MSWindows 11 Virtual Desktops Cheat Sheet

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Mouse & Trackpad

• Task View button: Click the overlapping squares icon in taskbar
• Create desktop: Click “+ New desktop” in Task View
• Switch desktops: Four-finger swipe left/right on trackpad
• Move windows: Drag window onto desktop thumbnail in Task View
• Quick move: Right-click app in taskbar → “Move to” → select desktop

Quick Setup (10 seconds)

1. Press Win + Tab or click Task View button
2. Click “+ New desktop” at top
3. Done — you now have a second desktop

Customization Tips

Different wallpapers per desktop: Right-click desktop → Personalize → set unique wallpaper for each

Rename desktops: Task View → hover over thumbnail → click pencil icon

Taskbar behavior: Settings → System → Multitasking → choose to show apps from current desktop only or all desktops

Accent colors: Set different taskbar accent colors per desktop for visual separation

Suggested Organization

Troubleshooting

Lost a window? Use Win + Tab for full grid view across all desktops

Thumbnails showing wrong/blank? Restart Explorer: Ctrl + Shift + Esc → find Windows Explorer → right-click → Restart

Laggy transitions? Settings → System → Multitasking → disable “Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing”

Snap assist interfering? Settings → System → Multitasking → toggle off snap assist preview

Multi-monitor chaos? In Task View, right-click desktop thumbnail → “Show windows from this desktop only”

Pro Tips

• Alt+Tab shows only current desktop apps by default; use Win + Tab to see everything
• Apps stay running when you switch — nothing closes or restarts
• Notifications appear regardless of which desktop you’re on
• Closing a desktop moves its windows to the previous one (nothing is lost)