How to Use Dexpot for Free, Windows 7–Integrated Virtual Desktops

Posted 06/08/2011 at 1:03pm | by Alex Castle

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The next best thing to an extra display

In a previous how-to, we discussed multiple monitors as a great tool for increased efficiency. However, sometimes multiple displays just don’t work in a certain environment. Fortunately, there’s still a way to get some of the efficiency benefits of having multiple desktops without needing two displays: virtual desktops.

Dexpot, a free program that lets you set up multiple virtual desktops, integrates with the Windows 7 taskbar, offering live previews of your desktops and jump-list support.

1. Set up Dexpot

Dexpot’s installation procedure is about as easy as it gets. Just download the installer from www.dexpot.de and run it, making sure not to install the toolbar that it tries to bring with it.

Once it’s installed, run Dexpot, and check out your new virtual desktops. You can switch between desktops by clicking the Dexpot icon in the taskbar and selecting one of the other virtual desktops (above). If you want more or less than four virtual desktops, you can change that and other basic options in the Settings menu, which you access by right-clicking the Dexpot taskbar icon.

2. Navigate Your Desktops

There are several ways to navigate between your virtual desktops. The easiest is what you’ve been doing already—clicking the Dexpot icon and choosing a different desktop. To move a program from one desktop to another, you can right-click the program window, and then use the Dexpot context-menu item to send it to whichever window you want
(below).

Unfortunately, both of those procedures are on the slow slide, negating some of the efficiency benefits you gain from multiple desktops. To get the most out of Dexpot, you need to learn to use one of the other methods for navigating desktops. Here are three different ways to navigate:

Hotkeys:

The fastest way to change desktops is with hotkeys. By default, use Alt + the number keys to switch between desktops, and Alt + Shift + the number keys to transfer the currently active window. You can rebind those actions, and find even more in the Controls section of the settings menu.

Mouse Control:

If you want to be able to switch between desktops without using the keyboard, you can turn on Mouse Switch in the Controls section of the Settings menu. This allows you to switch between desktops by moving your mouse to the far edge of the screen.

Full-Screen Preview:

A function of Dexpot allows you to see all of your desktops on screen at once, arranged in a Brady Bunch-esque grid (above). If you’ve forgotten where a window is, this is the fastest way to find it. You can launch it quickly using the hotkey Win + F3.

3. Keep Your Desktops Organized With Rules

One of the hard things about using multiple desktops is keeping your applications sorted properly. Dexpot makes this a little easier by allowing you to set up rules that define which desktop certain applications live on. For instance, here’s how to make it so that Outlook always stays on Desktop 2:

1. Right-click the Dexpot icon and choose Desktop Rules.

2. Click the button marked Assistant.

3. Give the rule a name, and click OK.

4. Under Condition 1, click the drop-down menu to select “Executable is,” then click and drag the crosshairs icon onto the Outlook application. This should automatically enter outlook.exe into the final input field. Click Next.

5. For the Action 1 drop-down field, select Move, and then choose which desktop you want Outlook to move to. Click next, and then Done.

By learning to use the rules system, you can give your virtual desktops structure, which keeps them tidier and you more productive.