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How to reset a window's size and position?

bogdanw said:
You have to delete window_placement from ~/Library/Application\ Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Preferences
Open the Preferences file with TextEdit and delete what looks like this:
"window_placement":{"bottom":1066,"left":22,"maximized":false,"right":1506,"top":47,"work_area_bottom":2117,"work_area_left":0,"work_area_right":3840,"work_area_top":25}},
Click to expand...

Works for Google Chrome, too:

.../Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Preferences
 
@bogdanw

Would appreciate it if I could get the Terminal reset command for the Activity Monitor. I am on macOS 15.1.
 
ProQuiz said:
Terminal reset command for the Activity Monitor. I am on macOS 15.1.
Click to expand...
Main window first
Code: 
defaults delete com.apple.ActivityMonitor "NSWindow Frame main window"
defaults delete com.apple.ActivityMonitor "NSWindow Frame CPUWindowFrame"
defaults delete com.apple.ActivityMonitor "NSWindow Frame GPUHistoryWindowFrame"
defaults delete com.apple.ActivityMonitor "NSWindow Frame expanded window"
Terminal needs Full Disk Access.
 
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Excellent info!

Anyone knows how to reset Mail to default window size?

Thanks
 
My action for the new year to reset all my window sizes on my backup Mac (MBA)...

settings > general > erase everything and start over for 2025 :)

but on a serious note (I actually did the above), I appreciate this thread. I don’t know personally how to dig into the OS that deep, so thank y’all for sharing your knowledge.
 
RebeccaL said:
Anyone knows how to reset Mail to default window size?
Click to expand...
Mail Main window:
Code: 
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist DefaultWindowState

all Mail windows related preferences

Code: 
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSOutlineView Items Main Window Mailbox List-V2"
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSSplitView Subview Frames Main Window"
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSSplitView Subview Frames Main Window Preview Pane Vertical"
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSToolbar Configuration MainWindow"

Tested in Sequoia 15.2, Terminal with Full Disk Access.
@Jdizzle188
 
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bogdanw said:
Mail Main window:
Code: 
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist DefaultWindowState

all Mail windows related preferences

Code: 
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSOutlineView Items Main Window Mailbox List-V2"
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSSplitView Subview Frames Main Window"
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSSplitView Subview Frames Main Window Preview Pane Vertical"
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist "NSToolbar Configuration MainWindow"

Tested in Sequoia 15.2, Terminal with Full Disk Access.
@Jdizzle188
Click to expand...
Thank you!!!
 
what do I do if the command above for the mail main window does not work? I copy it and paste it into terminal and hit enter while mail is closed. then when I reopen mail it is still on the “wrong” position on the edge of the screen. (I put it into full screen mode and when I took it out of full screen mode it moved itself into the bottom left hand corner.
I have full disk access turned on for terminal in settings.
 
just a reminder like one poster has already said, I would pay good money for an app that resets all window settings and positions back to default.

to make an AppleScript that runs terminal commands, what would happen if someone made a “master” reset that had all default apple apps, but you didn’t have that app installed? would an error happen and stop it, or would it keep going. I know nothing about programming, not too much about Shortcuts, and nothing about terminal (other than copy and paste commands)
 
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tonywalker23 said:
what do I do if the command above for the mail main window does not work? I copy it and paste it into terminal and hit enter while mail is closed. then when I reopen mail it is still on the “wrong” position on the edge of the screen. (I put it into full screen mode and when I took it out of full screen mode it moved itself into the bottom left hand corner.
I have full disk access turned on for terminal in settings.
Click to expand...
I tried this tutorial and it worked for me (Sequoia):

  • Open Finder and press Shift + Command + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog.
  • Type ~/Library/Preferences and press Enter.
  • Locate and delete the file com.apple.mail.plist
  • Type ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences and press Enter.
  • Locate and delete the file com.apple.mail.plist
  • If the issue persists, navigate to ~/Library/Saved Application State and delete the folder com.apple.mail.savedState. This folder contains saved window positions.
 
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It should be as easy as
Code: 
defaults delete com.apple.notes "NSWindow Frame Notes"
or
Code: 
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.notes.plist "NSWindow Frame Notes"

but in my tests with Apple Notes, deleting the preference file ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.notes.plist did not reset the main window's size and position.

Even using AppCleaner on Notes did not reset the window!
 
Sorry if already covered…

For me, generally, open app, move/resize window, quit, reopen. Done.

That said, have not moved/changed Notes in ages, always opens where I want it.
 
Mystery solved :) To reset Notes’ main window to the default size and position:

Code: 
defaults delete ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist "NSWindow Frame Notes"

defaults delete ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.apple.notes/Library/Preferences/group.com.apple.notes.plist ClientStateData

Tested in Sequoia 15.5. As I don’t use Notes, I can’t say if this affects iCloud sync. Make a copy of the two plist files just in case.
 
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other than my work laptop in my office, more than likely on my personal devices I’ll erase and put the public betas when they come out soon. Then for a short time, everything will be where it’s supposed to be :)
 
Do modifications to window size and position persist after quitting and re-opening Shortcuts?
I see that it always opens in the same place and with the same size.
 
I have a shortcut that takes the front window, sizes it to 927 by 1199 pixels (which is the same physical size of a piece of 8.5x11 paper if using a 27” display). I was tinkering with a textedit window and the shortcut, but I accidentally had the shortcut app window (the one with all the shortcut icons in rows) as the front most window and when activated it I resized shortcuts instead of textedit. since then the shortcut window has stayed the size I changed it to instead of defaulting back.
 
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