As more and more work that we do becomes internet-based, we find that we may be logging into two or more web sites in order to do our work. One web site may be where we looked up information, such as a property tax record; and the other web site may be where we need to enter some information found on the first web site.
The default behavior for our browsers is that when we open up a new link or desktop shortcut, the browser opens the additional page(s) in a separate tab in the same browser window. While it’s easy to click on the different tabs to switch back and forth between the two sites, it’s not so easy when you’re having to copy (re-type) information from one site to the other(s).
You can change the behavior so that any new links (or shortcuts) will open in an entirely new window of the browser, and this will allow you to move and position the two separate browser windows so that you can see both at the same time and more easily copy/paste or re-type information.
To do this, go to the Start Menu/Control Panel. Choose Internet Options (you can also get here from within the browser Tools menu). On the General tab, there is a button in the middle named “Tabs”; click it and change the section “Open links from other programs in:” to “A new window”. Click OK all the way out.
Try it on a shortcut you may already have on your desktop. If you click the same shortcut more than once, you will get a new browser window each time. The additional windows can be resized or moved as desired to make your work easier.
Unfortunately, the browser window location will only remember where it was the last time it was closed, so it won’t be able to remember, for example, that xyz.com was on the left and abc.com was on the right, but it’s a simple matter to move the windows around after they have been opened. If these are web sites that you work with frequently, then after you’ve arranged them where you want them, simply minimize them when you need them out of your way, and when you restore from the taskbar it will be right back where you left it.