Offbeat IE window-sizing question

[Guest]

Okay, I launch IE and the first browser instance launches maximized. Good.

 

If I launch another instance of IE (Ctrl-N) it launches maximized. Also good.

 

But if I shift-click a hyperlink or right-click a hyperlink and choose "Open in a new window" or click a link that uses the target="_blank" attribute, the new browser window opens as a non-maximized window. Not good.

 

I know it's a little thing to go click the maximize button in the title bar, but it gets old.

 

Does anyone know how to specify that all new windows should open maximized? It's IE6.01 btw.

[Lamock Chokaprret]

I'm having the same problem. Some web site I surfed thoughtfully changed this characteristic to its present setting. Unfortunately, IE has no menu option to control it. I believe it is a registry setting that needs to be changed, just can't find which one at the moment.

[Guest]

Elsie, yes, it's an odd little problem. To get the first window to open maximized is trivial: start IE, maximize the window, quit IE and thereafter the first window will always open maximized. Unless, of course, you have only one window open and de-maximize it before quitting -- then that window size and position becomes the new default, I think.

 

I wish it was as easy with the second and later browser windows.

 

I don'tthink it was a particular page that affected this setting in my case. It seems to me that IE has always opened new windows as non-maximized and that getting the first page to stick maximized was just trial-and-error. But it's been so long since I loaded IE for the first time I really can't remember with any certainty.

Your idea about the registry is a good one. Maybe I'll poke around and see if there's a switch. I'll holler if I get a result.

[Guest]

Having spent a few hours on this now, it seems that there's no way in any version of IE to get a new window to open truly maximized. The best you can get is a non-minimized window that is stretched to cover the screen. Apparently there's just no API for maximizing a new window.

 

The registry entry controls the X and Y coordinates of the browser window [and is re-written when you drag-resize the last open window then close it], but there's apparently no switch to flip it into maximized mode.

 

Another dead end is C:\Windows\Web\frm2new.htm

 

This interesting little guy is what allows you [in IE5 and later] to use "Open frame in new window" and contains a single line of javascript which can be modified. You can hack it and make your extracted frames do all sorts of interesting things [fullscreen, no toolbars, etc.], but it has no apparent effect on clicked hyperlinks. [if anyone on decides to play, keep a backup copy, and change "open" to "window.open"]

 

Know I think I'll go get into some mischief with F11.