Solved Has Microsoft Ever Learned That Some Users Want "Open Maximized" as a Default

baumgrenze · Monday at 11:33 AM

Windows 11 launched on 10/5/21, almost five years ago.

Am I the only user who is frustrated by the default setting that occasionally opens so that the page must first be selected, dragged left, and then maximized because the maximized option is off screen to the right?

Perhaps I failed to find it, but has MS developed a way to reset the default behavior of Win11 so that the screen is maximized?

Thanks
baumgrenze

FreeBooter · Monday at 12:19 PM

Set what to maximize?

Also from Properties of shortcut you can run maximized any app.

XxXxX · Monday at 12:23 PM

there doesn't seem to be a default way to maximize all windows
you can create a short cut and have that set to maximize
but there is this program 'maximize always'

https://maximize-always.en.softonic.com

i have never used this so i cant comment on it.
best of luck Steve ..

dacrone · Monday at 1:03 PM

FreeBooter said:
Also from Properties of shortcut you can run maximized any app.

win+up arrow will also maximize them.

XxXxX said:
but there is this program 'maximize always'

tested this just now on a win 11 25h2. has issues with explorer.exe... also its crap lol

baumgrenze said:
Perhaps I failed to find it, but has MS developed a way to reset the default behavior of Win11 so that the screen is maximized?

not that i know of, but here is an ahk script that will maximize everything (that can be maximized naturally) upon first launch (meaning that if you unmax it, it will not auto remax until you close it and launch again... but can be remax manually of course). i have provided the script that runs Elevated (elevation allows it to work on regedit, task manager, etc) and the Non-Elevated version. if you want this to run at startup WITHOUT any prompt, etc for elevated permissions, use the non-elevated version and create an elevated shortcut to it

1) using winaerotweaker

or

2) manually do it via task scheduler yourself

Create Elevated Shortcut without UAC prompt in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to create a shortcut of an elevated task to run an app as administrator without getting a UAC prompt for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11. When you open an application file with Run as administrator, you will get a UAC prompt by default for approval...

www.elevenforum.com

place that elevated shortcut in Shell:Startup folder for it to run at logon

**Because this is a custom script compiled to exe (the attached file(s), you may have to allow it in Windows Defender or other AVs**

Admin Script:

Code:

; --- Auto‑elevate to run as Administrator ---
if !A_IsAdmin
{
    Run *RunAs "%A_AhkPath%" "%A_ScriptFullPath%"
    ExitApp
}
; --------------------------------------------

#SingleInstance Force
#Persistent
SetTitleMatchMode, 2

DllCall("RegisterShellHookWindow", "UInt", A_ScriptHwnd)
MsgNum := DllCall("RegisterWindowMessage", "Str", "SHELLHOOK")

OnMessage(MsgNum, "ShellEvent")

ShellEvent(wParam, lParam) {
    if (wParam = 1) { ; HSHELL_WINDOWCREATED
        hwnd := lParam

        WinGet, style, Style, ahk_id %hwnd%
        if (style & 0x10000) { ; WS_MAXIMIZEBOX
            SetTimer, __MaximizeWindow, -50
            __MaximizeWindow:
                WinMaximize, ahk_id %hwnd%
            return
        }
    }
}
return

Non-Elevated Script:

Code:

#SingleInstance Force
#Persistent
SetTitleMatchMode, 2

DllCall("RegisterShellHookWindow", "UInt", A_ScriptHwnd)
MsgNum := DllCall("RegisterWindowMessage", "Str", "SHELLHOOK")

OnMessage(MsgNum, "ShellEvent")

ShellEvent(wParam, lParam) {
    if (wParam = 1) { ; HSHELL_WINDOWCREATED
        hwnd := lParam

        WinGet, style, Style, ahk_id %hwnd%
        if (style & 0x10000) { ; WS_MAXIMIZEBOX
            SetTimer, __MaximizeWindow, -50
            __MaximizeWindow:
                WinMaximize, ahk_id %hwnd%
            return
        }
    }
}
return

pseymour · Monday at 2:59 PM

baumgrenze said:
Perhaps I failed to find it, but has MS developed a way to reset the default behavior of Win11 so that the screen is maximized?

You won't find it; it's not there. It's up to each developer whether they want to support minimizing, maximizing, or resizing of any sort. It's also up to the developer to save/restore window positions and sizes. Firefox is notoriously bad at the latter.

baumgrenze · Monday at 8:28 PM

Thanks to all for confirming my suspicion.
Present day creators of an operating system are so infatuated with what they've created that they cannot envision allowing users to request and receive an simpler alternative that users might embrace with thanks.
baumgrenze

Ghot · Monday at 8:40 PM

baumgrenze said:
Perhaps I failed to find it

Generally, Windows remembers what size a window was last time you used it.
It will open at the same size it was when you closed it.

Another thing...
on multiple screens, individual windows will remember which screen they were on, when you closed them.
They will then reopen on the same screen.

There's also an app called Persistent Windows, which will also remember these things for you.
Just Google: Persistent Windows

XxXxX · Monday at 11:39 PM

i have found after you have maximized a window manually
hold/press the shift key and then click the close button on that window
then Windows (and Linux) remembers to open that window maximized next time.

best of luck Steve ..

BarryGuff · 2026-06-16T07:54:59-0400

In addition to the other third-party recommendations above, I'd also recommend AlomWare Toolbox. It has a system tweaks checkbox where you can make any resizable window always opened maximized, including folders. I use it myself for folders because I like to see as many files as possible when a folder opens. The app has to be running to do it, just like the other recommendations, but it works great.

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