Media Creation Tool Microsoft Windows 7

Windows 9 looks like it will finally include virtual desktops, a characteristic Linux and Mac users accept been enjoying for years. But Windows vii and 8 already have some virtual desktop features — they're simply hidden under the hood.

Windows has actually had API back up for virtual desktops since Windows NT four, but there'southward no user interface around it. You need a tool to enable it, like Microsoft's Virtual Desktops PowerToy for Windows XP one time did.

Become Virtual Desktops

While Microsoft's Virtual Desktops PowerToy hasn't worked since Windows XP, they do provide some other tool that volition let yous employ virtual desktops on mod versions of Windows. The tool is pocket-sized, lightweight, and free. You don't take to pay up, deal with nag screens, or deal with a cluttered application to employ them.

RELATED: What Are the SysInternals Tools and How Practice Y'all Use Them?

Download Desktops v2.0 from MIcrosoft's Windows Sysinternals site. Sysinternals was once a 3rd-party collection of tools, just the Sysinternals tools are so useful and powerful that Microsoft bought them all a few years ago. If you lot're a Windows ability user, you should get familiar with the SysInternals tools. Most of them are powerful system utilities total of useful information — not pocket-size tools like this one.

Open the downloaded Desktops.nil file, extract the Desktops.exe file, and double-click it. You'll see the minimal Desktops setup window. If you want to run the tool automatically at login, click the Run automatically at logon checkbox.

Switching Between Desktops

Y'all tin customize the keys for switching betwixt virtual desktops, just by default y'all'll utilise Alt+i/two/iii/4 to switch between your 4 virtual desktops. You can as well click the system tray icon to run across an overview of your desktops and switch between them.

To modify your hotkeys, right-click the system tray icon and select Options.

The commencement time y'all switch to a virtual desktop, Windows will "create" it — information technology's loading a new copy of Explorer.exe for that desktop. Windows yous open on other desktops won't appear to be open on your other desktops, so y'all tin't switch to them with the taskbar or Alt+Tab. Y'all'll accept to switch back to their associated desktop first.

Each desktop also has its own carve up organisation tray — so system tray icons from your start desktop won't appear on your other desktops. If you open an application on your second desktop and information technology loads a system tray icon, that system tray icon volition only appear in the system tray on your 2d desktop, and non your first, third, or quaternary desktops.

Assigning Windows to Desktops

To launch on application window on a specific desktop, showtime switch to that desktop and then launch the application from your taskbar, Start menu, or wherever else.

Unfortunately, you tin can't really move windows between virtual desktops once they're open up. To move a window to a different desktop, yous have to close information technology and then re-open it on that other desktop. Try to gear up workspaces for specific tasks so you don't accept to constantly juggle windows between desktops.

Closing Desktops v2.0

The recommended mode to close Desktops v2.0 is to log off and log back on. Of course, if you desire to stop using it, yous should disable the "Run automatically at logon" choice offset.

Why the Limitations?

RELATED: How to Get Virtual Desktops on Windows with Dexpot

The Sysinternals Desktops v2.0 downloads folio explains the limitations of the tool well. In that location are other virtual desktop tools that seem more than powerful. For example, we idea Dexpot worked very well and in that location are other virtual desktop managers you can download. These tools mostly have more features and can feel a bit more "seamless" — you can move windows between virtual desktops and meet all your open up windows on each desktop'southward taskbar, if y'all similar.

However, about virtual desktop tools just work by minimizing and maximizing windows. They don't create real virtual desktops — they "fake it" by remembering which windows should be minimized and which should exist maximized. If you've used a tool like this in the past, yous may take seen your windows minimize and maximize as you switch between desktops.

Desktops v2.0 uses the features built into Windows, so it'southward much more lightweight and — arguably — less buggy than these other tools. If you tin can alive with the limitations, it may be a more powerful, solid virtual desktop option than other third-party desktop tools.

Hopefully Microsoft volition extend this feature. Windows 9 should have a way to move windows betwixt virtual desktops and a nice interface.

For now, this is the most official manner to unlock the native virtual desktop support that's been function of Windows since Windows NT 4, released back in 1996.