When I'm on a laptop without an external monitor, I often want my external tool windows in Visual Studio where I usually have my Output, Error, and Find windows situated, to stop floating over the main VS edit windows.

I keep thinking I've forgotten how to do it, though it's not difficult. You just open your preferences, search for "window", and up it comes.

Turning off tool window floating

This really is a better way to get around on a small-screened setup. I have a super-cheap Lenovo 100S that I keep around for when I don't have a computer with me (har har), as it has great battery life and a screen that'll go to 180 degrees on its hinge. It's small, fits nicely on my lap, and there's plenty of space to fit this little thing in front of the steering wheel when I'm sitting around for a while and want to hack a bit. The keyboard and trackpad are pretty crappy, but for the price, I'll manage. (Occasionally, yes, I couple it with my ThinkPad Compact USB keyboard. That thing is wonderful, even if it isn't backlit.)

I consider the 100S my off-brand MacBook Air.

But the 1366x768 screen is pretty small. When I'm using Visual Studio [sic], it's nice to keep those three tool windows somewhere else so that I can still see the code. Much easier than all the window rearranging I used to do.

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