Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another


  1. Posts : 55
    Windows 10
       #1

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another


    This seems to be a tedious process of going to the task view, then finding the window and right clicking and sending it to another desktop.

    Is there something simpler? I was expecting a right click on the taskbar would give this option, but it does not. Is there a keyboard shortcut perhaps?
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  2. Posts : 68,836
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #2

    Hello LT2000, :)

    Double check your task view settings for how they will show on the taskbar. For what you want, it should be to show windows that are open on all desktops.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html
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  3. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #3

    I was under the impression that once you clicked on the Task View button any and all deskops open would be seen along the bottom while you are at the moment in the desktop you want to move the window from. You simply click and drag the window onto the intended destination desktop.

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another-virtual-desktop-1.jpg

    One example I use is having the first desktop filled to the brim on a single monitor system or laptop or even on the dual display set up here when needing some additional workspace. As you can see one is the Performance monitor and the second is the Resource monitor I intend to move onto a second desktop.

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another-virtual-desktop-4.jpg

    Once you hit the Task View button and click the "add new desktop" + plus sign button way over on the lower right corner you have the next desktop to work with in view.

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another-virtual-desktop-5.jpg

    With a fast click to hold on the Resource monitor and by dragging that onto the intended destination you remove it from the first.

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another-virtual-desktop-6.jpg

    As you notice it will instantly appear on the second desktop. You can also reverse the process when later wanting to close up the second desktop seeing it dragged onto the first desktop and with an all too common "click on the X" close the 2nd the second one up just you would with any explorer window.

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another-virtual-desktop-7.jpg

    The other options for seeing what is on what as well as if you want the open window or app icon appearing on the display you are in or on all desktops is covered in the guide for this. Task View for Desktops - Open and Use in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
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  4. Posts : 55
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Brink: Thanks, but that does not really help me move a window from one desktop to another.

    Night Hawk: That is an improvement over what I was doing, so thanks! It would still be nice to move windows to a different desktop via keyboard shortcuts or something that doesn't involve the taskview. For example, why wouldn't the right click on the minimized preview window not have "move to another desktop". Seems like a feature that is needed.
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  5. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #5

    Well for one the first thought that immediately comes to mind would be "What If" you have several desktops open at the same time? You right click and where does what go to where??? You wouldn't have any control over which desktop you would be moving an open window to since it would then Windows managed if it worked at all.

    The minimized view of "All" desktops open was the best possible approach. The tab key might be the item besides the two key combinations outlined in the guide as possible means to navigate from desktop to desktop as you would see that navigate from item to item on the task bar to the Start button. Perhaps a 3rd key combination would be the idea for substitution of the tab key since that is bound to moving around in Windows using the keyboard method.

    For tablet the press of finger to hold and move any open windows would seem to be how to work things on the mobile side. Don't have any Surface or others to try things out on here however. The Click and Drag method however seemed to be the idea in how to speed things a bit over dual keys in case you forget each combination for bringing up a new desktop or closing one up. You have the visible capacity over the keyboard shortcuts as well since you can actually see where you are dragging a window to.
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  6. Posts : 55
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I didn't really follow that to be honest.

    In my case, the desktops are already running. But I can't have multiple instances of thunderbird (email) easily. So I have to keep moving it for drag and drop operations. If I could just right click it and send it to the other desktop, it would be pretty quick. Instead I have to go to the task view, locate the specific desktop it happens to be on, and drag it to the desktop I need it to be on. Rather inefficient.

    Conversely, imagine the right click option existed. If I left click on the icon it automatically goes to the running instance. Then I could right click and move it. Now, IF, I didn't already know what desktop it should go to then it wouldn't make sense (and hence I would need task view to see what is going on). But since each desktop is dedicated to a specific task (productivity) I know by the number. It would speed up workflow quite a bit for those situations (and for other programs with only a single instance).
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  7. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #7

    You would have the one instance of Thunderbird on one desktop alone but can still see it moved from one desktop to another. The multiple desktops are part of the Virtualization process being brought in with 10 for the Windows OS while Linux has been seeing this for some time already. Part of the progression of the Windows OS would be seeing this as was the XP Mode in 7 and running a VM with a 3rd party program.

    Where MS is going now with 10 is geared for most who only see one single desktop filled beyond belief at times when trying to run too much together and ending up with a cluttered desktop and frustrations from it being "too busy"?! Now you can split things up without any effect on the programs themselves. The idea is to increase desktop space beyond what you would see even when running 3 or 4 monitors since you can have a good ten fold of desktops to keep things organized when separated.
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  8. Posts : 17,838
    Windows 10
       #8

    It might be handy if the 'Move to' right click option were available on the taskbar as well as in task view.

    Move Windows from One Virtual Desktop to Another-000080.png
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #9

    I was thinking more on the lines of a "Jump List" for a head count tool for detecting just how many desktops are open at any given moment and then simply choosing which one something gets moved to. The shortcut for the count could then be pinned to the Start as well as on the task bar.

    Sometime with the 16gb of memory here I will have to keep on clicking the add new desktop option on the right side as I did have several opened on the first day of looking at this to see if there is any limit. I suspect I could easily go into seeing dozens of them opened up! I slap a browser window for a different page as well as open a few apps up and keep each one on a separate desktop. Browser windows do tend to have a limit before the browser stalls on you however while various right click menus and other things will be good for fast test.
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