Windows users who have never opened Task View are leaving one of the operating system's more capable productivity tools unused, according to a report on the feature. Virtual desktops let users split a single PC into separate workspaces, and the capability ships with both Windows 11 and Windows 10 at no extra cost. The tool is aimed at anyone trying to keep work, personal tasks and individual projects from piling up in one place. Because it has long been present in Windows, many users may already have it installed without having set it up.
Microsoft builds several ways to manage the workspaces. Pressing Windows + Tab or hovering over the Task View icon opens an overview, and Windows + Ctrl + D creates a new desktop immediately. Each desktop can be renamed, and on Windows 11 users can assign a unique wallpaper to tell them apart. Switching is handled through Task View or with the Windows + Ctrl + Left or Right arrow keys. Desktops can be reordered by right-clicking one in Task View and choosing Move right or Move left, or by dragging them along the bottom of the screen, which shortens the distance users must travel to reach a frequently used workspace.
Programs remain available from every desktop; the segmentation comes from which windows are placed where. The source recommends giving each desktop a clear purpose, such as keeping music, chat and social apps together on one workspace while leaving Excel or an email client on another for work. Windows also lets users move an open window from the current desktop to another by dragging and dropping it in Task View. Browser profiles are suggested as a further way to keep activities logically separated. When a desktop is no longer needed, it can be closed with the X in the corner of its Task View thumbnail or with Windows + Ctrl + F4.
Taskbar and Alt + Tab behavior can be tuned for multi-desktop setups in Windows settings. For both the option covering which open windows appear on the taskbar and the option covering which windows appear when Alt + Tab is pressed, users can choose Only on the desktop I'm using or On all desktops. Restricting app switching to the active desktop provides tighter separation between workspaces.
Users who run many desktops and lose track of them can turn to Windows Virtual Desktop Helper, a free program available on GitHub. It can show a desktop's name more prominently when a user switches to it, display the current desktop in the system tray and allow navigation from the tray. The program also supports custom hotkeys for moving between desktops. For people working on a single monitor, virtual desktops offer a way to effectively gain more screen space, the source notes.
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