How do I disable split screen for opening links?

Anonymous
2013-10-21T19:00:24+00:00

I am running Win 8.1 on a TABLET.  I have about 9 inches of screen real estate to work with.

If I click a link in, say, the Mail app, it will launch IE in 50/50 mode with the existing mail app (which then rearranges itself to only show the single message I was looking at).

This is not at all helpful.  This gives me a four inch web browser, which isn't big enough to see clearly at all.  The controls are all too close together to operate by touch, etc.  I am then forced to manually drag to expand the IE window to full screen.  Unfortunately, the control to do this is also rather small, and I usually miss the first two times.  It typically takes me about 10-15 seconds between clicking a link in email and being able to read the corresponding web page.

Windows 8 handled this correctly.  I would like to revert to the behavior of always opening apps in full screen mode.  How can I accomplish this?

I know it should be possible.  If I hold the tablet in portrait mode, the annoying split window thing does not happen.  (It's not natural for me to hold it this way all the time.)

Is there a registry setting or something for "Always open new apps in full screen mode"?

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-10-02T03:44:31+00:00

    Touch settings:  Right-click = Press and hold.

    Keyboard =  OSK or Settings charm Language bar bottom item.

    Neither one of those options seem like less hassle than an extra swipe.  Not to me, anyway.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-10-02T02:38:26+00:00

    Tablet = no mouse for right clicking, no keyboard for Alt-Space M.

    Touch settings:  Right-click = Press and hold.

    Keyboard =  OSK or Settings charm Language bar bottom item.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-10-02T00:54:14+00:00

    on a tablet, we don't want to use IE in Desktop mode.

    Then you can just immediately use the Desktop's right-click Open in Immersive browser.   No split screen then.  Otherwise, if it is the extra swipe that bothers you, you can always do an Alt-Space M  (M for Maximize mnemonic value instead of x for its compatibility with existing keystroke sequences which provide the same function.)   I'm sure all these use-cases have been very carefully thought out...  ; }

    Tablet = no mouse for right clicking, no keyboard for Alt-Space M.

    Right now the extra swipe is the only viable workaround, but as has been previously mentioned, the split-screen feature is neither desirable nor useful on a tablet and most of us tablet users would like to be able to eliminate the "feature".

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-10-01T22:39:21+00:00

    on a tablet, we don't want to use IE in Desktop mode.

    Then you can just immediately use the Desktop's right-click Open in Immersive browser.   No split screen then.  Otherwise, if it is the extra swipe that bothers you, you can always do an Alt-Space M  (M for Maximize mnemonic value instead of x for its compatibility with existing keystroke sequences which provide the same function.)   I'm sure all these use-cases have been very carefully thought out...  ; }

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  5. Anonymous
    2014-10-01T19:37:33+00:00

    That solution was brought up before, not sure if in this thread or another.

    Problem is, on a tablet, we don't want to use IE in Desktop mode.

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