mzomparelli / zvirtualdesktop

Windows 10 Virtual Desktop Hotkeys, System Tray Icon, Wallpapers, and Task View replacement

zVirtualDesktop

Windows 10 Virtual Desktop Hotkeys and System Tray Icon

zVirtualDesktop is now a free utility. I am working on version 2 which will be free and open source.
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Features

Hotkeys:

Hotkeys are not limited to virtual desktops. You can choose any hotkey for any of the following actions

• Disable Default (if you wanted to disable a built-in Windows default and do nothing instead)
• Keyboard Application Menu
• Toggle Auto-hide Taskbar
• Open a file, folder, or URL
• Copy
• Paste
• Toggle Desktop View (a Task View replacement)
• Toggle zVirtualDesktop Settings
• Show Window Menu (a handy window context menu)
• Navigate to Desktop
• Move Window to Desktop
• Move Window to Desktop & Follow
• Pin/Unpin Window
• Pin/Unpin Application
• Bring All Windows Here
• Remove Empty Desktops
• Close Foreground Window
• Minimize Foreground Window
• Toggle Foreground Window Top Most
• Multimedia - Play/Pause
• Multimedia - Next
• Multimedia - Previous
• Volume Up
• Volume Down
• Volume Mute
• Browser Back
• Browser Forward
• Browser Reload
• ClipboardEx Copy
• ClipboardEx Paste
• ClipboardEx Clone
• Send Keystroke
• Send Text Entry

Below are the default hotkeys for virtual desktops. You can configure these any way you'd like.

Navigate Desktops:
WIN+CTRL+Numpad
WIN+CTRL+NumberKeys
WIN+CTRL+LEFT or RIGHT - this is Windows Default and can be overridden to allow "Round Robin"

Move Windows:
The foreground window will be the window which moves
WIN+ALT+Numpad
WIN+ALT+NumberKeys
WIN+ALT+LEFT or RIGHT

Move Window & Follow:
The foreground window will be the window which moves
WIN+CTRL+ALT+Numpad
WIN+CTRL+ALT+NumberKeys
WIN+CTRL+ALT+LEFT or RIGHT

Pin/Unpin Windows:
The foreground window will be the window which is pinned
WIN+ALT+Z

Pin/Unpin Applications:
The foreground window will be the window which is pinned
WIN+ALT+A

What is the difference between pin app and pin window?
An easy way to imagine this is if you use pin window on a chrome browser window, only that window will be visible on all desktops. Any other chrome windows would stay on a single desktop. If you were to pin application on a chrome window then all chrome windows would show up on all desktops. This includes new chrome windows.

System Tray Icon

• Choose from several sets of icons
• The icons indicate which desktop you are viewing
• Left-Click the system tray icon to display or hide DesktopView.
• Right-Click the system tray icon to bring up the main menu.

Make your own icons and attach them to an issue then I will add them to the program.
How to submit icon files

Download the current icons and alter ones you like. I ask that you come up with a name for your icon theme.
Icons.zip

Wallpapers

• Set a different wallpaper for each desktop
• Specify the style for each (Center, Stretch, or Tile)

Desktop Names

• Rename desktops directly in DesktopView or in the settings window

zvirtualdesktop's Issues

Named desktops and overlay indicator when switching desktops

Page Down key is missing

There are two Page Up keys instead:

Option to decide what happens when a window is created on another desktop

When a program creates a new window on a different desktop (e.g. creating a new word document when word is open on another desktop), the current behavior is the jump to that desktop, which can be pretty annoying.

Dexpot had the following options for when this happens:
Switch to the respective desktop
Move window to current desktop
Copy window to current desktop
Do nothing

It would be super useful if you could add these!
It would also be really neat if you could add two sets of these options, one for when the program is in focus and one for otherwise. That way, if I make a new word document, it can move that to the current desktop since word would be in focus, but if a program was rendering or something in the background and presented a completion window, it could stay on its desktop without interrupting me.

Crash, might be related to using task view but I can't reliably reproduce it.

Here is the error message. I'll see if I can get more info the next time it happens.

An error occured navigating to the specified desktop. See additional details below.

The RPC server is unavailable. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800706BA)

zVirtualDesktop::GetCurrentDesktop

1.0.10p the zVD setting window always pops up

I noticed in 1.0.10p that whenever I now click on the Windows Task View icon, the zVD setting window always pops up next to whatever else is on that desktop.
If the desktop is empty, only the zVD window pops up.
That does seem like a bug (and not an Easter egg).....

However - while searching for eggs, I noticed a new feature; Alt-LeftClick on the zVD taskbar icon :)

Configurable Hotkeys

Allow user to configure the hotkeys via a settings form.

What's your favorite icon theme?

Mine is White Box and my second favorite is Numpad - White.

Doubling of accent characters

I have an issue with writing of accented characters in Czech language (e.g. ď, ť, ...) on Czech keyboard layout.

Standardly you can wrote those characters you need to firstly press AltGr + ´ and then press target character (e.g. AltGr + ´ and then d makes ď).

Since I have run zVirtualDesktop, it probably catches the first keystroke and system don't wait for another character and directly print doubled ´´

I believe it's connected to hotkeys definition or way how are the hotkeys catched.

Could you take a look on this issue?

I'm using latest 1.0.27 ;)

Hotkeys for custom actions not just Virtual Desktop related

I want to allow people to create hotkeys for custom actions. What would you guys like? For instance, hotkey to open app or folder.

Altdesk-like navigation bar for the desktops

In my opinion the best software for virtual desktops is Altdesk. Unfortunately it is now a bit outdated but I'm still considering using it on Win 10 as well. Here is a screenshot how I was using it previously on Windows 7:

The benefits of this interface are:

• I always know what programs I have running at the moment and which desktop they're running on.
• With a single click I can switch to any program on any desktop.
• I can drag&drop any program to any desktop easily.

Of course this would be a lot of work and I don't know if it would be popular. My friends like it when I show it to them but they get discouraged when I tell then the truth that Altdesk sometimes disappears under the taskbar with no easy way to get it back.

Just close this issue if you don't like the idea.

Should automatically create additional desktops

When a user tries to navigate or move a window to a desktop number that they don't have then the app should automatically create the additional desktops.

Round Robin

Hi, I was under the impression that when I use Ctrl-Win-RightArrow and reach the last Desktop, it would roll over to the beginning again.... ? (And vice versa)

Add menu items to each window's system menu

Similar to another project in GitHub, this would add menu items to each window's system menu to move and pin them.

New icons

I've made two sets for you to evaluate. They're not fancy at all, just plain'n'simple win10 style.
Icon-9_1.zip
Icon-9.zip

Create Any Hotkey (Override Defaults) - v1.0.25

I added a Override All check box to the Add Hotkey form. Checking this box will override any defaults.

New Icons

Windows 10 has a setting where all default system tray icons are minimalstic white lines. I'd like to have zVD icon that looks the same. Similar to your White Box, but with white lines instead of black lines.

Add Style Option for Wallpapers

Like Stretched, tile, etc...

Update not working

I downloaded the latest zVirtualDesktop (1.0.22) from https://github.com/mzomparelli/zVirtualDesktop/releases. When I start the application it pops a message that a new version 1.0.40 is available. Which is odd as such version is not here on GitHub. When I try to download the 1.0.40 version the downloaded file is not a valid zip, just a html file with some error.

Add hotkey for bring all windows here

Overlay with a desktop number when switching

When moving a fullscreen app I found it difficult to determine which desktop I'm on at the moment and whether I should stop or move more. Currently the only things I can use for orientation is on the taskbar which I'm not looking at when switching desktops.

A better thing would be to briefly show an overlay upon switching with some information:

• mainly the desktop number
  • later the desktop name if you add support for named desktops
• icons of the applications running on that desktop
  • or possibly previews/titles instead? icons are probably the best option though

Redesign the settings file and location

Make the settings file easier to work with and save it in a path that is easier to get to.

What? No Bugs to Report! I guess that's a good thing, right!

Settings Aren't Loading Properly From Program Startup

I've noticed that even though the settings show that I want to use the Blue icons, it still defaults to Green on program startup.

Move, Navigate, and Follow with Left and Right Keys

I will create these:

WIN+ALT+LEFT or RIGHT: Navigate left or right
CTRL+WIN+LEFT or RIGHT: Move window left or right
CTRL+WIN+ALT+LEFT or RIGHT: Move window left or right and follow to that desktop

Pressing the X on the settings window closes the app

It should not do this.

Copy Hotkey List to Clipboard

Some uses would like to print the hotkey list so that they can use as a cheat sheet.

zVD identified as Virus

Hi,
tonight zVD was killed, blocked and quarantined by AVG while running !
I assume as a result of an update of the AVG antivirus database.
My attempt to relaunch zVD resulted in aggressive attacks from AVG even though I tried to cancel the attack. Finally, Windows itself is now flashing a big blue "You cannot run this program on this computer" message across my screen.
I'm stuck.

Mouse Navigation - Using a minimum of clicks to jump desktops

Let me first say thank you for making this utility and for letting us know about it. It's fantastic! :-)
Adding "Switch Desktop" to the icon right-click was a good idea. It saves us from having to move our hands over to the keyboard all time. But it still can't outperform the Windows built-in Task-View desktop switcher. Neither in number of clicks needed, nor in visual effects. So essentially, you just added something which is already available naitively.
The objective it to reduce the number of clicks to an absolute minimum.
Would it be possible to add a feature that would overlay a horisontal desktop ribbon similar to the one produced by right-clicking on Task-View, when you hover over the zDV icon?
(I guess with or without changing the rest of the desktop (like task-View does) until you click.
If that's not easily programmed, perhaps just a single row of digits from 1-n would could appear when hovering over the icon.

Specific Wallpaper for each desktop

I will create up to 9 since it will be in sync with the numpad.

You Might Need to Restart the App After Returning From Hibernation or Sleep

I will be investigating this issue more tonight. One of my co-workers noticed that the system tray icon became unresponsive and we had to kill the app in Task Manager. The only thing I can think of is that she brought the computer up from sleep or hibernation.

Create a new desktop when trying to move windows to non-existence desktop

If I have only one desktop open, and I'm trying to move a windows to the right (with alt+win+right) it does nothing, since there's no desktop on the right. I think it should create one automatically.

And also - maybe add an option to automatically close empty desktops

thanks!

Repo cluttered?

Hi, I tried to to download zVD from the main download button, but all I got was a 4k empty ZIP.
The latest available version I found in the repo was 1.0.22
So I installed that and upon first time launch, it tells me the 1.040 is available, but that just points back to the same empty 4k ZIP.
In one of your previous posts, I found a link to 1.0.30, so I installed that instead and it has the round-robin feature, which I like a lot.
But 1.0.40 is nowhere to be found, and 1.0.30 is not in the repo, but the link works.

Oh, and I must say - I failed to understand the purpose of the checkbox for the windows keys, but I chose to check it (not knowing why). :-)
Anyway - everything is getting better and better!

Add a way to move all windows to a specific desktop

I'm thinking a menu item in the system tray icon that says "Gather All Windows".

Opinions?

Add System Tray Menu Items to Switch Desktops

Where are the settings stored?

If you're looking for the settings file, it is stored in IsolatedStorage.

Search through the subfolders within the below folder and you should find a file named zVirtualDesktop.bin

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\IsolatedStorage

Warning: It's not pretty, but it works. Also, because it is a binary file you can't modify directly in notepad. You can see the text though if you are interested in seeing it. Like I said, it's messy and you can't modify it. I'm working on another way to implement the settings.

Add variations of system tray icons

Option for alt+tab menu to only show current desktop's windows

This would help each desktop feel much more like its own environment/workspace.

Thanks!

EDIT: Apparently there is a setting for this in windows settings, but it doesn't seem to work for me. I'll see if I can figure out what's happening.
EDIT: Looks like display fusion is causing the issue, not this.

What's the difference between a pinned app and pinned window?

As the title says - I fail to understand the difference.
I tried both, and what it did was to spread the current active window/App across all desktops.
I assume there must be a logical difference, but I couldn't figure it out.

Comment here if you found the Easter egg

HINT:
You'll find it on the settings window.

Windows Key stays pressed when using WIN+L to lock computer

After returning and unlocking my PC from locking my PC with WIN+L, it appears the WIN button is looking like it's pressed when it is not. I will fix this issue tonight.

Additional Languages

Shortcut jump fails sometimes

I'm on v1.6
I'm on Desktop 1 and I have Another App (VNC Viewer) running on Desktop 4.
All running apps also appear on my taskbar.
I could hit Ctrl-Win-4 to go to desktop 4 where I know VNC Viewer is running, but even faster is just to click the VNC Viewer taskbar icon (especially if I do not recall exactly which desktop it is currently using). Then Windows jumps to desktop 4 right away.
However, zVD fails to pick up the fact that I have changed desktop, on certain apps, and zVD becomes completely unresponsive to any further Ctrl-Win-n attempts.
I first have to click the mouse somewhere on desktop 4 to make zVD aware of my whereabouts. Then it becomes responsive again.
This bug is only related to some Apps. What exactly causes this, I don't know. But I suspect it may have something to do with apps relying on a virtual mouse emulation (typically remote desktop apps).

Remove desktops when there are no windows on it

Please post your feedback on this. I'm not sure this is that important since having 9 desktops isn't that much impact on the system.

What do you all think? Should I implement this feature?

No longer open source

I just noticed that zVirtualDesktop is no longer open source. While this is sad for us but of course totally up to you, it is highly discouraged to silently change the license. Please make clear that zVirtualDesktop is no longer open source (folder in repository suggest otherwise) and no longer free and open source software. Could you maybe explain why you did close your great project?
For everyone else: my fork https://github.com/jan-glx/zVirtualDesktop contains the last version licensed under the MIT license, but will not be developed further by me.

App doesn't close when logging off Windows

pin an app to only run on a desktop

What i'm really looking for is a way to get an app to always run on a specific desktop. i'd hoped pin app/window would do this but it does the opposite (all desktops). is there a way to add an "always open app X and all windows on desktop Y" to the app?

Don't try and move windows that are pinned

Check if the window is pinned before trying to move it or get the desktop number. It causes an exception otherwise.

Maintain focus on moved Apps

When I move&follow an App/Window, I must always re-focus (click inside it) in order to continue working with it. Like if I am typing in Word and decide to move&follow it to another desktop. Then typing away as usual does nothing. I have to clik first to re-activate focus. Then I can type again.
Can it be fixed so that focus also follows the windows/App?

How to submit icon files

If you would like to submit new icons for me to add to the program then follow the below steps:

Step 1. Create a set of icons (no more than 9) - 32x32 or 48x48 and do not include more than one size in each icon file.
Step 2. Name each icon accordingly - [IconThemeName]_[IconNumber]
Step 3. Zip your icons
Step 4. Open a new issue with the title of "New Icons" and a comment that links me to your zip file. Also comment with a screenshot so others can see and express their opinion.

Test your icons please. I don't want to have to tweak them.

Add Hotkeys to Move Window and Follow it to the Desktop

I already h ave the ability to follow a Window when you move it, but I have not implemented that to the user. Would like feedback as to what the default hotkey should be for that.