Virtual Desktop Manager, Use up to 4 alternate desktops, save & restore your icon positions easily, each desktop can have it's own unique wallpaper, each virtual desktop can have it's own unique screen resolution plus much more.

Virtual Desktop supports up to 4 (multiple) virtual desktops. Each desktop supports multiple unique wallpaper and multiple unique screen resolution and multiple unique icon placements.

Download page for Smatters Virtual Desktop 2.30

updated March 30, 2011
 

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View Recent Updates/Changes

Click here to see the recent changes in the Virtual Desktop Program.

Virtual Desktop Overview

This is yet another Virtual Desktop program. The only difference is that THIS program actually WORKS. Up to 4 desktops, unique wallpaper, unique screen resolution, unique icon placements. Works with ToolBar programs too.

WHY USE VIRTUAL DESKTOP?

How many times have you been annoyed because your desktop contains way too much stuff and it's cluttered? How many times have you been annoyed because you have so many program windows open that your screen becomes difficult to navigate through all the displayed windows? Have you ever had your desktop icons positioned the way you want them and then you do something and poof, they are all re-arranged and then you are annoyed because it makes it more difficult to find a particular icon?

If you answered never to all of these, then you don't want this program and you should leave this web site and not waste any more of your precious time.

IF, however, you do find yourself annoyed for these very reasons, then continue reading.
 
 

Virtual Desktop IS FREEWARE

Download it and run it for as long as you like. No trial period.  no adware, no spyware. Just plain and simple.....FREE. Feel free to copy it and give it to ALL of your friends. It's simple, yet effective and most of all, EASY.

We only ask that you donate $10 in order to continue to use Desktop #3 and #4 after a long trial period. Of course you can use Dekstop #1 and #2 for as long as you like for FREE. The trail period allows you to switch between all 4 desktops several hundred times, before asking for registration to use Desktop #3 or #4.

Click here to REGISTER Virtual Desktop for $10

Download VDT.EXE:
Click on the following link.

DOWNLOAD the Virtual Desktop program file.(about 1 MB)    VDT.EXE

Install:
1. Installing Virtual Desktop:
    a)  Just download the VDT.EXE file and SAVE it to your desktop folder or any folder of your choice.
    b)  Double-Click on the VDT.EXE file to RUN IT
    c)  That's it. You are done. There is no installation or setup. It doesn;t it require any special DLLs or other files. It's a single EXE program file.
 

Download Problems:
When you click on the above link to download, your browser usually gives a couple of methods for downloading:

    1)  Open it  (or)  Open this file from its current location
    2)  Save to disk (or) Save this file to disk

ALWAYS choose method 2  ("Save this file to disk"). That's how you save the downloaded file. Don't choose method 1 because, before opening the file, it gets saved into some hidden temporary internet folder that most simple users can't get access to.

Various Screen Snap Shots

Main tool bar window

 

Options Window showing the "Manage Desktop Icons" tab.

 

Options Window showing the "Desktop" tab.

 

Options Window showing the "Wallpaper & Resolution" tab.

 

DESCRIPTION

Typical User Problem:
How many times have you been annoyed because your desktop contains way too much stuff and it's cluttered?
How many times have you been annoyed because you have so many program windows open that your screen becomes difficult to navigate through all the displayed windows? Have you ever had your desktop icons positioned the way you want them and then you do something and poof, they are all re-arranged and then you are annoyed because it makes it more difficult to find a particular icon?
If you answered never to all of these, then you don't want this program and you should leave this web site and not waste any more of your precious time.

IF, however, you do find yourself annoyed for these very reasons, then continue reading.

What Does Virtual Desktop Do:
This program allows you to have 4 separate Desktops. Each desktop can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate round button numbered 1 thru 4 located beneath the program's title bar. Each Desktop can have it's own unique Desktop Items. And each one can have it's own unique WallPaper, and each one can have it's own unique Screen/Display resolution. Each one will also have it's own set of program windows that it will show. You can even save & restore your icon positions on your desktop! NOTE: Special ToolBar programs like the Microsoft Office tool bar or the ICQ panel will display on all 4 desktops. The taskbar typically at the bottom is a ToolBar as well. One way to recognize a ToolBar is if you can't move desktop icons into the area consumed by the program window.Plus much much more.

Program Windows separation.

For example: Let's say you have an Email reader and an Internet Browser open. Then let's say you also have a couple of program file manager(explorer) windows open. And let's say you have some sound editing system running. As you want to switch from program to program, you either have to look at the task bar and click on the appropriate item, OR press ALT-TAB and cycle through all the programs that are currently running. So, if you have a bunch of programs running, this gets to be a chore. (V)irtual (D)esk(T)op to the rescue. Just run VDT and select the desktop # you want and it's shown to you. Then open some programs. Then click on another desktiop # and open some more programs and so on. Now EACH desktop will ONLY SHOW the programs that you opened while viewing that desktop #. Now when you switch to desktop #4 you would see all your internet program windows, and when you switch to desktop #2 you would see all your sound editing programs running. And when you switch to desktop #1 you would see other programs running. So, now you have EASY desktop windows management. Just click the 1, 2, 3 or 4 buttons to switch between the different desktops. NOTE: Toolbar programs will appear on all 4 desktops. These are programs that sit on an edge of your screen and consume the entire Height or Width of your screen depending on it it's oriented at the TOP/BOTTOM or LEFT/RIGHT edge of your screen.

Wallpaper separation.

So that you can easily remember that you are on the correct Desktop #, each desktop can have it's own unique Wallpaper assigned.

Desktop Items separation.

So that you can easily wade through your desktop icons(items), each desktop can have it's OWN unique set of items that display on them. And the positions of the icons are unique from desktop to desktop as well. Very nice touch. You can Drag & Drop Icons from one desktop to another. You can also hide icons or un-hide icons in order to fully customize each desktop.

Screen Resolution separation.

Each desktop can also have it's own unique display resolution. That way if some programs on desktop #4 are better viewed at 1280x1024 and the programs being shown on desktop #2 are better viewed at 1024x768, then you can do this in the VDT program.

MORE FEATURES:

As if the above features weren't enough, VDT also has the ability to keep a list of programs that will display on ALL 4 Desktops. IE: Let's say you have the calculator up and running and you don't want 4 calculators running (one on each desktop). Well, simple. Just load the calculator ONCE, and then tell the VDT to add the calculator program to the list of programs that will display on all 4 desktops. Poof, easy.

NOTE: Special programs like ToolBars that sit on the edge of your Desktop are shown on ALL 4 alternate Desktops. Example of a ToolBar is the Microsoft Office tool bar. ICQ has a side bar panel. The taskbar typically at the bottom is a ToolBar. Some Multi-Media quick launch panels are ToolBars. One way to recognize a ToolBar is if you can't move desktop icons into the area consumed by the program window.

Also, let's pretend that you want to move the program window for Outlook from desktop #4 to desktop #2. Easy. Just use the VDT and checkmark the Outlook program in the "Window Switcher" tab. Then click the "Switch Program To Current Desktop" button. Poof, done. Now Outlook has been moved from Desktop #4 to your current desktop.

Also, have you ever had all your icons positioned just exactly the way you want them, and then you do something and then POOF, they are all re-arranged and now you have trouble finding the icon you are interested in? Happens all the time. Very annoying. VDT has a "Restore Icon Positions" button. This takes the last saved positions and restores them. Very handy indeed.

Technical Notes:
The way Virtual Desktop does its magic is by moving the Desktop Icons off-screen so that you can't see them and only keeps the ones that you haven't hidden via the "Manage Desktop Icons" tab. So, as you bounce around each of the 4 different desktops, all that happens is that the Icons are repositioned accordingly and the Icons that you don't want to see are positioned off-screen.
 
 

Trouble-Shooting Virtual Desktop

There are currently only one known issue with the VDT. Some systems that have large monitors won't set the screen resolution until you restrart the system.  So, if you use the VDT to set the screen resolution, you may see that the resolution didn't change. This is not a problem with VDT, the same thing would happen even if you used the normal "Display Properties" function in the "Control Panel".

Answers to some questions:
Q: How do I INSTALL the program?
A: There is only one file, VDT.EXE and so there is nothing special required to install it. Just create a folder somewhere, preferably NOT on your desktop. Then save the VDT.EXE file ino that folder. Then double click on the VDT.exe program file and you are done.

Q: How do I make it so that it automatically loads when my system boots up?
A: Simple, while in the VDT program, just go to the "Settings" tab. Then checkmark the "Auto load" feature.

Q: What if I used the feature where each Desktop gets it own set of desktop items, and then later on I want to stop using the program?
A: If you want to stop using the program, there is NOTHING special that you have to do. Of course you may want to delete the VDT.EXE program file from your hard drive to save about 1MB of space. Not very much space. About the size of one photo.

Q: Why is it that sometimes I notice that a program window that was on desktop #2 all of a sudden appears on my screen even though I'm viewing desktop #4. Why does it become visible?
A: See, although each program is displayed on a specific desktop, there are times when a program will display a message box when it's done with some long process or to alert you to something. When that message box gets displayed onto your screen, you may not know what that message box refers to. There may not be enough textual information to understand to what it refers to. SO, the VDT will check every 2 seconds to see if any programs, that are SUPPOSED to be visible on another desktop, have now displayed a window onto the current desktop. If such a situation occurs, then ALL of that program's windows will then be made visible. This way, you can better determine what the message box or window really means.

Q: I have ICQ and it shows a panel on the right side of my screen. It appears on all 4 desktops. Why is that?
A: Simple. All ToolBar programs like ICQ or the Microsoft Office Toolbar or the TaskBar are ALWAYS shown on all 4 desktops. This not a problem, it's actually an advantage..

Q: I like to have a program, like Calculator, appear on all 4 desktops. How do I do that WITHOUT loading 4 copies of the calculator?
A: Simple, load the calculator program once. Then go to the VDT tab named "Window Switcher". You will find a list of active programs running. You can checkmark the calculator program. Then click the button "Add program to the Show-On-All-4 Desktops list". Then as you switch from desktop to desktop, the calculator will NOT hide.

Q: Is it okay to have the program running when I log off?
A: Yes, it's perfectly fine. And if any hidden program windows pop-up a message asking you to save your work, you will see the entire application program, not just the warning to save your work.

Q: I like the concept of each Desktop getting it's own unique set of items to display on the desktop. How can I easily get my items from my normal desktop #1 over to let's say desktop #3?
A: Simple. To start with, ALL 4 Desktops start blank. So, click on the "M" button to make sure you are on the (M)ain Desktop in order to see all your icons. You could then drag & drop any icon(s) onto the appropriate button (1,2,3 or 4). Then those dropped icons will appear on the appropriate desktop #. You can also use the "Manage Desktop Icons" tab to do all of your desktop icon management. You can also HIDE any icons by dragging and dropping them onto the bullseye red/white target.

Q: I did something in some program and now all my desktop icons got all re-arranged. Can I restore their positions?
A: Yes, easy. Go to the "Manage Desktop Icons" tab in the VDT program. Then click on the "Restore Desktop Icon Positions" button. Pretty simple.

Q: Does this program work with Windows 98?
A: Yes, it works with Windows 98 all the way up to Vista and beyond.
 


RECENT CHANGES

These are the changes from version 2.1 to 2.3.
Changes