How do you turn off Fullscreen mode in Windows 8?

Anonymous
2013-01-25T16:30:06+00:00

Despite all of the annoyances of Windows 8, I must say, the random "switching to fullscreen mode" is the most aggravating. . I thought I turned off full screen mode, but it keeps doing that fullscreen.... thing. It's done it -at least- 5 times while I typed this.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Email and communications

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  1. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2013-09-14T17:29:40+00:00

    Hi John,

    You can press F11 to toggle full screen mode on or off.  Most browsers use this same shortcut (Chrome and IE both use it for sure, and I think Firefox does too).

    Google also built a new type of full screen mode into their new versions. This one can't be turned off with the regular F11, but you can turn it off by choosing the menu icon on Chrome, then clicking "Relaunch Chrome on the Desktop" to return to normal floating desktop windows instead of the metro interface.

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  2. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2013-09-14T17:35:40+00:00

    Hi John,

    I tried to make it happen and I can't get it to occur.  I opened several windows and tabs and copied/pasted information into other pages and such.  Nothing I could to would make one of the chrome windows jump to full screen.  Here's what I see:

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-09-14T17:50:57+00:00

    Ah HA!

    I take it all back.

    The relaunch of Chrome does the trick.

    Chrome looked the same, so I figured it hadn't changed. Windows 8 looks so different (plus my whole anti-Microsoft conspiracy outlook) I figured it HAD to be the problem.

    All is much better now.

    Can I make it so Chrome ALWAYS launches in desktop mode?

    Thanks!

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  4. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2013-09-14T18:01:01+00:00

    As far as I know, it should remember that setting.  I haven't tested this yet, but I always open Chrome by clicking it on the Taskbar from the desktop.  It might be that chrome uses the full screen mode if it gets launched from the Start metro screen.  I'll try it out and see.

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  5. Anonymous
    2013-09-15T01:01:30+00:00

    Since I started launching from the desktop #1 I have none of the problem of jumping full screen and back, and #2 it now launches from the Start menu in desktop mode. Not even sure how I did that, but-- problem solved. :D

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