How to Have 4 Virtual Desktops on Windows XP

How would you like to have more than one desktop on your display screen to avoid window clutter? Microsoft has created a clever Power Toy plug-in for Windows XP called "Virtual Desktop". With Virtual Desktop you can have 4 individual desktops. You can even view all 4 desktops at once to see what application is running on each desktop. With Virtual Desktop you can have a different background picture on each desktop. Just follow the steps below to get started.

Step1

Copy and paste this URL in your web browser: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Step2

Scroll down the page and select the Virtual Desktop file called, "Deskman.exe" that appears in the right hand column. . Select Run and the Add-on will download to your PC. Follow the install instructions on your screen, confirm user agreement and then select "Complete" install.

Step3

Right click on your toolbar and select, "toolbars", Desktop Manager". You will now see four circles with the numbers 1,2,3,4 in them. This represents your 4 virtual desktops. If you click on any one of them you will go to that desktop. If you click on the green circle to the right of "MSVDM" you will see all four desktops on your screen. This is your desktops preview. Hit "Esc" key to return to normal view.

Step4

Right click on any desktop number and select "Configure Desktop Images". Now select each preview desktop, one at a time, and choose the image you want to use for each desktop. You can also go to the shortcut key tab and assign a shortcut key to each desktop.

Step5

Now, one at a time, select each desktop to make sure your selected backgrounds appear.

Step6

Select the preview button to see all 4 desktops on your screen.