- How to use multiple desktops in Windows 10
- How to create a new virtual desktop in Windows 10
- How to switch between virtual desktops in Windows 10
- How to move windows between virtual desktops in Windows 10
- Click-and-drag method
- Right-click menu method
- How to duplicate windows across virtual desktops
- How to remove a virtual desktop in Windows 10
- More Windows 10 resources
- Halo: MCC’s live service elements make it better, not worse
- Microsoft’s Surface Duo is not ‘failing up’
- Here’s what you can do if Windows 10 update KB5001330 is causing issues
- These are the best PC sticks when you’re on the move
- How to switch between desktops with keyboard shortcut
- Replies (5)
- How to switch desktops on a Windows 10 computer and organize your activities on multiple virtual desktops
- Check out the products mentioned in this article:
- Windows 10 (From $134.99 at Best Buy)
- Lenovo IdeaPad (From $299.99 at Best Buy)
- How to switch desktops in Windows 10
- How to move a window from one desktop to another in Windows 10
- Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
- How to change your background on a Windows 10 device using your settings or a shortcut
- How to test your microphone on a Windows 10 computer, and make sure your PC is using the right input
- How to turn off notifications on Windows 10 for individual programs, or all at once
- How to sign a PDF document on a Windows computer using Adobe Reader
- How to restart Windows Explorer using your computer’s Task Manager tool
- How to Switch Between Desktops in Windows 10?
- Steps to switch between the Desktops in Windows 10
How to use multiple desktops in Windows 10
Source: Windows Central
Windows 10, now enjoying the October 2020 Update, continues to make it extremely easy to set up and use multiple virtual desktops in Windows 10. Multiple desktops are great for keeping unrelated, ongoing projects organized, or for quickly hiding from the boss that browser game you can’t stop playing. And if you’ve not yet upgraded to Windows 10, be sure to have a look at our collection of the best Windows laptop options with the latest OS.
Ready to tackle the day with multiple desktops? Let’s go!
How to create a new virtual desktop in Windows 10
Creating a new virtual desktop can be done with a couple of clicks or with a keyboard shortcut.
Click the Task View button in your taskbar.
- You can also use the Windows key + Tab shortcut on your keyboard, or you can swipe with one finger from the left of your touchscreen.
Click New Desktop. (It’s located in the top left corner of your screen.)
Source: Windows Central
That’s it. Easy, right? There’s also a Ctrl + Windows key + D keyboard shortcut that will immediately create a new virtual desktop.
How to switch between virtual desktops in Windows 10
Now that you’ve created a new virtual desktop, you can quickly switch a few different ways.
Click the Task View button in your taskbar.
- You can also use the Windows key + Tab shortcut on your keyboard, or you can swipe with one finger from the left of your touchscreen.
Click Desktop 2 or any other virtual desktop you’ve created.
Source: Windows Central
You can switch back to your original desktop at any time by following the above steps but choosing Desktop 1. There’s also a Ctrl + Windows key + Left and right arrow keyboard shortcut that you can use to switch between virtual desktops. Using a device with a touchpad? You can perform a four-finger swipe left or right to switch between virtual desktops.
How to move windows between virtual desktops in Windows 10
There are two ways you can move windows between virtual desktops. First, you can click and drag windows; second, you can right-click the window and use the menu.
Click-and-drag method
Click the Task View button in your taskbar.
- You can also use the Windows key + Tab shortcut on your keyboard, or you can swipe with one finger from the left of your touchscreen.
Drag and release the window on an alternate desktop.
Source: Windows Central
Right-click menu method
Click the Task View button in your taskbar.
- You can also use the Windows key + Tab shortcut on your keyboard, or you can swipe with one finger from the left of your touchscreen.
Right-click on the window you’d like to move to another desktop.
Source: Windows Central
Click the desktop to which you’d like to move the window.
Source: Windows Central
You can move windows back and forth between desktops to your heart’s content.
How to duplicate windows across virtual desktops
Certain windows or collections of windows from one app can be duplicated across all virtual desktops.
Click the Task View button in your taskbar.
- You can also use the Windows key + Tab shortcut on your keyboard, or you can swipe with one finger from the left of your touchscreen.
Right-click an active window.
Source: Windows Central
Click Show windows from this app on all desktops to duplicate all windows from one app.
Source: Windows Central
How to remove a virtual desktop in Windows 10
Want to get back to just one desktop? No problem.
Click the Task View button in your taskbar.
- You can also use the Windows key + Tab shortcut on your keyboard, or you can swipe with one finger from the left of your touchscreen.
Click the X in the top-right corner of the desktop icon.
Source: Windows Central
Open and running windows in a desktop you close will be moved back to your original desktop. You can also use the Ctrl + Windows key + F4 keyboard shortcut to immediately close the virtual desktop you’re currently viewing.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Halo: MCC’s live service elements make it better, not worse
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is more popular than ever, but some fans don’t agree with the live service approach 343 Industries has taken with it. Here’s why those elements are, at the end of the day, great for the game and for Halo overall.
Microsoft’s Surface Duo is not ‘failing up’
Microsoft announced this week that it was expanding Surface Duo availability to nine new commercial markets. While Surface Duo is undoubtedly a work in progress, this is not a sign of a disaster. It’s also doesn’t mean that Surface Duo is selling a ton either. Instead, the reason for the expansion is a lot more straightforward.
Here’s what you can do if Windows 10 update KB5001330 is causing issues
In this guide, we’ll show you the steps to get rid of the update KB5001330 to fix profile, gaming, and BSoD problems with the Windows 10 October 2020 Update and May 2020 Update.
These are the best PC sticks when you’re on the move
Instant computer — just add a screen. That’s the general idea behind the ultra-portable PC, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we have you covered!
How to switch between desktops with keyboard shortcut
I loved to see that there are several desktops in Windows 10 like on other operating systems. I tried to switch from one desktop to the other with the keyboard but ALT+TAB and WINDOWS+TAB do not what i assumed. I wish to switch to desktop 1 with (per example) ALT+1 and to Desktop 3 with ALT+3 like on most Linux desktop environments.
Thanks in advance,
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Ctrl+win+arrow keys works, thanks. The disadvantage is that one needs 2 hands and needs many keypresses to move from desktop 1 to lets say 5.
I loved to see a one handed shortcut with witch I can fastly access every desktop I have.
Additionally it would be nice to be able to set the number of desktops I have after startup and to make good things great, it would be great if I would be able to set that f.e. outlook should start on desktop X after startup.
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How to switch desktops on a Windows 10 computer and organize your activities on multiple virtual desktops
Windows 10 lets you create multiple desktops and switch between them with a couple of clicks. This way, you can work on several different projects at once without feeling cluttered or mixing windows and apps of unrelated activities.
Not only can you switch among different desktops, but you can also easily move open windows from one desktop to the other.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Windows 10 (From $134.99 at Best Buy)
Lenovo IdeaPad (From $299.99 at Best Buy)
How to switch desktops in Windows 10
1. Click the «Task View» button in the taskbar. You can also press the Windows key + «Tab» on your keyboard.
2. Click the Task View button to see your desktops, open programs, and history of programs you’ve recently used.
3. At the top of the screen, you will see all your current virtual desktops. Hover your cursor over a desktop to see the programs and tabs currently open in that window.
4. Click the desktop you want to switch to, or click «New Desktop» to open a new, blank virtual desktop. The virtual desktops appear at the top of the screen, above the history of programs you’ve used.
5. Below the desktops, you can see a history of all the programs and windows you have used. As you scroll down the list, you go further into the past. You can re-open a window just by clicking it.
6. Also, you can quickly switch between desktops without going into «Task View» by pressing «CTRL» + the Windows key + the right arrow key or «CTRL» + Windows key + left arrow key on your keyboard.
How to move a window from one desktop to another in Windows 10
If you are using a window on one desktop but would like it to be in a different desktop, you can easily transfer it.
1. Click the «Task View» icon in the taskbar. You can also press the Windows key + «Tab» on your keyboard.
2. Hover your cursor over the desktop. When you see the window you want to move, click and drag the window to the other desktop and release it. You’ve now moved it between desktops.
You can drag windows between desktops to re-organize which windows share a desktop.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to change your background on a Windows 10 device using your settings or a shortcut
How to test your microphone on a Windows 10 computer, and make sure your PC is using the right input
How to turn off notifications on Windows 10 for individual programs, or all at once
How to sign a PDF document on a Windows computer using Adobe Reader
How to restart Windows Explorer using your computer’s Task Manager tool
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How to Switch Between Desktops in Windows 10?
Windows 10 provides an amazing feature with which you can easily manage and organise your work. This feature is Multiple Desktops, also termed as Virtual Desktop. Yes! You can have more than one desktop at a time on a single machine, and of course, switch between them.
Imagine having 10 to 15 applications open on your desktop. What a mess! To manage this stuff, you can go for multiple desktops and move a few of the applications to another desktop.
If you are working on multiple projects simultaneously, then you can create different desktops for different projects. Such as one for a game related project, one for an under-development website, one for communicating with your teammates and another, maybe for some amusement like songs, games or a movie.
After creating a number of desktops, you need to know how to switch between them. Windows 10 is very fast and switching between the desktops is even faster. This article is going to tell you three very simple methods to quickly switch to a different desktop in Windows 10.
Steps to switch between the Desktops in Windows 10
Method 1: Using Task View Button
Task View button is present on the taskbar in Windows 10. This button looks like:
Sometimes, the Task View button is hidden by default. You can make it visible in two steps:
- Right-click on Taskbar.
- Select the Show Task View button.
Step 1: Click on the Task View button present on the taskbar.
As soon as you click, a new screen will appear.
This screen contains four things:
- Taskbar at the bottom: This taskbar belongs to the desktop which is currently open.
- Desktop ribbon: Above the taskbar, appears a ribbon which holds all the desktops which you have created. They are given names like Desktop 1, Desktop 2 and so on.
- New Desktop button: Look at the right-most corner on the Desktop ribbon, you will find a New Desktop button represented by a Plus sign. By clicking on this button, you can create a new desktop.
- Active applications on the current desktop: The major part of this screen is covered by the snaps of applications which are active on the current desktop. If you hover the mouse on different desktops present on the ribbon, the applications of the respective desktop will appear in this area.
Step 2: Just click on the desktop which you want to open from the Desktop ribbon.
Method 2: Ctrl + Windows + Arrow Key(Left/Right)
This is a keyboard shortcut to switch between the desktops in Windows 10.
Step 1: Press the Ctrl key and Windows key simultaneously.
Step 2: Without leaving the above two keys, press the left/right arrow key once.
This will take you to the neighbouring desktop. Pressing the arrow key again will take you to the next desktop. In this way, you can go through all the desktops one by one using the keyboard shortcut.
Method 3: Four – finger Swipe
If you have a touch-screen, then this is the best way to switch between the desktops in Windows 10.
Swipe with four fingers in either direction and the neighbouring desktop will slide into the screen. If you want to go back to the previous desktop, swipe again with four fingers in the opposite direction.
That’s it! Now you know how to switch between the desktops quickly in Windows 10 and you can do multitasking more efficiently.