Virtual desktop for windows. Virtual desktop service overview

Not long ago I told you about a new functionality that you can try in the Windows 10 operating system, which is responsible for the third-party installation process software means shell Windows PowerShell, namely, about the OneGet module. In this short article, I would like to continue to introduce you to the features and innovations that have appeared in the latest operating system from Microsoft. Today we will talk about a component that many users have been waiting for, namely virtual desktops.

So, later in this article you will learn about what virtual desktops are, what tasks Microsoft envisions them to perform, and you will also learn a little about how you can work with them and how you can personalize them. So,

What are virtual desktops?

According to one of many definitions, a virtual desktop is virtual space, which, using specific software, extends the capabilities of the computer desktop beyond the screen display area. In this way, you can get rid of the actual limitations of the available work area your desktop while opening large quantity applications. It turns out that by having the ability to switch screens outside of the actual desktop, you can optimally organize fast access to different groups of windows and applications. Essentially what this technology looks like is that you, sitting at one computer with one monitor, can switch from one screen of your computer to another without looking at the additional screen.

Again, virtual desktops should not be compared with the term user desktop virtualization. As you know, VDI is a technology that allows you to create a virtual IT infrastructure and deploy full-fledged workstations based on server systems, on which many work virtual machines. In other words, the user can simply connect to his workplace via the Internet from any location on any device. The virtual desktop, in turn, only allows you to expand the capabilities of representing the user’s environment on the current local computer.

Since the creation of this technology, there are two main methods for expanding the virtual desktop area. Switchable virtual desktops(Switchable desktops) allow the user to create virtual copies their desktop and switch between them, with open windows appearing on one of the virtual desktops. In turn, the main task of another method, which is called oversized work tables(Oversized Desktops) is to provide the user with the ability to expand the size of a single virtual screen beyond the size of the physical monitor. Typically, swiping or scrolling a portion of the virtual desktop is used to move an oversized virtual desktop.

How did these virtual desktops appear and where are they used? Back in 1986, two developers Austin Henderson and Stuart Card from Xerox PARC developed and patented the first switchable desktops. Later, in 1989, Tom Lestrange introduced switchable desktops to the public as Solbourne Window Manager for the X Window System, which was the first virtual desktop of its kind. And, due to the fact that the X Window System is a window system for building GUI UNIX-like systems, virtual desktops have taken root with UNIX systems so much that when it comes to using virtual desktops now, you immediately automatically think about NIX systems. What else can be highlighted from the history of virtual desktops? And, in fact, the fact that in 1996 IBM company within the framework of a project with open source XWorkplace introduced the ability to work with virtual desktops for its OS/2 operating system. The apple company, in turn, introduced this technology in Mac OS X only starting with version 10.5 under the code name Leopard in 2007, allowing you to work simultaneously with 16 virtual desktops. What about Microsoft and their brainchild Windows?

Back in the days of the Windows XP operating system, beloved by users, Microsoft developers released special utility Microsoft PowerToys which included the product Virtual Desktop Manager . This utility allowed you to add an additional toolbar to the control panel, with which the user was given the opportunity to switch between four virtual desktops. Also, to switch between these desktops, the user was given the opportunity to configure a keyboard shortcut. Some time later, Mark Russinovich creates a utility Desktops, with which you can also work with virtual desktops. The main highlight of this utility is that this utility displays on the user-selected desktop only those windows and applications that are on this moment are active on the selected virtual desktop, which is an advantage over many similar utilities. But, again, despite the fact that these two utilities were created Microsoft employees, for operating systems Windows standard They are not and not all users have worked with them. Moreover, there are many utilities that add to the Windows operating system discussed in this article functionality. Such utilities include: free products, like WindowsPager, Dexpot, VirtuaWin, Virtual Dimension and even KDE for Windows, as well as paid utilities, like AltDesk.

But it would have been advisable to use all these utilities earlier, before the release of the Windows 10 operating system. And now, in the most modern operating system from Microsoft at the moment, the system initially integrates virtual desktop management technology, which is called “ Task View» ( Task view).

Key Objectives of Task Presentation

Before we start talking about the benefits of this functionality, I believe we should understand what, in principle, benefits virtual desktops can bring to the average user. First of all, you should decide what tasks a full-time user of Windows operating systems faces. Let’s assume that the average user opens a browser (usually one main one), some applications for Facebook, Twitter, maybe VKontakte (if the user does not open these services in the browser), office applications, mail client, perhaps development tools or a virtual machine manager (this is less like the average user), some multimedia content, games, and so on. All these applications are visible on the taskbar and they naturally take up some space there. And if the user, like me, has the habit of pinning the necessary applications to the taskbar, then after opening 3-4 unpinned applications, the allotted space on the taskbar may simply not be enough.

So that you can beautifully organize all the applications open on your computer, virtual desktops are designed. For example, you can place a browser on one desktop and social apps, another desktop may be responsible for working with office products, a third - for developer tools or for utilities and snap-ins necessary for the work of a developer / system administrator, on the fourth desktop the user can watch videos or work with photos / video files, and the fifth a virtual desktop can be designed for gaming. That's all. Every desktop is in order, there are no “extra” running applications. Having switched to the desired desktop, the user immediately receives a set of applications with which he can immediately start working without affecting other applications.

When developing task representation technology to meet the needs different users, the developers of Microsoft Corporation immediately took into account many points. They found that users who prefer to work with both virtual desktops and a single desktop in particular tend to fall into two categories: systematizer users who like to divide their tasks into specific categories, and warehouse users who love to work with various tasks V unified environment. To these categories, by by and large, each PC user can be classified, and this is noticeable both in the distribution and structuring postal correspondence By separate folders, and judging by the manner of opening applications on your desktop. And here, especially for different categories users, Microsoft developers tried to make it possible to use task views to:

• Provide users with the ability to group similar applications and windows more space on the desktop;
• Provide simple methods reorganizing open windows and applications between virtual desktops;
• Allow users to transparently switch between applications;
• Control the degree of separation of running windows and applications.

In principle, Microsoft has coped with all these tasks, and later in this article I will tell you about how you can work with virtual desktops, as well as how you can manage and configure them.

Working with virtual desktops

Microsoft tried to make sure that as many people as possible immediately learned about this functionality. What was enough to do for this? And you just had to take and attach the icon “ Task views» on the taskbar. Thus, if you click on the icon Task View» (analog – key combination Win+Tab) in front of you, like an improved switching between applications, will be displayed transparent screen with desktop background and all open applications. To create a new desktop you only need in the desktop section click on the button " Create desktop» ( New desktop). By clicking on this button, a thumbnail of an empty desktop with the name “ Desk 2» ( Desktop 2). Unfortunately, you cannot rename created virtual desktops, and all desktops you create will be called " Desk No.».

Unlike many utilities that allow you to create up to four copies of virtual desktops, using the task provisioning application, according to Microsoft, you can create an infinite number of desktops (I personally don’t know how infinite this number is, but I can say for sure that I had enough to create 118 virtual desktops). Please note that once created, you are not given the ability to swap the created virtual desktops. To switch between virtual desktops, just left-click on the thumbnail with the desired virtual desktop. When you hover your mouse over the virtual desktop, you will notice a single button on it that allows you to close the unnecessary virtual desktop. It is also worth noting that when you close the virtual desktop in which applications were opened, all these applications will be automatically moved to the virtual desktop that is located to the left of the one being closed. Well, if you want to close the very first virtual desktop, then all applications open in it will move to the second desktop, which is quite logical. The button to create a virtual desktop is visible in the following illustration:

Everything is clear about creating, switching and closing virtual desktops. Let's move on to the applications themselves, which can be distributed between these desktops. At the top of the task view interface, similar to the display of open applications called by the Alt+Tab key combination, you can, in the tasks section, see thumbnails of all the applications you have open. Here, as in the case of the Alt+Tab task switching dialog, you can either close unnecessary applications, or click on a specific program to go to it. Moreover, with the task view functionality, you can select any application and drag it to the corresponding virtual desktop.

In the event that you want to find an application that you have previously moved to another virtual desktop, you should hover your mouse over that desktop (without clicking) and then, if necessary, move the application. In other words, you are given the ability to manage the grouping of applications without having to perform any additional actions and body movements. Also, in order to move an application to another virtual desktop, you can hover your mouse over such an application, call up the context menu for it and from this menu sequentially select the commands " Move to" And " Desk no.» ( Move to > Desktop No.).

By the way, there is another way you can create a new virtual desktop. To do this, in the task view interface, you need to drag one of the applications to the “ Create desktop" Thus, not only will a new virtual desktop be created, but the application you have chosen will also be immediately moved there. The process of moving an application to an additional virtual desktop is visible in the following illustration:

Next important point What you should pay attention to is the presentation of applications on virtual desktops. In the case of displaying applications open on desktops, as I mentioned earlier, the opinions of many users differed. Some users prefer to have their desktops run independently of each other and not be able to see applications that are open on other virtual desktops. Other users, in turn, wanted to be able to see all the applications they had open and be able to instantly switch to the desired desktop. The same applies to switching between applications by switching using the Alt+Tab key combination. The great news is that by implementing virtual worker management Microsoft desks took care of all users and allows you to select the display mode of open applications.

To configure these settings you should go to your operating system settings ( Settings), open category " System» ( System) and select the group " Multitasking» ( Multitasking). As can be seen in the following illustration, in the section " Virtual desktops» ( Virtual desktops) you can change two parameters:

• Show windows open on the taskbar (On the taskbar, show windows that are open on). Using this setting, you can specify how your open applications will be displayed on all virtual desktops. If you select " all desktops» ( All destops), then by switching to the second virtual desktop you will see on the taskbar all the applications that were open on the first desktop. By clicking on such an application, you will immediately switch to the required virtual desktop. If you select the value "" ( Only the desktop I'm using), in this case, the virtual desktops will work independently of each other, you will see on them only those applications that were launched directly on the desktop you opened, and you will also be able to launch a second instance of some applications (for example, by opening OneNote on the first virtual desktop, you can also open it on a second desktop). As you can see in the illustration below, in my case the second value was chosen;
• When you press ALT+TAB, the windows that are open on(Pressing Alt + Tab shows windows that are open on’ option to ‘All desktops). In turn, using this option, you can choose the method of displaying a selection of open applications by performing the Alt+Tab key combination. If you select the value " all desktops» ( All destops), then in this case, by pressing Alt+Tab you will see all open applications and when you select an application that is open on another virtual desktop, you will immediately be switched to that desktop. Again, if you want your virtual desktops to run independently of each other, you'll need to specify the value " Only the desktop I use» ( Only the desktop I'm using), as was chosen in my case.

Please note that the changes are applied on the fly, meaning you do not need to close the System Settings window.

Small tricks for using virtual desktops

Keyboard shortcuts for working with virtual desktops

In addition to introducing this great functionality that Windows users have been waiting for for so long, Microsoft has also added new hotkey combinations for managing virtual desktops. Let's see what these combinations are:

• Win+Tab– as I wrote earlier, using this key combination you can open the interface “ Task views" An attentive user who had Windows 7 installed, I believe, should immediately pay attention to the fact that this key combination was used to display the switching manager Windows windows Flip 3D. As you remember, this component was eliminated in the Windows 8 operating system. An analogue of this combination using the GUI is to click on the corresponding icon on the taskbar;
• Win+Ctrl+D– Create a new virtual desktop and automatic switching on him;
• Win+Ctrl+right/left arrow– switching between virtual desktops;
• Win+Ctrl+F4– closing the active virtual desktop.

As you can see, there are few such combinations and they are very easy to remember.

Removing the task view icon from the taskbar

Despite all the usefulness of this functionality, there will always be users who will not be interested in it and for whom the “extra” icon on the taskbar will only get in the way. You can remove this icon in two ways:

Conclusion

In this article, you learned about a new feature of the Windows 10 operating system – Task View. I talked about what virtual desktops are and how they came to be. You got acquainted with the key tasks that were performed when implementing virtual desktops in the Windows 10 operating system. I also described everything in detail possible actions, which you can perform with the task view component, that is, with virtual desktops of Windows 10. Namely, you learned about how you can create, switch and delete virtual desktops, how you can move applications between such desktops, and also about about how you can configure this functionality.

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In Windows 10, Microsoft added a feature that was not present in previous versions of the operating system, but many users found it missing. It's about about creating several desktops for one user, which allows you to effectively distribute work on the computer, distributing tasks across different virtual spaces. For example, open source software to work with graphics, you can place it on one table, the browser on another, and text editor to the third, which will allow the user to avoid confusion in open windows and work more productively and comfortably.

How to use virtual desktops in Windows 10

Creating a new virtual desktop in the Windows 10 operating system is extremely simple. At the bottom of the taskbar, near the search and Start button, is the default Task View icon. By clicking on it, the user will be in virtual environment, which displays all applications currently running on desktops.

To create a new desktop, in the task view mode, you need to click on the “Create desktop” button in the lower right corner. By clicking on it, a new one will appear at the bottom of the screen. working environment, which you can go to.

Please note: The new desktop does not initially have open folders and applications. The user can open programs directly on the new desktop in a standard way or drag applications from a previously open desktop to a new virtual space.

In the Windows 10 operating system, the number of virtual desktops that a user can create is almost unlimited. However, it is important to note that each new desktop takes up space in random access memory computer. Opening a large number of tables, the user may notice in the “Task Manager” that an impressive amount of memory is constantly occupied.

Hotkeys for working with virtual desktops in Windows 10

The environment for managing virtual desktops, implemented in Task View, is quite convenient. However, when a user strives for maximum productivity, he does not want to make unnecessary mouse clicks, first opening a list of all desktops and applications, and then performing the necessary action. Microsoft has provided hotkeys in Windows 10 for working with virtual desktops:

• Windows+Tab– transition to the task presentation environment;
• Windows+Ctrl+Right Arrow (Left Arrow)– instant switching between created virtual desktops, bypassing the task presentation environment;
• Windows+Ctrl+D– creation of a new virtual desktop, to which the user will immediately be taken after pressing the specified key combination;
• Windows+Ctrl+F4 – quick removal currently used desktop. Please note that when you close the desktop, all windows open on it automatically go to the desktop that was opened earlier in order.

Important: If you want to change standard parameters management and use of desktops in Windows 10, you can configure some of them in the “Multitasking” tab of the “System” section of the operating system settings settings.

The main disadvantages of virtual desktops in Windows 10

The function of creating multiple virtual desktops to optimize processes was clearly borrowed by Microsoft from the operating room MacOS systems. In some aspects, the solution works better in Windows 10 than in MacOS on Apple technology, but Microsoft has not taken into account all the nuances, and there are some inconveniences when using virtual desktops. The disadvantages include:

It is worth noting that the rest of the implementation of virtual desktops in Windows 10 was quite good - users can quickly move between created environments, which allows them to effectively use the workspace.

operating room Windows system 10 is equipped by default with one very useful function– the ability to support multiple virtual desktops. This function has been used for several years in Mac OS X, Linux and has proven itself very well.

What are virtual desktops for? To optimize the user experience or, more simply, for convenience and comfort. For example, when there is dense and intense work on a PC, many applications are often open: a calculator, a browser, Word document, media files, etc. In such cases, when several windows are open, it is easy to get confused when switching from one object to another.

With the help of virtual desktops, work can be organized more conveniently and productively. It's the same as if you had several computers and monitors at hand. One would have a browser and a Word document open, another would have a calculator and organizer, a third would have a media player, etc. By the way, an additional desktop is useful at work - to hide the contents from the authorities.

How to create virtual desktops

and how to use them

To organize your work with programs and windows according to certain areas and preferences, click on special button in the “Taskbar”, which includes the “Task View” mode.

Thumbnails of all running applications will appear, where you can select the program you currently need. In the lower right corner there is a “Create desktop” icon, clicking on which will create a new virtual desktop.

If you go into it, there will be no open applications there - as if you had just turned on the computer. Now you need to go to the first desktop, and drag from the shown thumbnails the necessary program to the second desktop. An option is to open the desired application in the newly created desktop. Those. complete freedom of creativity. The number of desktops is unlimited. When you close each desktop, applications open on them are automatically moved to the adjacent desktop.

Hotkeys

To ensure maximum comfortable work The following key combinations are used with virtual desktops:

Win+Tab– opens access to all working folders and applications

Win+Ctrl+D– a new worker is created Windows table

Win+Ctrl+F4– closes the current Windows desktop

Win+Ctrl+left or right arrow– switching between Windows desktops

To summarize, we can say that using virtual desktops makes the user's work much easier. Perhaps not everything will be clear the first time, but once you understand the principle of operation, things will run ahead of you.

This is very easy to implement. Even if you have two computers or monitors, you are not looking at both at the same time. You somehow switch your attention, move your gaze from one thing to another, right? This way you only need one computer at any given time.

What if, instead of “switching” your attention, looking from one monitor to another, you always look at one monitor, but it will show you “ different computers", optionally, depending on what you need at the moment? Not a bad idea, right?

This is precisely why there are virtual desktop (desktop) managers, various graphical shells in which such functionality is built-in. If you have ever seen any operating system on Linux based, then you should be familiar with what I'm talking about. For almost any graphical shell in similar systems has this functionality. And even if there is no graphical shell at all (and this can happen very easily in Linux, because the graphical shell plays no more important role there than normal application like, say, your browser in which you are reading this article) - there are virtual consoles

Callout. In this article, by console we mean text interface user, where operating system controlled by input certain commands from the keyboard, command line.

Linux + Windows = Friendship

If you are using one of Linux distributions, and you don’t need Windows OS at all, then you can calmly close this article, because there will be nothing interesting for you further in it. But if you are an experienced user using Linux, and even accustomed to its conveniences, but you need to use Windows, then this may be very interesting to you. However, like everyone who does not have such experience.

What is a virtual desktop?

You know what a Windows desktop is, right? This is essentially everything that you see on the screen - starting from the picture (wallpaper) and ending with all the applications that you currently have running. In other words, what is called a “desktop” includes program icons (shortcuts), the taskbar, and running applications displayed on it, between which you can switch.

Now imagine that in addition to the desktop that you see in front of you now, with a browser open in full screen, and a bunch of minimized, currently unused programs, you have another similar desktop, but on it another one is open in full screen application, let's say word processor Word, and completely different programs are collapsed there. And you can switch to it much faster than if you had a browser and Word and a bunch of other applications open on the same desktop. This is a virtual desktop.

Why do we need virtual desktops?.

If you are in daily work You use only one application on the computer, let’s say a browser, maximum two, then you don’t need it. But this is rare, isn’t it?) Most often, we have about a dozen running various programs, which all hang on the panel, and we spend a lot of time in order to switch to the desired application at one time or another.

How many times will you need to press alt+tab to switch from the browser to any of the applications currently open on your desktop? Don't you get bored? Do you experience a feeling of chaos and a panic attack when you need to do something quickly, and you have two browser windows open on the same desktop? Text Document in Word, book in pdf, music player, mail program, and then the incoming one is blinking unread message on ICQ, and someone is calling on Skype?)

Two is better than one

Now imagine that you have two browser windows on one desktop, Word and a book on the second, a player and mailer on the third, and skype and icq on the fourth. And you can very easily and quickly switch to any of them, in the situation described above to the fourth desktop, in order to answer on Skype and icq.

I prefer the second option. Because it’s much more convenient for me to leisurely press alt+F5, to which I have a fourth virtual desktop attached, than to click alt+tab five times, skip over the currently needed program, and click altab ten more times to still switch to it . Which of us will spend less time and effort?) I hope I was able to convey to you why all this is needed, and whether it is necessary at all.

How to use virtual desktops in Windows.

In that case, let's move on to the most interesting part. What are virtual desktop managers and how to get involved with such convenience.

Software for installing desktops on Windows

To be honest, I don’t understand why Windows has not yet implemented such functionality by default, but you have to install third party utilities. And there are quite a lot of them, both simple and free, and more serious and for money. Such programs are small utilities that are installed on the system as a regular application. It also launches and provides an interface for setting up and managing virtual desktops. This very interface and customization options depend on the utility, but they all usually support basic functions- setting the number of virtual desktops, setting up hotkey combinations for switching to them.

Also, some managers allow you to set different wallpapers ( background pictures) for different desktops, and also allow you to choose whether to use different sets of shortcuts on different tables, or display the same labels on everyone. Also, for some programs, you can set the settings so that they will be shown on all virtual desktops that you have, which, for example, is advisable in the case of the messenger (icq).

AltDesk and Dexpot

What programs exist for this, if you wish, you can find on the Internet yourself, read reviews and descriptions, download and try. I myself can say that for quite a long time I used the virtual desktop manager AltDesk, which, although paid, is very good. (By the way, the fact that it is paid is absolutely not a problem; I have not yet met paid software for Windows that would not be possible to find, download and use for free. So here it is only a matter of your conscience and perseverance in the search)).

I also had a chance to use Dexpot. Same worthy program, which is practically not inferior in functionality to AltDesk, but has an undoubted advantage over it - Dexpot is freeware, that is, it is free and freely distributed. There are others, as I already said - look, try.

Replacing the Windows graphical shell - to ardinal path.

Now there is a slightly different way to get virtual desktops. More precisely, you can replace graphical shell Windows, to one that supports virtual desktops. That is, absolutely everything is replaced - from design to window management. This path looks especially attractive to Linux adherents who are eager to use Windows.

BlackBox

There is a WM (window manager) called BlackBox, which is ported to Windows. So it simply replaces the standard graphic windows shell(explorer.exe). And you get all its benefits.

Namely:

• non-standard design, and there are thousands of design options.
• Everything is replaced - from window headers to the taskbar, system tray and menus.
• including (of course) virtual desktops.
• the opportunity is very flexible settings, for example, you can set hotkey combinations for various actions.

You can also attach various plugins to it, if you know what they are.

It's very free, very lightweight and very fast.

Perhaps this is not the only such environment, but I don’t know anymore.

KDE for Windows