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WindowSeat User Guide

This guide walks you through installing, setting up, and using WindowSeat.

What Does WindowSeat Do?

When you open an application on a multi-monitor Windows setup, Windows often ignores which monitor you are working on and places the new window wherever it likes — usually the primary display. WindowSeat watches for new windows and quietly moves them to the monitor you are actively using.

System Requirements

  • Windows 11 (Windows 10 22H2+ supported on a best-effort basis)
  • Two or more monitors
  • No administrator rights required

Installation

Microsoft Store (Recommended)

  1. Open the Microsoft Store on your PC
  2. Search for WindowSeat or follow the link from the GitHub Releases page
  3. Click Get (or Install)
  4. WindowSeat starts automatically — look for the 🪑 icon in your system tray

The Store version updates automatically and can be uninstalled cleanly from Settings → Apps.

ZIP Download (Technical Users / Sideload)

If you prefer not to use the Store:

  1. Go to the Releases page on GitHub
  2. Download the latest WindowSeat-win-x64.zip
  3. Extract the ZIP to a folder of your choice (e.g. C:\Program Files\WindowSeat\)
  4. Run WindowSeat.exe
  5. Look for the 🪑 icon in your system tray

Note: The ZIP version has no installer. There is no entry in Add/Remove Programs. Auto-start at login works via the in-app Settings toggle as normal.

First Run

WindowSeat starts silently in the background the moment it is installed and on every subsequent Windows login. No configuration is required to get started — the default settings work well for most setups:

  • Detection method: Cursor position (windows open where your mouse is)
  • Auto-start: Enabled
  • Update notifications: Enabled

Using the Tray Icon

Right-click the 🪑 icon in your system tray to access the context menu:

Menu item What it does
Open Settings Opens the settings window
Enable WindowSeat Toggles WindowSeat on or off without exiting
Check for Updates Manually checks for a newer version on GitHub
Exit Closes WindowSeat completely

When WindowSeat is disabled, the tray icon is greyed out. Your windows will behave as normal — WindowSeat will not reposition anything until you re-enable it.

Settings

Double-click the tray icon or right-click and choose Open Settings to open the settings window.

General

Enable WindowSeat — master on/off switch. Disabling this pauses all window repositioning but keeps WindowSeat running in the tray.

Launch at Windows startup — controls whether WindowSeat starts automatically when you log in. Enabled by default.

Notify me when updates are available — when enabled, WindowSeat checks GitHub once per session for a newer release and shows a tray notification if one is found.

Monitor Detection

Cursor position — WindowSeat moves new windows to the monitor your mouse cursor is on at the moment the window appears. This is the default and works well for most users.

Last active taskbar — WindowSeat moves new windows to the monitor whose taskbar you most recently clicked. Useful if you prefer to interact with taskbars rather than move your mouse first.

App Exclusions

Some apps manage their own window placement and do not need WindowSeat's help — or you may simply prefer they always open in a specific location. Add them to the exclusion list and WindowSeat will leave their windows alone.

To add an exclusion:

  1. Type the process name (e.g. Spotify.exe) in the text box, or click Browse to select the executable
  2. Click Add

To remove an exclusion:

  1. Select it in the list
  2. Click Remove Selected

Click Save to apply your changes. Click Cancel to discard them.

Uninstalling

Store version

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps
  2. Search for WindowSeat
  3. Click the three-dot menu and choose Uninstall

ZIP version

  1. Right-click the 🪑 tray icon and choose Exit
  2. Delete the folder you extracted WindowSeat into
  3. If you enabled auto-start, open Task Manager → Startup apps and remove the WindowSeat entry (or toggle it off in Settings before exiting)

In both cases, WindowSeat's settings file at %AppData%\WindowSeat\settings.json is not removed automatically. Delete that folder manually if you want a complete clean removal.

Troubleshooting

WindowSeat is not moving a specific app's windows

Some applications control their own window placement and will override any repositioning WindowSeat attempts. This is most common with UWP / Microsoft Store apps (Settings, Calculator, etc.), some Electron apps (Slack, VS Code in some configurations), and apps that explicitly save and restore their own window position. WindowSeat detects known problematic window types and skips them gracefully.

Windows are moving to the wrong monitor

Try switching the detection method in Settings. If you are using Last active taskbar, try Cursor position instead, and make sure your cursor is on the intended monitor before opening an app.

The SmartScreen warning appears every time

This is a one-time warning per install. Once installed, you will not see it again until you install a newer version.

WindowSeat is not starting with Windows

Open Settings and ensure Launch at Windows startup is checked, then click Save.