Looking for the Cascade windows command? Windows 11’s standard taskbar no longer offers it, but you can still arrange your windows in an overlapping stack with their title bars exposed. Start with manual positioning or keyboard controls, then use PowerToys if you want a reusable layout.
Arrange an overlapping stack by hand
Use manual positioning for movable, resizable desktop windows. Each window sits slightly below and to the right of the previous one, leaving its title bar within reach.
For each maximized window, press Alt+Space and select Restore.
Drag the first window’s title bar to where you want the stack to begin.
Drag its borders to resize it, leaving room for the other windows.
Drag the next window slightly below and to the right of the first.
Repeat that offset for the remaining windows, keeping their title bars visible.
Skip older instructions that point to the taskbar’s Cascade windows command or Shell.Application cascade scripts. Those legacy methods are not reliable fixes for current Windows 11.
Use the keyboard for precise positioning
For desktop apps with a standard window menu, you can move and resize windows without dragging. Activate the window and press Alt+Space.
Select Restore if the window is maximized. Press Alt+Space again and select Move.
Use the arrow keys to position the window, then press Enter to finish. To resize it, press Alt+Space and select Size, then use the arrow keys and press Enter.
Repeat for the other windows to build your stack. These controls work only in applications that support the corresponding window-menu commands.
Choose Snap when you want windows side by side
Snap tiles windows so you can see several at once; the available layouts depend on your display size and application compatibility.
- 1.Open Settings > System > Multitasking and turn on Snap windows.
- 2.Activate a window and press Win+Z, or hover over its Maximize button, to display Snap layouts.
- 3.Select a position in the layout for that window.
- 4.Choose windows for the remaining positions.
- 5.Drag the shared divider between adjacent snapped windows to adjust their sizes.
- 6.For an alternative to the layout picker, drag a window to a screen edge for half-screen placement or a corner for quarter-screen placement, then select another window from Snap Assist.
Stop windows snapping while you drag
With Snap windows enabled, dragging toward a screen edge triggers snapping and interrupts your overlapping arrangement.
Open Settings > System > Multitasking.
Turn off Snap windows for free positioning.
Drag your windows’ title bars into the offset arrangement you want.
To keep Snap enabled while stopping the layout bar from appearing at the top of the screen, expand Snap windows instead.
Clear Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen.
Build a reusable overlapping layout with PowerToys
PowerToys FancyZones gives your overlapping windows reusable positions.
Install PowerToys through the Microsoft Store or Microsoft-owned GitHub release linked from Microsoft’s PowerToys installation page.
In PowerToys, open FancyZones.
Select Open layout editor, or press Win+Shift+`.
Select Create new layout.
Choose Canvas for movable, resizable zones that can overlap.
Arrange the zones into an offset stack, leaving space for each window’s title bar.
Apply the layout.
Hold Shift while dragging each window into its intended zone.
Adjust When multiple zones overlap to control how FancyZones selects the target zone.
For compatible apps, enable Move newly created windows to the last known zone to reuse their previous zone positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I automatically cascade all my desktop windows in Windows 11?
The third-party commercial utility WindowSpace lists Windows 11 support and documents Win+C for its Cascade windows command. Install and run it from the vendor’s product page. Windows 11 also assigns Win+C to Copilot or Windows search, so if that shortcut doesn’t cascade your windows, assign a different cascade shortcut in the WindowSpace Settings dialog.
How do I bring a window forward when it is covered?
Press Alt+Tab and select the window. You can also press Win+Tab for Task view or Ctrl+Alt+Tab for a window selector that stays open. These change the active window without rearranging its position.
Can I temporarily hide the other windows without losing my stack?
Press Win+Home to minimize everything except the active window. Press the shortcut again to restore the other windows.
Can I save an arrangement and reopen the apps later?
Yes. In PowerToys, enable Workspaces. Select Launch editor, then + Create workspace. Position your applications and select Capture. Name and save the workspace. Select Launch to reopen it. Enable Move existing windows to reposition matching apps already open. Microsoft documents a positioning limitation for applications launched as administrator.