#Creating Batch Files to Switch to Specific Virtual Desktops Using PowerShell and the VirtualDesktop Tool
#Overview
This guide will help you create a PowerShell script that generates batch files (1.bat to 8.bat) to switch directly to any of your eight virtual desktops (workspaces) on Windows 11. We will use the VirtualDesktop command-line tool by Markus Scholtes to manage virtual desktops via command-line commands.
#Prerequisites
-
Download the VirtualDesktop Tool:
-
Access the VirtualDesktop repository on GitHub:
-
Download Precompiled Binaries:
-
Navigate to the Releases section:
-
Download the latest release ZIP file (e.g.,
VirtualDesktop_v1.19.zip).
-
-
Extract the Executable:
-
Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a folder accessible to your user account, e.g.,
C:\Tools\VirtualDesktop. -
Ensure you use the correct executable for your Windows version:
-
For Windows 11, use
VirtualDesktop11.exe. -
For Windows 10, use
VirtualDesktop.exe.
-
-
-
#Step 1: Ensure Eight Virtual Desktops Exist
We need to make sure that you have exactly eight virtual desktops. We will use PowerShell to create additional desktops if necessary.
-
Open PowerShell:
- Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell or Windows Terminal.
-
Navigate to the VirtualDesktop Directory:
Set-Location "C:\Tools\VirtualDesktop" -
Check the Current Number of Virtual Desktops:
$virtualDesktopExe = "C:\Tools\VirtualDesktop\VirtualDesktop11.exe" if (-Not (Test-Path -Path $virtualDesktopExe)) { Write-Error "VirtualDesktop executable not found at $virtualDesktopExe" exit 1 } $countOutput = & $virtualDesktopExe /Count $currentDesktopCount = ($countOutput -match 'Desktops: (\d+)') ? [int]$Matches[1] : 0 Write-Host "Current number of desktops: $currentDesktopCount" -
Create Additional Desktops if Necessary:
for ($i = $currentDesktopCount + 1; $i -le 8; $i++) { & $virtualDesktopExe /New | Out-Null Write-Host "Created virtual desktop $i" } -
Optionally, Name Your Desktops:
for ($i = 1; $i -le 8; $i++) { & $virtualDesktopExe /GetDesktop:$i /Name:"Workspace $i" | Out-Null Write-Host "Named desktop $i as 'Workspace $i'" }
#Step 2: Create a PowerShell Script to Generate Batch Files
We will create a PowerShell script that automatically generates the batch files needed to switch to each of the eight virtual desktops.
-
Create the Output Directory for Batch Files:
- We’ll use
C:\QuickAccessas the folder to store the batch files.
$outputFolder = "C:\QuickAccess" if (-Not (Test-Path -Path $outputFolder)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $outputFolder -Force | Out-Null Write-Host "Created output directory: $outputFolder" } - We’ll use
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Create the PowerShell Script:
- Open Notepad or your preferred text editor.
-
Script Content:
Paste the following PowerShell script:
# Path to the VirtualDesktop executable
$virtualDesktopPath = "G:\05-portable\VirtualDesktop11-24H2.exe"
# Output folder for the batch files
$outputFolder = "C:\QuickAccess"
# Ensure the VirtualDesktop executable exists
if (-Not (Test-Path -Path $virtualDesktopPath)) {
Write-Error "VirtualDesktop executable not found at $virtualDesktopPath"
exit 1
}
# Ensure the output folder exists
if (-Not (Test-Path -Path $outputFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $outputFolder -Force | Out-Null
Write-Host "Created output directory: $outputFolder"
}
# Generate batch files for desktops 1 to 8
for ($desktopNumber = 1; $desktopNumber -le 8; $desktopNumber++) {
# Batch file content
$batFileContent = "@echo off`n"
$batFileContent += "`"$virtualDesktopPath`" /Switch:$desktopNumber"
# Batch file path
$batFilePath = Join-Path $outputFolder "$desktopNumber.bat"
# Create the batch file
try {
Set-Content -Path $batFilePath -Value $batFileContent -Encoding ASCII
Write-Host "Created batch file: $batFilePath"
}
catch {
Write-Error "Error creating batch file ${batFilePath}: $_"
# Or using the -f operator:
# Write-Error ("Error creating batch file {0}: {1}" -f $batFilePath, $_)
}
}
Write-Host "All batch files have been generated in $outputFolder."
**Notes:**
- Replace `$virtualDesktopPath` with the actual path to your VirtualDesktop executable if it's different.
- Ensure that the path to the output folder `$outputFolder` matches your desired location.
- The script includes error handling to alert you if the VirtualDesktop executable is not found or if there are issues creating the batch files.
4. **Save the Script:**
- Save the script as `GenerateBatchFiles.ps1` in a folder of your choice, e.g., `C:\Scripts`.
---
## **Step 3: Run the PowerShell Script**
1. **Run the Script:**
- Open PowerShell and navigate to the script's directory:
```powershell
Set-Location "C:\Scripts"
```
- Execute the script:
```powershell
.\GenerateBatchFiles.ps1
```
- You should see output indicating that each batch file has been created.
2. **Verify the Batch Files:**
- Navigate to `C:\QuickAccess` and confirm that `1.bat` to `8.bat` have been created.
- Open one of the batch files (e.g., `1.bat`) to verify its content:
```batch
@echo off
"C:\Tools\VirtualDesktop\VirtualDesktop11.exe" /Switch:1
```
---
## **Step 4: Add `C:\QuickAccess` to Your PATH Environment Variable**
Adding the `C:\QuickAccess` folder to your PATH allows Windows to recognize the batch files when using the Run dialog or Command Prompt.
1. **Modify User PATH Variable:**
- Press **Win + X** and select **System** (or **Settings** > **System** > **About** > **Advanced system settings**).
- Click on **Advanced system settings**.
- In the **System Properties** window, click **Environment Variables**.
- Under **User variables**, select **Path** and click **Edit**.
- Click **New** and add:
```plaintext
C:\QuickAccess
```
- Click **OK** to save changes.
2. **Restart Any Open Command Prompts or Applications:**
- For the changes to take effect, restart any applications that might use the PATH variable.
---
## **Step 5: Use the Batch Files to Switch Workspaces**
You can now switch to any workspace by running the corresponding batch file.
- **From the Run Dialog:**
- Press **Win + R** to open the Run dialog.
- Type the number of the workspace you want to switch to (e.g., `1` for workspace 1) and press **Enter**.
- **From Command Prompt or PowerShell:**
- Simply type the number (which corresponds to the batch file's name) and press **Enter**: `C:\Users\YourUsername> 3`