microsoft/Terminal

Dragging window in F11 Fullscreen makes it movable but fails to exit Fullscreen state (Controls remain hidden)

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#19800 opened on Jan 27, 2026

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Help WantedImpact-VisualIssue-BugPriority-3Product-Terminal

Description

Windows Terminal version

1.23.20211.0

Windows build number

10.0.26200.7628

Other Software

No response

Steps to reproduce

  1. Set "showTabsFullscreen": true in settings.json.
  2. Press F11 to enter Fullscreen mode.
  3. Click and drag the tab strip/title bar.

Expected Behavior

Standard Windows behavior suggests that dragging a snapped or fullscreen window should trigger a "Restore" event, exiting Fullscreen mode, resizing the window to its previous dimensions, and showing the window controls. (Alternatively: If Fullscreen is intended to be locked, the window should not be draggable at all).

Actual Behavior

  1. The window detaches and follows the mouse (is draggable).
  2. State persists: The app logic remains in "Fullscreen" mode.
  3. UI broken: The window does not resize to its "Restored" dimensions, and the caption buttons remain hidden.
  4. Recovery: Pressing F11 again is required to properly exit this state and restore standard window controls.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ba18b83d-5277-44e2-80e2-0a3e298b67a6

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
C++Windows API (WM NCLBUTTONDOWN)Window state managementWindows Terminal codebase navigation
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75
Research direction
Investigate the window message handling when dragging the title bar in fullscreen mode. Check the `Window` or `TerminalWindow` class in the WT source for fullscreen state management. Look at how `WM NCLBUTTONDOWN` is processed and whether it should trigger a restore. Also examine the `showTabsFullscreen` setting's interaction with the fullscreen state. Consider reviewing any existing tests for window behavior.