Use different desktops in Windows 10

With Windows 10, Microsoft finally brought a feature that is standard on other desktop operating systems to Windows: multiple desktops, which the company calls virtual desktops. This is admittedly a power user feature, but it can be helpful for anyone who wants an extra bit of organization.

Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10.

 Viktor Hanacek / PicJumbo

The key starting point for multiple desktops is Windows 10's Task View. The easiest way to access it is the icon to the right of Cortana on the taskbar — it looks like a big rectangle with a smaller rectangle on each side of it. Alternatively, you can tap the Windows key+Tab.

Task View is a better-looking version of Alt+Tab. It shows all your open program windows at a glance, and it lets you choose between them.

The biggest difference between Task View and Alt+Tab is that Task View stays open until you dismiss it — unlike the keyboard shortcut.

When you're in Task View, you'll see a button that says New desktop. Select that, and at the bottom of the Task View area, two rectangles labeled Desktop 1 and Desktop 2 appear.

Select Desktop 2, and you land on a clean desktop with no programs running. Your open programs are still available on the first desktop, but now you have another one open for other purposes.

If you're still scratching your head as to why you'd want more than one desktop, consider how you use your PC every day. If you're on a laptop, switching between Microsoft Word, a browser, and a music app can be a pain. Putting each program in a different desktop makes moving between them much easier and removes the need to maximize and minimize each program as you need it.

Another way to use multiple desktops is to have all your productivity programs on one desktop, and your entertainment or game items on another, or you could put email and web browsing on one desktop and Microsoft Office on another. The possibilities are endless and depend on how you organize your programs.

You can move open windows between desktops by opening Task View and then using your mouse to drag and drop from one desktop to another.

After you have all your desktops set up, you can switch between them using Task View or by using the keyboard shortcut Windows key+Ctrl+right or left arrow key. Using the arrow keys is tricky because you have to be aware of which desktop you are on. Multiple desktops are organized on a virtual straight line with two endpoints. Once you reach the end of that line, you have to go back the way you came.

In practical terms, you move from desktop 1 to desktop 2, 3, and so on using the right arrow key. When you reach the last desktop, you go back through using the left arrow. If you find that you jump between numerous desktops out of order, it's better to use Task View where all open desktops are consolidated in one spot.

The multiple desktops feature has two key options you can adjust to your liking.

1. Select Start.

2. Choose Settings from the Start menu.

3. Select System.

4. Select Multitasking and scroll down until you see the heading Virtual desktops.

Here are two options that are easy to understand:

• The top option lets you decide whether you want to see the icons for every single open program across the taskbar of every desktop or only on the desktop where the program is open.
• The second option is a similar setting for the previously mentioned Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut.

Multiple desktops aren't for everybody, but if you're having trouble keeping your programs organized in one workspace, try creating two, three, or four in Windows 10.

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Using multiple virtual desktops can be very helpful, and is easy to set up and use in Windows 10. If you keep a lot of applications open at one time, this can be a convenient way to keep organized.

• • Open up the Task View pane by clicking the Task View button, or by pressing the Windows Key + Tab
  • Click New Desktop.
• • Open the Task View pane and click on the desktop you would like to switch to.
  • You can also quickly switch between desktops with the keyboard shortcuts Windows key + Ctrl + Left Arrow and Windows key + Ctrl + Right Arrow.
• • Open the Task View pane and hover your cursor over the desktop containing the window that you want to move. [The windows on the selected desktop will pop up.]
  • Find the window that you want to move, right-click it, select Move to, and choose the desktop you want to move the window to. [You can also drag and drop windows to the desired desktop!]
• • Open the Task View pane, hover over the desktop that you want to close, and click the small X that appears in the top-right corner.
  • You can also close desktops with the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + Ctrl + F4.

We'll show you how to use virtual desktops on Windows 10.

Microsoft

Using virtual desktops in Windows 10 can be highly advantageous, particularly for anyone with a single-monitor setup. If you're still working from home due to the pandemic and juggling several different projects on the same computer, multiple desktops can be a life-saver. [And now, if you're one of the many who are upgrading to Windows 11, it's even easier to set up and toggle between multiple virtual desktops. And you'll have access to other cool features like support for Android apps.] Whether you're a longtime Windows 10 user or have only recently upgraded to Windows 10 after support for Windows 7 ended in 2020, we'll walk you through using multiple virtual desktops. 

The Task View pane in Windows 10 allows you to add an unlimited number of virtual desktops quickly and easily. You can manage the view of your virtual desktop, and move applications to different desktops, show windows on all desktops or close pages on a selected desktop. Here's how to do it. 

How to add a desktop in Windows 10

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

To add a virtual desktop, open up the new Task View pane by clicking the Task View button [two overlapping rectangles] on the taskbar, or by pressing the Windows Key + Tab. In the Task View pane, click New desktop to add a virtual desktop. If you have two or more desktops already open, the "Add a desktop" button will appear as a gray tile with a plus symbol. You can also quickly add a desktop without entering the Task View pane by using the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + Ctrl + D.

How to switch between desktops in Windows 10

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

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 Windows Key + Ctrl + Left Arrow and Windows Key + Ctrl + Right Arrow. 

You can add an unlimited number of virtual desktops -- we stopped at 368.

How to move windows between desktops in Windows 10

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

To move a window from one desktop to another, you first have to open up the Task View pane and then hover over the desktop containing the window you want to move. The windows on that desktop will pop up; find the window you want to move, right-click it, and go to Move to and choose the desktop you want to move the window to. You can also drag and drop windows -- grab the window you want to move and drag it into the desired desktop.

How to close a desktop in Windows 10

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

To close a virtual desktop, open up the Task View pane and hover over the desktop you want to close until a small X appears in the upper-right corner. Click the X to close the desktop. You can also close the desktop you're currently on without going into the Task View pane by using the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + Ctrl + F4.

For more on Windows 10, check out how to get Windows Photo Viewer back in Windows 10, everything you need to know about the latest Windows 10 update and six simple security changes all Windows 10 users need to make. Plus, here's how you'll download Windows 11 for free, and how to tell if your computer is compatible with Windows 11.

First published on Jan. 28, 2015 at 2:05 p.m. PT.