Virtual Infrastructure Client Opens Off Screen

A user reported an issue with one of the VM’s in my environment this morning.  It seems that an automated process had spun up the CPU to 100% in the Windows guest and the system was deadlocked.  I was still at home when I received the message on my BlackBerry, so I fired up the VPN on my Windows 7 laptop, opened the VI3 client and….., um, where is it?  The VI3 client icon was in the taskbar, but the app was nowhere to be found – it had opened off-screen where my secondary monitor usually lives.  This is nothing new for the VI client – I have experienced it numerous times in the past.  But this was my first time with the problem on Windows 7.

Pre-Windows 7, I would have right-clicked the Windows taskbar for the app, selected ‘Move’, and then used the keyboard arrow keys to guide the phantom window home.  Windows 7 does not have the same Windows positioning options on a right-click to the taskbar so I had to find another way. Enter Windows shortcut keys.  Here’s how I brought the VI3 Client window back into view:

1. Make sure that the VI3 Client window is in the foreground by selecting it in the taskbar.  You’ll know that it is in the foreground when the taskbar icon gets a white glow as pictured here:
2. Press the hotkey combination: “ALT+Space, M” for Move.
3. Use the keyboard arrow keys to move the window to your active monitor, pressing “Enter” once the window is visible to commit the move.
4. If the arrow keys fail to move the window and/or you hear the Windows error sound, your VI3 Client windows is probably maximized.  The move option is not available when a window is maximized.  To work around this condition use the hotkey combination: “ALT+Space, R” for Restore.  You should now be able to move the window using steps #2 & #3 above.

If you are still really struggling, break out the trusty old registry editor and follow along:

1. Close any open VMware Infrastructure Client windows
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareVMwareVMware Infrastructure ClientPreferencesUI
3. Locate the ApplicationLocation key.  This key provides the X-Y coordinate for the VI Client window at startup.
4. Modify the string value to 0-0.  This value will cause the VI3 client to open in the center of your primary display.
5. If you run different sized/resolution displays, you may also want to change the ApplicationMaximized or ApplicationSize keys to fit your needs.
6. Launch the VMware Infrastructure Client and get back to work.