target display, so a laptop panel, dock output, and ultrawide can each show different saved arrangements. Then apply the intended layout again.
Practical ultrawide setup recipes
Browser, main application, and persistent side panel
- Create a Grid with three columns.
- Move the first divider so the main application receives the largest share.
- Keep the browser in the second zone and make the third zone narrow enough for notes or communications.
- Increase the space around zones until the three windows remain visually distinct.
This is a starting arrangement, not a guaranteed fit for a particular resolution. Adjust the divider after opening the real applications because toolbars, sidebars, and minimum window widths differ.
Two large side-by-side workspaces
- Create a two-column Grid.
- Keep the divider near the center for equal workloads, or move it toward the application that needs more horizontal space.
- Use combined-zone selection when one task temporarily needs the full width of both areas.
Central work area with floating references
- Create a Canvas layout with one large central zone.
- Add smaller zones for a reference document, preview, or monitoring panel.
- Position the smaller zones where they remain visible without covering the main work area.
- Test overlapping boundaries and adjust them if the wrong zone highlights during a drag.
A short verification checklist
- The ultrawide monitor is selected in the layout editor.
- The chosen model matches the workflow: Grid for relative rows and columns, Canvas for independent or overlapping regions.
- Dividers, merged areas, and gaps have been tested with the actual applications you use.
- Mouse activation is understood: Shift by default, immediate overlay if configured, or a non-primary button if selected.
- Keyboard overrides are enabled only if Win+Arrow movement is useful, with Zone index or Relative position chosen intentionally.
- Persistence settings match how you dock, undock, change resolution, or launch applications.
- DPI scaling is consistent if you plan to span zones across monitors.
Once these settings are in place, FancyZones turns the ultrawide display into a repeatable workspace rather than a single wide desktop. The most reliable approach is to start with a simple Grid, test it with real windows, and move to Canvas only when independent placement or overlap solves a specific problem.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
