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Engadget explains Chrome's RAM use as a trade-off for speed and isolationMobile Pixels prices Prisma, a 40-inch curved 5K monitor built around the Mac mini, at $999 for early backersSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Is Closest U.S. Android Match to Apple’s iPhone Duo, Engadget FindsEngadget: Windows virtual desktops remain an underused productivity toolRouter band steering can leave devices on slower Wi-Fi, Engadget reportsChiefs Host Seahawks on Sunday Night as Kenneth Walker Faces His Former Team
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Engadget: Windows virtual desktops remain an underused productivity tool

Engadget explains how Windows 10 and 11 users can set up and switch virtual desktops to separate work, personal tasks.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-26 09:16

Engadget said users can create a new desktop by hovering over the Task View icon or pressing Windows+Tab and selecting New desktop, or by pressing Windows+Ctrl+D. They can rename each desktop or, in Windows 11, give it a unique wallpaper by opening Task View, right-clicking the desktop and choosing the option. All programs remain available across all desktops, but segmenting them is the point. To switch, users can use Task View or press Windows+Ctrl+Left or Right arrow; reordering desktops through Task View by right-clicking one and choosing Move right or Move left, or by dragging it at the bottom of the screen, can make cycling faster. Users can drag an open window into another desktop in Task View, and close a desktop by clicking its X in Task View or pressing Windows+Ctrl+F4.

The report recommended dedicating each desktop to a specific purpose to avoid confusion. For example, users might keep music, chat and social apps on one desktop and keep Excel or email on another, reducing potential distractions. Browser profiles can reinforce that separation. Engadget noted that virtual desktops are a reasonable way to gain effective screen space on a single monitor.

Windows settings can adjust how desktops behave. Engadget said users can open Settings with Windows+I, select System and then Multitasking, and expand the Desktops section. There, they can choose Only on the desktop I'm using or On all desktops for two options: showing all open windows on the taskbar and showing all open windows when pressing Alt+Tab. Limiting app switching to the current desktop provides more separation, the report said.

For users with many desktops, Engadget pointed to a free program called Windows Virtual Desktop Helper, available on GitHub. It can show a desktop's name more prominently when a user switches to it, display the current desktop in the system tray, navigate desktops from the system tray and set custom navigation hotkeys.