How to Use Virtual Desktop Feature in Windows

The majority of professionals these days work heavily on PCs. This means that keeping your digital space organised is crucial to maintaining a productive working environment. Most professional tech companies would advocate this – for example, TechQuarters, a Microsoft Partner and Managed Service Provider. The IT support services London-based organisations receive from Tech Quarters involve tips to stay organised; and as TechQuarters’ customers use Windows, this means using virtual desktops.

Virtual Desktop & Task View

Windows has been the go-to operating system for professional organisations and individuals alike for many years. So much so, in fact, that Windows 11 – the latest version of the software – was specifically designed with hybrid and remote working in mind. Windows contains many tools and functions designed to support professionals in the flow of work.

Virtual Desktops is a relatively recent addition to Windows that offers users a great way to organise their apps and Windows. A desktop, as it is commonly referred to, is the base graphical user interface of a computer – it treats your computer’s display as the surface of a desk, and any applications you open will sit on top of that desktop, as a window (hence the name of Microsoft’s OS).

Normally, a computer has just one desktop, and all apps that are open will populate the desktop. Now, however, Windows allows you to create additional ‘virtual’ desktops. Each virtual desktop is capable of hosting applications and Windows. You might have different applications open on each desktop, or you might have the same application open in both, but with different windows – for example, two distinct Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets open in each desktop.

Virtual desktops are accessed via Task View – a native app in Windows that can be opened from your taskbar.

How to Use Virtual Desktops in Windows

The main purposes of virtual desktops are to organize and divide workloads, as well as to keep professional and personal activities separate. Work compartmentalization will be considerably simpler after you get the hang of using Windows’ virtual desktops. The Task View is where using virtual desktops should begin. If the Task View symbol in your taskbar—which resembles two overlapping squares—isn’t visible, right-click the taskbar, choose Taskbar settings, and turn Task View on. By clicking the icon or hitting Windows + Tab, you may access the Task View.

Creating Desktops

As mentioned above, virtual desktops are stored and accessed within the Task View in Windows. The Task View is like a bird’s eye view of all the programs and applications that you have open during a session, and when you open it up, you can scroll through your apps and windows. Along the bottom of Task View, you will see a band that shows your primary desktop, along with the option to create a New desktop, along with a plus (+) sign. In order to create a virtual desktop, simply press this button.

Renaming Desktops

Desktops in Task View are named in ascending numerical order. In other words, your main desktop will be listed as ‘Desktop 1’, and all subsequent desktops that you create will be named ‘Desktop 2’, ‘Desktop 3’, and so on. If you wish to rename a desktop, right-click the desktop in Task View, and select Rename. Alternatively, if you click directly on the name of the desktop, it will allow you to rename it.

Switching Between Desktops

When you are in Task View, you can see all of the desktops that have been created – they will be listed along the bottom of the display. To switch between your desktops, start by opening Task View. In Task View, click on the desktop you want to switch to – this will replace your interface with the desktop you clicked on. You can also switch desktops without having to open Task View – hold Windows + Ctrl, and press either the Right or Left arrow keys, and your display will immediately switch over to the subsequent desktop. Using those same hotkeys while Task View is open, will switch between your desktops within Task View.                                                                                                                                                                          

Moving Windows Between Desktops

When you open Task View, you will see all the windows that are on the desktop you are currently in. When you switch between desktops in Task View (by pressing Windows + Ctrl + Left/Right), the windows in each subsequent desktop will be displayed. If you want to move a window from one desktop to another, click and drag that window down to the icon of the desktop you want to move it to. After a second, Task View will switch over to that desktop, where you will be able to drop the window into it.

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