The best virtual desktops. Overview of the virtual desktop service

Many people still use Windows version 7 or 8 and do not plan to move to version 10 yet. However, one feature that appeared in latest version Windows and allows you to make multiple desktops, yet many are missing. Through special program this can be fixed and done multiple desktops in both Windows 7 and 8

Moreover, this can be done using special utility from Microsoft. It is called Desktops v2.0 and can be downloaded from the official website at. It creates up to 4 virtual desktops simultaneously. Besides the fact that the program is from Microsoft and is fully compatible with all windows versionssince Vista, it is very lightweight, so it practically does not waste computer resources.

After extracting the archive, run the Desktops.exe file and accept the agreement by clicking on the "I Agree" button.

Next, a window will appear with a small number of settings. At the very bottom of the window there is a checkbox "Run automatically at logon", which is responsible for autostarting the program at startup operating system... In the center of the window, you can set up a keyboard shortcut that will be responsible for creating desktops. When the operating system boots, one desktop is automatically created and if you press the key combination that you set, for example, Alt + 2, then a second desktop is automatically created.

The program icon can be found in the lower right corner. By clicking the left mouse button, you can choose which desktop to switch to, as well as create a new desktop. By clicking the right mouse button, the already familiar settings window opens, in which you can select a keyboard shortcut, or remove or put autorun together with the operating system.

It should be noted that this program does not work like most other virtual desktop utilities, which hide some programs and show others. It actually creates a separate desktop and the programs that you run on the new desktop are tied to it. This creates separate processes. As the developers write, this helps to avoid bugs and errors, as well as to achieve high performance.

Thanks to this program, you can use multiple desktops for different purposes. For example, you might have one desk for relaxation and another for work. But there are also disadvantages to it. Due to the fact that for everyone windows desktop creates its own desktop objects, you cannot transfer something from one table to another. Also, there are small errors in displaying a changeable desktop background, so for its correct use, you need to install a non-changeable permanent wallpaper.

Congratulations, now you know how to use 2 Windows desktops on a computer with 7 and 8 versions of the operating system.

In this lesson, we'll talk about how to access the file, if a take the file to another process.

In this new tutorial, I'll show you how to add new contacts to skype program (skype).

In this lesson, we will talk about a program that allows you to do screen translation.

On this topic, I was prompted by this poll. Here we will consider programs that allow you to create virtual desktops.

Lots of pictures!

Mac OS and Linux users may laugh that there is no such thing in Windows, but I ask the holivar not to breed, yeah, so you listened to me. Well, without further ado, let's start:

Desktops

Website: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881
Size: 60 (!) Kb
Free of charge

Downloaded, launched, agreed to the agreement and the program is ready to go.

There are not many settings. Switching was configured by default. After some time of work (several hours, using netbeans + browsers + music), the desktops were not switching so quickly. Switching was accompanied by a black screen, which was not pleasant at times. I guess the reason is because one desktop \u003d plus 1 explorer process.
In the control panel, only programs open on this desktop are displayed. When clicking on the tray icon, the desktops were displayed. They are static, and you won't be able to follow what is happening :)

Icons can be positioned as you want on each desktop, all of them 4 , they retain their position. Can they move, I do not recommend deleting :) That's all the functionality, if you need several desktops, you will be happy.

VirtuaWin

Website:
Size: 400Kb
Free of charge

The program works faster than its previous counterpart, I liked that it does not spawn explorer.exe processes, a switch without "dark flashes". There are many more settings:

It's nice that there are additional modules (more than 20), I especially liked VWPreview. Nothing special, the same functionality is in the above program, but I liked it. This is the output of the desktops. But not in a small window, but in full screen:

It is easy to install them, download them, unpack them, throw exe "schnick into folders with modules, update the list of modules in the program settings :)

You can switch not only with hot keys, but also by holding the cursor at the edge of the screen for a long time or by dragging the window + holding at the edge. Convenient for distributing windows by tasks.
The tray icon also has some functionality, by clicking on it with the mouse wheel, you can also switch between desktops, and when you left-click, we have a menu that can be used to show one window on all desktops or "drag" from one table to another.

If you wish, you can write your own modules, there is a Module SDK for this. Code in C. The author does not mind helping with answers to questions, the program does not stand still.

WindowsPager

Website:
Size: 11Mb (zip 6Mb, sources + version32 + version64 + documentation)
Free of charge

The size of the program strained me a little. Especially against the background of the previous ones. After 10 minutes of use, it becomes clear that the size is somehow inflated relative to the functionality.

WindowsPager also works without installation, but it is distinguished by the fact that there are no settings. More precisely the windows. I tried to find him, but probably too bad. But ... I found them :) I dug in windowspager.ini
There you can configure the number of "virtual tables". Switching between them (ctrl + win + arrows) and a few more not particularly desired settings.

The program is special, as I understand it, it does not use cool windows API for virtual desktops. It just ... hmm ... moves the window off the screen :) But there is also a "killer feature", the windows displayed in the control panel can be moved.

And also with the help context menu the menu "toss" windows and dock them.

On home page site has a video, if you want you can watch.

Dexpot

Site: http: //www.dexpot.de/index.php? Id \u003d home
Size: 3.5Mb
Free for personal use

I liked the site. It differs from the previous ones, there is a feed. Download stable version 1.5, unpack, run:

I am sure that more than half of the readers know what kind of library this is;) We return to the site, we read:

Okay, we are not proud, we will download, although not pleasant, we could have put another 1.5 MB into the archive ourselves. Although it is strange that among system requirements these files are not listed by Win7. Download, install, launch ... hmmm ... We're still not proud. We send the car to reboot. Dexpot refuses to work. There is no library in the System32 folder, although when the files were installed the necessary library flashed.
Google. Downloading. Fill. Test. His pride diminished. Downloading 1.6Beta ... hmm ... already an installer.
Suddenly:

It was installed normally and even started.

There are many settings, the programmer tried, but the previous haemorrhagic bad experience has already knocked down the mood. Although I am weak in Russian in Krakozyab, the English version did not help much either. What I liked about the program was the opportunity set your own shortcuts for each desktop... There are also a few dubious functions, such as setting individual permissions. The feeling of the combine does not leave. Close Dexpot.

Virtual Dimension

Website:
Size: 400Kb
Free of charge

What's a little annoying is that the program stopped its development already in 2005. Downloading. Install. We launch. In a small window, we can see the icons of running windows and applications.

This panel is unusual, but I liked the program. Settings in moderation. You can customize each desktop separately, at least set the wallpaper according to your mood.

It works without glitches and does not slow down, it leaves pleasant sensations after itself, so if it lingers on your computer, I will be glad I helped :)
Another indisputable advantage of Virtual Dimension is the ability individual customization windows such as "always on top" or "transparency":

Finestra Virtual Desktops (formerly Vista / XP Virtual Desktops)

Website: http: //vdm.codeplex.com/
Size: 1745Kb
Free of charge

The last update of the program was in February 2011. The program is distributed in the form of an installation package msi, which is good news for my cluttered test Windows.
Downloading. We open. Install. We launch.

First of all, we climb to study the menus and settings:

As you can see, there are a lot of settings, but in moderation. They are well distributed and fairly understandable. The developer most likely looked at Spaces and Exposé, but also without stupid copying. Switching between tables is sometimes buggy, and the plan can "blink" the background window, and then draw the overlapping window, but this is tolerable.

It has already become de facto for such programs - displaying all desktops at once:

Press Win + Z, animation, and we see our tables. Windows can be directly transferred from one table to another. It works quickly, but again it is upsetting that the windows freeze. Well, I want to watch 4 films at the same time. We study further the menu and find:

In this window, we can hide and display the windows we need. I really don’t know where most of the points came from.

Other

I would like to say that there are similar paid programs, such as AltDesk (150r) from Aston and Virtual Desktop Manager ($ 24.95). Free analogues have a lot of settings and I doubt that paid versions will be able to surpass in some way, so I didn't even want to check them.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to sskalmykov, dude_sam, TheHorse and five more habrahumans, without whom you would not soon see this article.

P.S.

I hope this review topic will be useful to you. Please write to PM about all errors. If you want to minus karma, I would also like to know about the reasons in a personal. Ask, if I can - I will answer. Although it will be faster to install yourself than wait for me :)
Happy programmer's day everyone!

Have a nice work week.

UPD: If you know the principle of operation of such programs or any separate one in particular, share this knowledge, we will all be very interested.

Cloud computing ,

Startup development,

Hosting

Hello, dear habr residents! It so happened that I needed a remote desktop for 5 employees of my small project, and since this project practically does not bring us any money at the current stage, the choice of a virtual desktop service provider was extremely important in terms of an adequate price / quality ratio. I came across an interesting cloud provider, but the virtual desktop service was absent in the review, so I decided to conduct my own research and summarize it.

As a result of my searches, 10 companies responded to the request. Prices for each company varied greatly, so it was necessary to figure out why it was so cheap or why it was so expensive. See the results of my analysis, tasks, requirements and assessment methodology under the cut.

+ bonus: during the selection of candidates, I found that 2 different providers have the same calculator and billing, which made me think that this is the same company ...

A task

For our company, it is necessary to organize access to a remote desktop (DaaS - Desktop as a Service) via RDP for 5 users with a monthly payment.

Requirements

It is important that all users have administrator rights, as it is required to periodically install their software.
The candidate company must be located in the data centers of the Russian Federation. I did not want to bother with compliance with the requirements for the law on personal data FZ-242.
SSD drives
Read / write speed of disks not less than 500 MB / s
Each user has at least 10GB of space, excluding the system.
OS Windows server any version.
Office word applications, Excel. We plan to use Libre Office or Open Office, but optionally considered MS Office.
99.95 SLA Availability Guarantee. I perfectly understood that such a guarantee would not save us from possible financial losses when the service fell, but still left this item for the sake of possible financial compensation from the provider in case of unavailability. It's better than nothing;)
24/7 free support. I hope you can not comment on this point.
Backup. At the moment, I was interested in the opportunity itself and the cost, since at the start in the first 1-2 months it is not critical, but in the future it will matter.
Any virtualization.
CPU Intel. This is due to the nature of the software that we use. It requires Intel, not AMD.
Download / upload speed is not less than 300Mbps, respectively.
Lack of brakes when working with a virtual desktop
Price up to 1500 rubles / user
Free test for at least 5 days

Test Methodology

If the provider meets the requirements, then +1 point is given. If they do not meet the requirements, then a negative score of -1 is given. If no information is provided, no points will be awarded.

Start

Appeals to the company were made from my legal entity... After I sent a request to candidates, I wondered how quickly I could get a response. As a result, not everyone answered me, despite the calls and appeals to online chats... Some candidates do not provide a virtual desktop with fewer than 20 users. These metrics were not included in the estimate, but the speed of response may be important to some.

The slowest and fastest companies are in bold.

Company	Link to solution	Sent request	Got an answer	Response time
CLOUD OFFICE	http://glserver.ru/	15.06.2017 17:13	19.06.2017 13:51	less than 24 hours
Cloud Technology	https://itcloud.pro/arenda-vdi/	29.05.2017 12:00	30.05.2017 10:29	less than 24 hours
Cloud4Y	https://cloud4y.ru/cloud-services/virtual-desktop/	15.06.2017 16:57	15.06.2017 17:30	less than an hour
DAAS.ME	http://daas.me/ru/price-list	15.06.2017 17:12	no answer	no answer
DEAC	https://www.deac.eu/reshenia/oblachnie-uslugi/daas/virtualnyi-rabochii-stol-daas/ru/	15.06.2017 17:07	16.06.2017 15:44	less than 24 hours
Encility	http://encility.ru/services/remote-desktop	15.06.2017 19:30	15.06.2017 19:37	7 minutes
Inoventica services	www.invs.ru/daas/virtual-desktop/	15.06.2017 17:06	15.06.2017 17:30	24 minutes
Itelis	http://itelis.ru/produkty/oblachnye-uslugi	15.06.2017 17:15	15.06.2017 17:41	26 minutes
IT-GRAD	http://www.it-grad.ru/uslugi/saas/server-kollektivnoy-raboty/	29.05.2017 11:00	29.05.2017 18:31	5.5 hours
IT-Lite	http://www.it-lite.ru/iaas/virt_server_v_arendu.php/	15.06.2017 17:14	15.06.2017 18:15	1 hour
MaxiPlace	https://maxiplace.ru/resheniya-dlya-biznesa-bpaas/virtualnyj-rabochij-stol/	15.06.2017 16:59	15.06.2017 17:20	20 minutes
MyVDI aka VMLab	http://myvdi.ru/	15.06.2017 17:08	16.06.2017 19:01	1.9 hours
Smart Office	https://smoff.ru/products/daas	15.06.2017 17:09	no answer	no answer
Stockwell	http://www.stockwell.ru/daas-virtual-desktop.html	15.06.2017 17:16	15.06.2017 17:24	8 minutes
Xelent	https://www.xelent.ru/services/vdi/	27.06.2017 12:30	27.06.2017 14:37	2 hours

Deas dropped out of the list because they had an incredibly difficult process to get a free test. First, they asked to sign an agreement, then they decided to simplify the procedure and asked to send a letter with a statement addressed to the chairman of the board. None of the companies in the survey had such requirements. It was enough for everyone that I had a corporate mail and a company website. Some were given a mobile phone number.

ActiveCloud and IT-Grad also dropped out at the start, as they do not provide a desktop with users less than 20 and less than 100, respectively.

Where the "?" means that either they refused to answer or ignored the question.

Company	Admin rights	SSD	SLA	Free support 24 * 7	Backup	CPU	Channel width (download) Mbps	Points
ActiveCloud	do not provide a desktop with users less than 20
Cloud4Y	+	+	99,982	+	+	E5 2670v1 v2 2.6 GHz	100	5
Cloud Office	+	+	98	-	+	E5 2680 v2 2.80 GHz	678	3
DAAS.ME	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	0
Deac	couldn't get free test	?	?	?	?	?	?	0
Encility	+	+	99,95	+	+	2x E5-2670 v3 2.3GHz	741	7
Invs	+	-	99,85	+	+	E5 2640 2.5 GHz	659	3
Cloud Technology	-	+	99,5	+	+	X5670 @ 2.93GHz	485	3
Itelis	+	-	99,3	+	+	?	182	0
IT-Grad	do not provide a desktop with less than 100 users
IT-Lite	+	+	99,98	+	+	E5-2630 v3 2.40GHz	402	7
Maxiplace	+	+	99,9	-	+	QEMU Virtual CPU (cpu64-rhel6) 2.40 GHz	391	1
MyVDI	+	-	-	-	+	E5 2620 2.0 GHz	1,93	-1
Smart Office	-	-	?	-	?	?		-3
Stockwell	-	+	99,8	-	+	E5-2643 v3 3.40GHz	685	1
Xelent	+	+	99,9	+	+	E5-2690 v2 3.0GHz	92	3

Performance

We carried out peformance tests of disks, CPU and RAM. In testing we used CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 and PassMark PerformanceTest 9.0, as well as speedtest.net
Surely someone will say that the results of these tests are a spherical horse in a vacuum, since measurements at different times may differ, for example, when transferring virtual machine to another node, performance may drop, and so on. Moreover, such tests give some idea of \u200b\u200bperformance in general.
Only the CrystalDiskMark test participated in the evaluation. Let me remind you that we are interested in the read / write speed of disks at least 500 MB / s, in particular, 1 line - Seq Q32T1 - checks writing and reading a 1 GB file, with a depth of 32 using 1 stream:

The summary table with the results looks like this:

Company	Read MB / s	Write Mb / s	Points
Cloud4Y	471,8	461,2	-2
Cloud Office	201	192,7	-2
Encility	559	514	2
Invs	1391	1199	2
Cloud Technology	805,1	589,4	2
Itelis	249	196,7	-2
IT-Lite	1212	2849	2
Maxiplace	1774	1857	2
MyVDI	348,9	152,7	-2
Stockwell	83,05	82,96	-2
Xelent	568,9	539,2	2

Individual performance results

Speedtest results, as well as cPU performance, RAM and HDD for each company, see below.

performaneTest 9.0 results for CPU, RAM, HDD

performaneTest 9.0 results for CPU, RAM, HDD

performaneTest 9.0 results for CPU, RAM, HDD

On this topic, I was prompted by this poll. Here we will consider programs that allow you to create virtual desktops.

Desktops

Website: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881
Size: 60 (!) Kb
Free of charge

Downloaded, launched, agreed to the agreement and the program is ready to go.

VirtuaWin

Website:
Size: 400Kb
Free of charge

The program works faster than its previous counterpart, I liked that it does not spawn explorer.exe processes, a switch without "dark flashes". There are many more settings:

If you wish, you can write your own modules, there is a Module SDK for this. Code in C. The author does not mind helping with answers to questions, the program does not stand still.

WindowsPager

Website:
Size: 11Mb (zip 6Mb, sources + version32 + version64 + documentation)
Free of charge

The program is special, as I understand it, it does not use the cool Windows API for virtual desktops. It just ... hmm ... moves the window off the screen :) But there is also a "killer feature", the windows displayed in the control panel can be moved.

And also with the help of the context menu of the menu "toss" the windows and dock them.

There is a video on the main page of the site, if you want you can watch it.

Dexpot

Site: http: //www.dexpot.de/index.php? Id \u003d home
Size: 3.5Mb
Free for personal use

I liked the site. It differs from the previous ones, there is a feed. Download stable version 1.5, unpack, run:

I am sure that more than half of the readers know what kind of library this is;) We return to the site, we read:

Okay, we are not proud, we will download, although not pleasant, we could have put another 1.5 MB into the archive ourselves. Although it is strange that Win7 is not listed among the system requirements of these files. Download, install, launch ... hmmm ... We're still not proud. We send the car to reboot. Dexpot refuses to work. There is no library in the System32 folder, although when the files were installed the necessary library flashed.
Google. Downloading. Fill. Test. His pride diminished. Downloading 1.6Beta ... hmm ... already an installer.
Suddenly:

It was installed normally and even started.

Virtual Dimension

Website:
Size: 400Kb
Free of charge

What's a little annoying is that the program stopped its development already in 2005. Downloading. Install. We launch. In a small window, we can see the icons of running windows and applications.

This panel is unusual, but I liked the program. Settings in moderation. You can customize each desktop separately, at least set the wallpaper according to your mood.

It works without glitches and does not slow down, it leaves pleasant sensations after itself, so if it lingers on your computer, I will be glad I helped :)
Another indisputable advantage of Virtual Dimension is the ability to customize the window, for example, such as "always on top" or "transparency":

Finestra Virtual Desktops (formerly Vista / XP Virtual Desktops)

Website: http: //vdm.codeplex.com/
Size: 1745Kb
Free of charge

Other

I would like to say that there are similar paid programs, such as AltDesk (150r) from Aston and Virtual Desktop Manager ($ 24.95). Free counterparts have a lot of settings and I doubt that the paid versions will be able to surpass in some way, so I didn't even want to check them.

Acknowledgments

Thank you, and five more habrahumans, without whom you would not soon see this article.

P.S.

Have a nice work week.

UPD: If you know the principle of operation of such programs or any separate one in particular, share this knowledge, we will all be very interested.

In Windows 10, Microsoft added a feature that was not available in previous versions of the operating system, but that many users lacked. We are talking about creating multiple desktops for one user, which allows you to efficiently distribute work at the computer, spreading tasks across different virtual spaces. For instance, open programs to work with graphics can be placed on one table, the browser on another, and text editor to the third, which will allow the user to avoid confusion in open windows and work more productively and conveniently.

How to use virtual desktops in Windows 10

Create a new virtual desktop in the operating room windows system 10 is extremely simple. At the bottom of the taskbar, near the Search and Start button, there is a default Task View icon. By clicking on it, the user will be in a virtual environment, which displays all applications currently running on the desktops.

To create a new desktop, in the task view mode, click on the "Create desktop" button in the lower right corner. By clicking on it, a new work environment will appear at the bottom of the screen, into which you can go.

Please note: The new desktop is initially missing open folders and applications. The user can open programs directly on the new desktop in a standard way, or drag and drop applications from a previously opened desktop into a new virtual space.

In the Windows 10 operating system, the number of virtual desktops that a user can create is almost unlimited. However, it is important to note that each new desktop takes up space in random access memory computer. Having opened a large number of tables, the user may notice in the "Task Manager" that an impressive amount of memory is constantly occupied.

Keyboard shortcuts for working with virtual desktops in Windows 10

The environment for managing virtual desktops in Task View is quite user-friendly. However, when the user strives for maximum productivity, he does not want to make unnecessary mouse clicks, first opening a list of all desktops and applications, and then performing the necessary action. Microsoft has provided hotkeys for working with virtual desktops in Windows 10:

Windows + Tab - transition to the task presentation environment;
Windows + Ctrl + Right Arrow (Left Arrow) - instant switching between created virtual desktops, bypassing the task presentation environment;
Windows + Ctrl + D - creating a new virtual desktop, which the user will immediately get after pressing the specified key combination;
Windows + Ctrl + F4 – quick removal currently used desktop. Please note that when you close the desktop, all windows open on it automatically go to the desktop that was opened earlier in order.

Important: If you want to change the default settings for managing and using desktops in Windows 10, you can configure some of them in the "Multitasking" tab of the "System" section of the operating system settings.

The main disadvantages of virtual desktops in Windows 10

The function of creating multiple virtual desktops to optimize processes was clearly borrowed by Microsoft from the operating room macOS systems... In some aspects, the solution in Windows 10 works better than in MacOS on Apple technology, but Microsoft did not take into account all the nuances, and there are some inconveniences when using virtual desktops. The disadvantages include:

It is worth noting that the rest of the implementation of virtual desktops in Windows 10 worked very well - users can quickly move between the created environments, which allows them to efficiently use the workspace.