Why Isn't My Window Visible?

I use a laptop as my primary machine and when I'm in the office I have a second monitor hooked up to a dock so that I can work on dual screens. Sometimes after I undock (therefore switching back to a single screen) Windows remembers the last position of whatever I had open...if that happened to be on the second monitor then the next time I open it Windows renders it right where it was before - off screen! There it is in the task bar; I can minimize it or restore it but I can't see it.

Disregarding the sometimes oddball suggestions I've seen in forums, groups, and even magazines about how to fix this, I found a simple key combination that works:

1. Make the window active by selecting it in the task bar
2. Ensure the window is not maximized by pressing alt-space (that's the alt key and the spacebar at the same time), then press r.
3. Move the window back on screen by pressing alt-space, then press m, and then repeatedly press the arrow keys to move the window back on screen. (tip: after pressing any arrow key just once you can use the mouse\touchpad to move the window)

Hopefully this saves you some time and frustration next time it happens to you.

SQL Server Best Practices

No matter how many times I read best practices I always learn something new or am reminded about something I put way in the back of my mind. It's always good to take a step away from the daily grind, reinforce what you already know, and maybe pick up a new tidbit or two of information that can help you do your job better.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb331794.aspx