Multiple desktops is different from multiple monitors. It refers to the ability to switch your entire desktop view to a new, clean space.
In any given day, I might have 7 desktops running;
- D1 - My general workspace, email, and messaging apps.
- D2 - A Webflow project, for a client
- D3 - A programming project, with Visual Studio and lots of stack overflow windows.
- D4 - Another Webflow project
- D5 - An article I'm writing, with research windows
- D6 - A research task, where I have 50 tabs and videos open, researching things
- D7 - Another programming project
The point is, whatever I'm working on, I can work only on that thing without 100 other windows competing for space.
Windows support for Multiple Desktops
Windows has quietly supported multiple desktops since Windows 7, and has made some significant improvements in Windows 10 and more in Window 11.
With some open source extensions like Marcus-L's FreeVD, you can add important hotkey functionality to make your multiple desktops setup a breeze.
How to use Multiple Desktops
To switch between virtual desktops, open the Task View pane and click on the desktop you want to switch to. You can also quickly switch desktops without going into the Task View pane by using the keyboard shortcuts.
That Windows key ( WIN ) is for more than opening the start menu.
- WIN+TAB will show you all open desktops, and let you arrange your apps. The task view button on the Windows bar also accesses this.
- WIN+CTRL+RIGHT switch to the next desktop
- WIN+CTRL+LEFT switch to the previous desktop
- WIN+CTRL+D Add a new desktop
