Switchable Desktop?

[frostbite]

I have a lot of icons on my desktop that I don't use too often, but like to have them handy for when I want them.

Does anyone know of a (pref. free) utility that will provide alternate desktops that can be switched with a hotkey?

[BOAC]

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

[Conan the Librarian]

You could just log into another user profile and leave the requisite set of Desktop junk still ready to use on your main profile. That should do the trick, I would have thought.

Conan

[Mac the Knife]

Start button - rightclick - Open (or Open all users)

Rightclick - New Folder remame it "Useful" (or whatever you fancy)

Cut 'n paste the Icons/Shortcuts you want to keep handy from the Desktop into "Useful"

Now you have a new cascading menu "Useful" that comes up when you click on Start with all those useful items in it.

:ok:

[frostbite]

Thanks for all the suggestions. That's a neat idea, Mac.

[frostbite]

I thought I would try M$ 'Virtual Desktop Manager' first - downloaded and installed the thing, but where's it gone?

Doesn't appear on the taskbar, not in the Programs list, no hint of instructions anywhere. Typical M$!

[BOAC]

Right Click on the taskbar and select. Just Bill's little joke...................:)

(Actually its in the instructions in the 'ReadMe' file):D

[frostbite]

I've already tried right clicking on the taskbar and there's nothing new on offer.

If I could find it listed under Programs I might stand a chance of seeing a readme.

[BOAC]

Sorry - should have said it is under 'Toolbars' there and the readme should be under 'PowewrTools etc':\

[Mac the Knife]

Virtual Desktop Manager is neat (Linux/UNIX has had virtual desktops for years) and stops a lot of screen clutter, particularly if you're using a single monitor setup. You can have one app. executing in one desktop while you're working in another and easily switch between the two (or four).

But the icons and icon layouts on the different desktops are the same - VDM won't help you reduce icon clutter. The best way is to follow my suggestion above and create submenus on the Start button.

It just makes sense to group similar programs together - I have for instance:

Graphics - all the drawing and imaging stuff
Security - security stuff
System - system stuff
Word processors - WPs

and so on. Make life much easier.

(I actually tend to put my submenus down in the Quick Launch toolbar - it just seems neater to me)

:ok:

[Keef]

What Mac said.

I have about ten "folders" along the bottom of my desktop (above the taskbar).

They open directly above where they are on the desktop, so very little mouse moving is needed.

One each for Church, Comms, Flying, Fun, Ham, Music, Office, and Utilities. There are anything between 4 and 50 icons in each of those folders.

The desktop has only the stuff I use all the time (25 icons). I wouldn't do it any other way.

The Linux machine, with four "desktops", has the same folder system because the different desktops still have all the same icons in the same place.

[vapilot2004]

I have a lot of icons on my desktop that I don't use too often, but like to have them handy for when I want them.

Does anyone know of a (pref. free) utility that will provide alternate desktops that can be switched with a hotkey?

You can create a folder in, say, your My Documents folder, put your shortcuts here and then right click it and send it to the desktop as a shortcut.

Now right click the newly created desktop shortcut and assign a shortcut key combination to the folder. You may also change the icon from the unremarkable and generic folder icon to something more noticeable.

Hit the shortcut key combination anytime you desire access to your off-desktop icons.

I use CTL-ALT and some letter to avoid using already assigned shortcut key combinations in popular software titles.

You may also drag your shortcut folder to the quick launch area (usually to the right of the start button) for easy access.