Most of the heavy computer users
like to have multiple desktops in working computer. If you are Linux or Mac OS
user, you must be knowing the built-in feature to have multiple desktops and
manage them separately. Unfortunately Windows OS is not having this feature.
This small guide shows how to get Windows 7 multiple desktops with free tools.
Multiple desktops in Windows 7
basically helps to organize opened programs and files across multiple desktops.
It is very similar to have another three monitors with ‘Extended Desktop’
feature. But, here you will have all four desktops (sometimes more) on same
monitor and access them easily by switching among them.
For example, you can browse internet
in one desktop and do MS Word or Excel office work on other and next one
can be used to play game. So, it helps to have organized desktops with open
programs and files on same computer monitor.
There are few free and paid
applications available to get Windows 7 multiple desktops, but here we will be
talking about three free products.
First
free Tool for Windows 7 Multiple Desktops – Microsoft Desktops v1.02
Available under Sysinternals tools
for Microsoft and still it can be downloaded from Microsoft site. When
reliability comes to the consideration, this product is better than second tool
because of Microsoft. You can create maximum 4 multiple desktops by this tool.
Installation is very simple. I have
Windows 7 64 bit and the same package is installed inside 32bit program folder
and worked fine.
Once you installed the application,
new icon will appear in notification area. Right clicking this icon will bring
the settings of Desktops v1.02. The hotkeys can be setup here to switch among
different desktops by keyboard shortcuts.
The original desktop will be marked as
Desktop 1. Other three desktops will be created when you try to access them at
first time either by using keyboard hotkeys or accessing from notification
area.
The above screen shows the running
three Windows 7 multiple desktops. I do not have the forth virtual desktop yet,
but that can be created by pressing the desktop 4.
Open
source Free Tool – mDesktop
This is developed by an individual
person. mDesktop is doing the similar job as Desktops v1.02. Both tools are
very lightweight which do not consume more resources from computer and not much
settings are required.
More discussion about this product
available at Microsoft site here.
Installation is very easy and you
will see a new icon in notification area after the installation.
Right click the icon to get more
options. With mDesktop you can have 10 virtual desktops in Windows 7.
These both tools are very small
piece of software and do the job easily to get Windows 7 multiple desktops. But
both are having few drawbacks and missing what is really required in multiple
desktops.
What
is Missing?
These tools should allow us to have
different wallpaper, icons set, appearance, task bar and gadgets in each
virtual desktop. But the above both tools do not full fill this requirement.
We can’t have different wallpapers
on each virtual desktops and if you delete (or add) a file on a desktop, it
will appear on all other three desktops. Also the theme and appearance remain
same in all virtual desktops. Obviously it doesn’t serve the exact purpose of
multiple desktops.
If you are looking to have
customizable multiple virtual desktops in Windows 7 with free tool, then Dexpot
can be a good solution. Dexpot allows to have multiple desktops which can have
separate settings and options. Dexpot is free for private use but not a light
weight application as other free two tools. It needs more resources and more
settings to work with multiple desktops.
Here is a good and complete guide
available at How-to-geek to customize
Dexpot settings.
I hope this guide would be helpful
to get Windows 7 multiple desktops with free tools. The first two tools can
full fill your basic requirement and third one for advanced users.
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