Separate your workspace from your leisure activities on your PC by associating a different virtual office for each activity.
Windows has a function that is not widely used, perhaps out of ignorance, but which can be extremely practical: virtual desktops.
Activated using a simple keyboard shortcut, they allow you to create several separate desktops in Windows, within which you can organize and distribute the different windows and open applications.
You can then quite easily separate work and leisure when your session is open. Here’s how to activate and use them.
1. Access virtual desktops
Activation and use is done through keyboard shortcuts that it is essential to know and master. The first shortcut to activate the function is Windows + Tab.
Once used, this shortcut displays all open windows on your current desktop in full screen.
2. Create new virtual desktops
Natively, you only have one office. To create new ones, click on the + New Desktop button displayed at the top left.
A new blank space should be created showing the most recently opened items. You can, if you wish, choose to rename each of the open desktops by clicking on Desk 1, Desk 2, etc.
Virtual offices will allow you to have a space reserved for work, another for leisure, for games, etc.
This new virtual desktop is empty: no application or window is open. You can use it as a workspace parallel to the one already open.
3. Navigate between several offices
When you have multiple virtual desktops on hand, there are two ways you can navigate between them. The first, by activating the virtual desktops window with the Windows + Tab shortcut, then by selecting the desktop of your choice.
The second, using another keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + Windows + left / right directional arrow. More practical, this keyboard shortcut will allow you to switch from one desktop to another very quickly.
4. Organize your windows
All windows open on the initial desktop can be moved to the virtual desktops you created.
To do this, when the virtual desktops interface is active, go to the desktop from which you want to move a window and simply drag and drop it onto the destination virtual desktop.
You can also do this by right-clicking, selecting Move to, and then choosing the destination desktop.