A decent virtual desktop manager for Windows?

[foxy123]

Well after using Linux for sometime I find it difficult to live without virtual desktops on my work Windows laptop. I tried Microsoft Virtual Desktop Manager but it is painfully slow. I also gave a try to Dexpot and VituaWin. Both are sort of OK, but still they do not provide the same experience as on Linux.

One of the annoying problems is that I like to have a web browser and email client on different desktops. In Ubuntu is I click on a link in email, it opens in the browser on another desktop and stays there. If I have a number of links I just click all of them then switch to the desktop where my browser is and look at them. In both Dexpot and VirtuaWin clicking on the link brings browsers to the same desktop, which is annoying for me. Also VirtuWin is an old piece of software and I do not think it's been updated in recent years.

I wonder if anyone could recommend something better? The only thing is that I am not going to pay for a virtual desktop manager, so it should be free (at least like beer). Until then I will use VirtuWin.

[derjames]

There is a Open Source project called Virtual Dimension, you can find more info at the official webpage at Sourceforge

http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/

It is quite easy to setup additional desktops, it even adds transparency to windows...

[foxy123]

There is a Open Source project called Virtual Dimension, you can find more info at the official webpage at Sourceforge

http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/

It is quite easy to setup additional desktops, it even adds transparency to windows...

thanks a lot, it is almost perfect. The only problem is that if you follow the link in Thunderbird to Firefox from a different desktop, Firefox got sticky to all desktops, which is annoying. I am not sure if there is any way to configure it to stay in the desktop it belongs.

[derjames]

I had the same problem with IE7.0 in which I had a copy in all desktops. However there is an option to disable that doing the following:

Right click on IE7 Titlebar -> Virtual Dimension -> select 'Desk N' (or whatever your desired deskname is), rather than 'All dektops'

This put IE7 in the desired desk. So far so good

hope this helps.

[foxy123]

I had the same problem with IE7.0 in which I had a copy in all desktops. However there is an option to disable that doing the following:

Right click on IE7 Titlebar -> Virtual Dimension -> select 'Desk N' (or whatever your desired deskname is), rather than 'All dektops'

This put IE7 in the desired desk. So far so good

hope this helps.
no, it does not work with Firefox. It is ticked to be on the desktop 1, but it appears on all four desktops I have. And it happens only after I follow the link from any other programme.

[derjames]

For any reason I don't have Firefox in this Windows Computer so I cannot tell you what is going on... In my case is working fine... I will try to check out that...

cheers

[derjames]

Hey Foxy123 I dis manage to install Firefox and Virtual Dimension is working fine... I don't know what is going on... perhaps you should reinstall it...

cheers

[foxy123]

Hey Foxy123 I dis manage to install Firefox and Virtual Dimension is working fine... I don't know what is going on... perhaps you should reinstall it...

cheers

no I tried to reinstall and still if I have TB on one screen and FF on another and click on the link in TB it makes FF appear on all screens.

[derjames]

There is another Virtual desktop manager from Microsoft for WinXP... you can dowload it from the powertoys web page, it has less features than VirtualDimension and it is limited to 4 desktops but at the end works well...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

cheers

[foxy123]

There is another Virtual desktop manager from Microsoft for WinXP... you can dowload it from the powertoys web page, it has less features than VirtualDimension and it is limited to 4 desktops but at the end works well...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

cheers

I tried it few months ago and found it too slow. I may try it again though. Thank you anyway.

[islisis]

To foxy's problem with virtuawin and firefox, if you go into virtuawin's settings under the expert tab select "ignore the event" for hidden window activations and this desktop assigning behaviour stops... this solved a problem with another app of mine, though you lose the ability to call it from another desktop. the "copy window" option is another alternative, which makes the window appear temporarily in the current desktop until you switch when it will revert back
virtuawin definitely draws desktop switches a lot faster than virtual dimension on my notebook

[foxy123]

To foxy's problem with virtuawin and firefox, if you go into virtuawin's settings under the expert tab select "ignore the event" for hidden window activations and this desktop assigning behaviour stops... this solved a problem with another app of mine, though you lose the ability to call it from another desktop. the "copy window" option is another alternative, which makes the window appear temporarily in the current desktop until you switch when it will revert back
virtuawin definitely draws desktop switches a lot faster than virtual dimension on my notebook

cheers, I have discovered it as well. I find virtuawin the best virtual desktop manager for Windows.