PhotoShop CS3 document windows won’t move

HK
Posted By
Holli_K
Jan 26, 2009
Views
477
Replies
11
Status
Closed
I cannot move the document windows freely around the screen. I can only use Window > Arrange to cascade them, tile them horizontally, or tile them vertically.
This has been happening since installation. Up until a few days ago, if I went to Window > Workspace > Reset Palett locations I could then move the document windows. However, I am now unable to move them at all with my cursor even if I reset the palett locations.

Short of reinstalling the program, is there anything else I might try? This is a very annoying problem when I have multiple files open.

Version Photoshop CS3 Extended 10.0.1
Operating system Windows XP

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JJ
John Joslin
Jan 26, 2009
Have you tried cycling through the screen modes by pressing the "F" key?
EF
Eileen_Foley
Jan 27, 2009
I have had this same problem with Photoshop CS3 on Windows XP – in the regular mode where you ought to be able to grab the document title bar with the mouse and move it around the workspace, nothing happens. I can select the panel, but not move it. I can resize a document window by dragging the bottom right corner, but I can’t drag and drop to arrange documents in the workspace the way I have been doing since Photoshop 3.

Cycling through the screen modes and dumping my preferences did not help at all. I saw the post about changing the window mode to "float" in CS4, but this option does not exist in CS3.

This is a clean install of CS3 on a new Pentium D 2.8 machine with 3 gigs of RAM.

What can I do to fix this?
EF
Eileen_Foley
Jan 27, 2009
subscribe me to this thread
DM
dave_milbut
Jan 27, 2009
are you using a left handed mouse eileen? use the other button to grab the title bar to move the image… (left button).
HK
Holli_K
Jan 27, 2009
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I have cycled through the screens using the F key but this still does not allow me to grab and drag windows to move them.

I use a left handed mouse, so I tried Dave’s suggestion below about using the left mouse button (equivalent of a right-click.) However, the only options that show up are Duplicate, Image Size, Canvas Size, File Info, and Page Set Up.

Thanks for the suggestions – keep them coming. We’ll get it figured out yet!
DM
dave_milbut
Jan 27, 2009
I use a left handed mouse, so I tried Dave’s suggestion below about using the left mouse button (equivalent of a right-click.) However, the only options that show up are Duplicate, Image Size, Canvas Size, File Info, and Page Set Up.

then use the other button, the right one…
EF
Eileen_Foley
Jan 27, 2009
I’m left-handed too – the document drag just does not work with the mouse set to switch primary and secondary buttons in Control Panel (does work with either button, or both buttons).

Am I supposed to switch to right-handed to use Photoshop? That was never the case for CS, 7, 6 etc.
CY
curt_young
Jan 27, 2009
I remember posts from over a year ago that using a mouse in left handed mode did not work with some functions. Being old, and left handed, has not sharpened my memory as to what those problems were. So at least with CS3 there were some problems.
HK
Holli_K
Jan 27, 2009
My computer is a notebook on a docking station and the notebook track pad & buttons are still set for a right handed user. Only my peripheral mouse is set to left handed.
I tried using just the notebook track pad & buttons to move the document windows (just as a right handed person normally would, with my right hand) but they still wouldn’t move.

This is an interesting thread- I never would have though of the left handed thing.

Thanks
EF
Eileen_Foley
Jan 27, 2009
Yup – it works with mouse settings set to right-handed, just not for the lefty-button setting (neither button works in left-handed mode).

Is this fixed in CS4? I have the upgrade disk, just haven’t installed for fear of performance issues as I don’t have a separate graphics card (just motherboard).
GT
Greg_Tczap
Mar 24, 2009
I found a workaround in CS3 for those of us with reversed mouse-buttons. Click the titlebar first with the secondary button, and still holding it down now click with the primary button. Holding both buttons down now you should now be able to drag around the window.

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