Do you ever find yourself working on a query and realize that you need just a bit more real estate in the SSMS window? Or perhaps you find that all the toolbars, menus, etc. are cluttering things up? To solve these issues, you can toggle the full screen mode in SSMS on. It will remove all that clutter and maximize the query window. Below, you can see a cluttered SSMS with two rows of buttons, and toolbars on both sides of it.

Launch the full screen mode by using the keyboard shortcut Shift+Alt+Enter, or selecting that option from the View menu:

That will switch SSMS into full-screen mode:

Now you have a nice, minimalist window (and it has maximized to the full size of your monitor). All of the clutter and distractions are removed, leaving you to just focus on that fabulous query that you’re working on.

To switch back, use the keyboard shortcut again, or press the Full Screen button that has appeared on the toolbar (indicated above).

This post is for day thirty-three of my blog series “A Month of SSMS Tips”. Yes, I’ve gone beyond a month – there’s just so many things that SSMS can help you with! I have a landing page for the series at bit.ly/MonthOfSSMS or at ssms.waynesheffield.com. Please visit this page for an easy place to quickly view all of the other tips in this series.