by The Computing Australia Group | Windows 11: Virtual
Desktops in 5 Minutes
Virtual desktops are one of Windows 11’s most useful productivity features-yet most people barely scratch the surface. With just a few clicks (or keyboard shortcuts), you can create separate “workspaces” for projects, roles, or contexts. Keep your day job, side hustle, and personal life neatly partitioned-no more hunting through a messy taskbar to find the one window you need.
This modernised, step-by-step guide expands your original post into a complete walkthrough covering what virtual desktops are, why they matter, how to create/switch/rename/delete them, time-saving shortcuts, touchpad gestures, per-desktop wallpapers, app behaviour across desktops, and advanced tips for power users. We’ll also include a Jargon Buster, FAQs, and a full SEO guide at the end to help this article rank and convert.
TL;DR: Press Win + Ctrl + D to create a new desktop, Win + Ctrl + Left/Right to switch, and Win + Ctrl + F4 to close the current desktop. Open Task View with Win + Tab to see, name, and rearrange desktops.
What Are Virtual Desktops (and Why You Should Use Them)
A virtual desktop is a separate, tidy workspace on the same PC. Think of it like having multiple desks in your office-one for deep work, one for meetings, one for personal tasks-without buying more monitors or rearranging furniture.
Key benefits:
- Reduced clutter: Keep unrelated windows out of sight so you can stay focused.
- Clear context switching: Scientific writing on Desktop 2, client calls on Desktop 3, gaming/personal on Desktop 4.
- Privacy on demand: Instantly switch away from sensitive work during screen shares.
- Lightweight and fast: No VMs or extra hardware needed.
- Better with Snap Layouts: Combine desktops with Windows 11 Snap Layouts/Snap Groups to organise windows even more efficiently.
Myth buster: Virtual desktops are not tied to multiple displays. You can use them on a single monitor just fine. Additional monitors simply give you more screen real estate on each desktop.
The Basics: Create, Switch, Rename, Reorder, and Close
Open Task View
- Click the Task View button on the taskbar (two overlapping rectangles).
- If you don’t see it: Right-click taskbar → Taskbar settings → Task View → On.
- Or use Win + Tab to open Task View instantly.
Create a New Virtual Desktop
2. Click New desktop (a thumbnail with a +).
3. You’ll see a new thumbnail (“Desktop 2”, “Desktop 3”, etc.). Click it to enter.
Shortcut: Win + Ctrl + D creates a new desktop and switches you to it immediately.
Switch Between Desktops
- Task View: Click the desktop thumbnail you want.
- Keyboard: Win + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow cycles through desktops in order.
- Touchpad (Precision Touchpad): Four-finger swipe left/right switches desktops; four-finger swipe up opens Task View.
Rename a Desktop (and Use Per-Desktop Wallpapers)
1. Open Task View
3. Type a descriptive title: Client A, Design, Personal, Meetings.
4. To set a different background per desktop: Right-click desktop thumbnail → Choose background (or Choose background after opening the desktop and going to Personalisation → Background).
Using distinct wallpapers and names is the fastest way to avoid “where am I?” confusion.
Reorder Desktops
- Open Task View, then drag and drop thumbnails to rearrange the order (leftmost = first).
- There’s no default global hotkey to reorder; dragging is the standard method.
Close (Delete) a Desktop
1. Open Task View
2. Hover a desktop thumbnail and click the X in the top-right corner, or right-click → Close.
3. Shortcut: Switch to the desktop you want to close and press Win + Ctrl + F4.
Important: Closing a desktop does not close apps. Windows from the closed desktop move to the nearest desktop on the left, preserving your work. If you want to keep existing desktops tidy, move or close windows first.
App and Window Behaviour Across Desktops
Windows 11 gives you fine-grained control over whether an app/window appears on every desktop or just one.
-
Show a specific window on all desktops:
In Task View, right-click the window thumbnail → Show this window on all desktops. -
Show all windows from this app on all desktops:
In Task View, right-click a window → Show windows from this app on all desktops.
Use cases:
- Keep your music player or calendar visible everywhere.
- Make Teams/Slack windows visible across desktops so you don’t miss messages, while keeping documents compartmentalised.
Tip: Use middle-click on a taskbar icon to open a new instance (if supported) on the current desktop.
Supercharge Your Flow: Snap Layouts, Groups, and Multiple Monitors
Snap Layouts & Snap Groups
Windows 11’s Snap Layouts help you tile windows quickly. Hover over the Maximise button or press Win + Z to choose a layout. These arrangements form Snap Groups-window sets that Windows remembers.
- Per-desktop muscle memory: Use one layout on your Research desktop (browser + PDF + notes), another on your Build desktop (IDE + terminal + docs).
- Alt-Tab & taskbar groups: Snap Groups appear as switchable entities, making it easy to resume complex arrangements.
Multi-Monitor Tips
- Each virtual desktop spans all monitors. Switching desktops changes the workspace across your displays.
- Use per-desktop wallpapers that stretch across monitors or choose complementary images for visual cues.
Power Shortcuts and Gestures (Memorise These)
- Open Task View: Win + Tab
- Create new desktop: Win + Ctrl + D
- Switch desktops: Win + Ctrl + Left/Right
- Close current desktop: Win + Ctrl + F4
-
Move a window to another desktop (via Task View):
Open Task View → Right-click the window → Move to → choose desktop (or New desktop). -
Touchpad (Precision):
- Four-finger swipe left/right: Switch desktops
- Four-finger swipe up: Task View
- Four-finger swipe down: Show desktop
If gestures don’t work, check Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Touchpad → Three- and four-finger gestures.
Recommended Desktop Setups (Real-World Templates)
1. Deep Work / Focus
- Apps: One browser window, research PDF, notes app.
- Settings: DND focus mode; notifications muted.
- Visual: A minimal, low-contrast wallpaper.
2. Meetings & Comms
- Apps: Teams/Zoom, calendar, email, lightweight notes.
- Behaviour: “Show windows from this app on all desktops” for your chat app if you need to track pings everywhere.
3. Build / Design / Editing
- Apps: IDE or Adobe app + asset browser + preview window.
- Snap Layout: 2-pane or 3-pane vertical.
4. Personal / Admin
- Apps: Personal email, to-do, banking, browser.
- Privacy: Easy to hide during screenshare by switching away instantly.
5. Triage / Inbox Zero
- Apps: Helpdesk/ticketing, quick references, lightweight browser tabs.
- Goal: Process and empty queues; then switch away for deep work.
Troubleshooting & Gotchas
- Task View button missing: Right-click taskbar → Taskbar settings → toggle Task View on.
- Gestures not working: Verify you have a Precision Touchpad and enable four-finger gestures.
- Windows keep reappearing on other desktops: You may have enabled Show windows from this app on all desktops-turn it off on the offending app.
- Snap Layout lost after switching: Re-apply with Win + Z or pin windows together carefully; some legacy apps don’t “remember” positions well.
- Performance dips with many desktops: Desktops are light, but hundreds of open tabs/windows can tax RAM/VRAM. Consider consolidating or closing.
Security & Privacy Tips When Using Virtual Desktops
- Screen sharing: Always create a clean “Meetings” desktop and switch to it before sharing.
- Notifications: Use Focus to mute pop-ups that could appear on any desktop during calls.
- Sensitive docs: Keep them on a separate desktop and switch away when someone approaches your screen.
Step-by-Step Cheat Sheet (Copy & Keep)
Create: Win + Ctrl + D
Switch: Win + Ctrl + ← / →
Close current: Win + Ctrl + F4
Open Task View: Win + Tab
Rename/Wallpaper: Task View → Right-click desktop thumbnail
Show window/app on all desktops: Task View → Right-click window → choose option
Move window to another desktop: Task View → Right-click window → Move to → select desktop
Jargon Buster
- Taskbar: The bar (usually bottom) with Start, search, pinned icons, and system tray.
- Task View: The Windows interface that shows open windows and desktops.
- Virtual Desktop: A separate workspace containing its own set of open windows.
- Snap Layouts / Groups: Window tiling patterns saved as a group to switch back to quickly.
- Precision Touchpad: A Microsoft standard for touchpads that supports advanced gestures.
- Focus (Do Not Disturb): Temporarily mutes notifications to reduce distractions.
Advanced Tips for Power Users
- Keyboard-first switching: Keep your hands on the keyboard with Win + Ctrl + Arrow; stop using the mouse to manage context switches.
- Rules of thumb:
- One purpose per desktop (e.g., Meetings, Build, Research).
- Two to three apps per desktop for clarity (use Snap Layouts).
- One colour theme per context (e.g., blue for work, green for personal).
- Pin and relaunch: Pin your most used apps; use middle-click on a taskbar icon to open a fresh window in the current desktop when needed.
- Global vs local windows: Keep chat tools visible on all desktops if you must respond quickly; otherwise, restrict them to your Comms desktop to protect focus time.
- Combine with multiple desktops + multiple monitors: It’s multiplicative: each desktop spans all monitors, so you effectively get multiple sets of multi-monitor layouts.
Implementation in Teams (IT HelpDesk Guidance)
- Training: 10-minute lunch-and-learn to cover the shortcuts and use-case templates.
- Policy: Encourage a Meetings desktop for screen shares and a Focus desktop for deep work.
- Support scripts: Include a one-pager in onboarding kits showing shortcuts and per-desktop wallpapers.
- Standardisation: For shared machines or kiosks, consider limiting virtual desktops to avoid confusion.
Call to Action
If you’d like help setting up a robust desktop workflow-complete with Snap Layouts, app rules, and meeting-safe defaults-our IT HelpDesk in Perth can configure and train your team in a single session. We’ll tailor desktops to your roles, so everyone gets more done with fewer distractions.
Jargon Buster
Taskbar – In Windows, the bar at the bottom of the screen, that shows open and favourite apps.
Window – A window (separate from Microsoft Windows) is a viewing area on a computer display screen.
Microsoft Windows – An operating system developed and published by Microsoft.
