VirtualDesktop

C# command line tool to manage virtual desktops in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Pre-compiled binaries in Releases now

Version 1.17, 2024-02-14

version for Windows 11 build 22631.3085 and up

(look for a powershell version here: https://github.com/MScholtes/PSVirtualDesktop or here: https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/VirtualDesktop)

With Windows 11 23H2 Release 3085 Microsoft did change the API (COM GUIDs) for accessing the functions for virtual desktops again. I provide four versions of virtualdesktop.cs now: virtualdesktop.cs is for Windows 10, virtualdesktop11.cs is for Windows 11, virtualdesktopserver2022.cs is for Windows Server 2022, virtualdesktopserver2016.cs is for Windows Server 2016. Using Compile.bat all executables will be generated.

Generate:

Compile with Compile.bat (no visual studio needed, but obviously Windows 10 or 11)

Description:

Command line tool to manage the virtual desktops of Windows 10 and 11. Parameters can be given as a sequence of commands. The result - most of the times the number of the processed desktop - can be used as input for the next parameter. The result of the last command is returned as error level. Virtual desktop numbers start with 0.

Parameters (leading / can be omitted or - can be used instead):

/Help /h /? this help screen.

/Verbose /Quiet enable verbose (default) or quiet mode (short: /v and /q).

/Break /Continue break (default) or continue on error (short: /b and /co).

/List list all virtual desktops (short: /li).

/Count get count of virtual desktops to pipeline (short: /c).

/GetDesktop:<n|s> get number of virtual desktop <n> or desktop with text <s> in name to pipeline (short: /gd).

/GetCurrentDesktop get number of current desktop to pipeline (short: /gcd).

/Name[:<s>] set name of desktop with number in pipeline (short: /na).

/Wallpaper[:<s>] set wallpaper path of desktop with number in pipeline (short: /wp)(only VirtualDesktop11.exe).

/AllWallpapers:<s> set wallpaper path of all desktops (short: /awp)(only VirtualDesktop11.exe).

/IsVisible[:<n|s>] is desktop number <n>, desktop with text <s> in name or number in pipeline visible (short: /iv)? Returns 0 for visible and 1 for invisible.

/Switch[:<n|s>] switch to desktop with number <n>, desktop with text <s> in name or with number in pipeline (short: /s).

/Left switch to virtual desktop to the left of the active desktop (short: /l).

/Right switch to virtual desktop to the right of the active desktop (short: /ri).

/Wrap /NoWrap /Left or /Right switch over or generate an error when the edge is reached (default)(short /w and /nw).

/New create new desktop (short: /n). Number is stored in pipeline.

/Remove[:<n|s>] remove desktop number <n>, desktop with text <s> in name or desktop with number in pipeline (short: /r).

/RemoveAll remove all desktops but visible (short: /ra).

/SwapDesktop:<n|s> swap desktop in pipeline with desktop number <n>, desktop with text <s> in name or desktop with number in pipeline (short: /sd).

/InsertDesktop:<n|s> insert desktop number <n> or desktop with text <s> in name before desktop in pipeline or vice versa (short: /id)(not VirtualDesktop11.exe).

/MoveDesktop:<n|s> move desktop in pipeline to desktop number <n> or desktop with text <s> in name (short: /md)(only VirtualDesktop11.exe).

/MoveWindowsToDesktop::<n|s> move windows on desktop in pipeline to desktop number <n> or desktop with text <s> in name (short: /mwtd).

/MoveWindow:<s|n> move process with name <s> or id <n> to desktop with number in pipeline (short: /mw).

/MoveWindowHandle:<s|n> move window with text <s> in title or handle <n> to desktop with number in pipeline (short: /mwh).

/MoveActiveWindow move active window to desktop with number in pipeline (short: /maw).

/GetDesktopFromWindow:<s|n> get desktop number where process with name <s> or id <n> is displayed (short: /gdfw).

/GetDesktopFromWindowHandle:<s|n> get desktop number where window with text <s> in title or handle <n> is displayed (short: /gdfwh).

/IsWindowOnDesktop:<s|n> check if process with name <s> or id <n> is on desktop with number in pipeline (short: /iwod). Returns 0 for yes, 1 for no.

/IsWindowHandleOnDesktop:<s|n> check if window with text <s> in title or handle <n> is on desktop with number in pipeline (short: /iwhod). Returns 0 for yes, 1 for no.

/ListWindowsOnDesktop[:<n|s>] list handles of windows on desktop number <n>, desktop with text <s> in name or desktop with number in pipeline (short: /lwod).

/CloseWindowsOnDesktop[:<n|s>] close windows on desktop number <n>, desktop with text <n> in name or desktop with number in pipeline (short: /cwod).

/PinWindow:<s|n> pin process with name <s> or id <n> to all desktops (short: /pw).

/PinWindowHandle:<s|n> pin window with text <s> in title or handle <n> to all desktops (short: /pwh).

/UnPinWindow:<s|n> unpin process with name <s> or id <n> from all desktops (short: /upw).

/UnPinWindowHandle:<s|n> unpin window with text <s> in title or handle <n> from all desktops (short: /upwh).

/IsWindowPinned:<s|n> check if process with name <s> or id <n> is pinned to all desktops (short: /iwp). Returns 0 for yes, 1 for no.

/IsWindowHandlePinned:<s|n> check if window with text <s> in title or handle <n> is pinned to all desktops (short: /iwhp). Returns 0 for yes, 1 for no.

/PinApplication:<s|n> pin application with name <s> or id <n> to all desktops (short: /pa).

/UnPinApplication:<s|n> unpin application with name <s> or id <n> from all desktops (short: /upa).

/IsApplicationPinned:<s|n> check if application with name <s> or id <n> is pinned to all desktops (short: /iap). Returns 0 for yes, 1 for no.

/Calc:<n> add <n> to result, negative values are allowed (short: /ca).

/WaitKey wait for key press (short: /wk).

/Sleep:<n> wait for <n> milliseconds (short: /sl).

Hints:

Instead of a desktop name you can use LAST or *LAST* to select the last virtual desktop.

Insert ^^ somewhere in window title parameters to prevent finding the own window. ^ is removed before searching window titles.

Examples: