• Creating Batch Files to Switch to Specific Virtual Desktops Using PowerShell and the VirtualDesktop Tool
• Prerequisites
• Step 1: Ensure Eight Virtual Desktops Exist
• Step 2: Create a PowerShell Script to Generate Batch Files
• Step 3: Run the PowerShell Script
• Step 4: Add C:\QuickAccess to Your PATH Environment Variable
• Step 5: Use the Batch Files to Switch Workspaces
• non-admin setup
  • Part 0: Prerequisites
    • Step 0.1: Create Nine Virtual Desktops
    • Step 0.2: Create a Main Project Folder
  • Part 1: Prepare the Workspace Switching Tools
    • Step 1.1: Download and Place the VirtualDesktop Tool
    • Step 1.2: Create Directories for Scripts and Batch Files
    • Step 1.3: Create and Run the PowerShell Batch File Generator
  • Part 2: Create Hotkeys with AutoHotkey
    • Step 2.1: Install AutoHotkey
    • Step 2.2: Create the Combined AutoHotkey Hotkey Script

#Creating Batch Files to Switch to Specific Virtual Desktops Using PowerShell and the VirtualDesktop Tool

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.

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#Prerequisites

1. Download the VirtualDesktop Tool:

   • Access the VirtualDesktop repository on GitHub:

     https://github.com/MScholtes/VirtualDesktop

   • Download Precompiled Binaries:

     • Navigate to the Releases section:

       https://github.com/MScholtes/VirtualDesktop/releases

     • 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.

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#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.

1. Open PowerShell:

   • Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell or Windows Terminal.

2. Navigate to the VirtualDesktop Directory:

   Set-Location "C:\Tools\VirtualDesktop"

3. 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"

4. Create Additional Desktops if Necessary:

   for ($i = $currentDesktopCount + 1; $i -le 8; $i++) { & $virtualDesktopExe /New | Out-Null Write-Host "Created virtual desktop $i" }

5. 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'" }

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#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.

1. Create the Output Directory for Batch Files:

   • We’ll use C:\QuickAccess as 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" }

2. Create the PowerShell Script:

   • Open Notepad or your preferred text editor.

3. 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.

1. Save the Script:

   • Save the script as GenerateBatchFiles.ps1 in a folder of your choice, e.g., C:\Scripts.

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#Step 3: Run the PowerShell Script

1. Run the Script:

   • Open PowerShell and navigate to the script’s directory:

     Set-Location "C:\Scripts"

   • Execute the script:

     .\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:

     @echo off "C:\Tools\VirtualDesktop\VirtualDesktop11.exe" /Switch:1

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#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:

     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.

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#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

#CODE

.\00-QuickAccess\0.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\1.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\2.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\3.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\4.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\5.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\6.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\7.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\8.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\9.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\b.bat

.\00-QuickAccess\t.bat

#non-admin setup

#Part 0: Prerequisites

Before starting, complete these two essential setup steps.

#Step 0.1: Create Nine Virtual Desktops

The script will create hotkeys for nine desktops. You must ensure these desktops exist first.

1. Press Win + Tab to open the Task View.
2. At the top of the screen, click the “New desktop” button eight times until you have a total of nine desktops available (Desktop 1 through Desktop 9).

#Step 0.2: Create a Main Project Folder

To avoid any permission issues, we will store all files in your personal Documents folder.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your Documents folder.
2. Create a new folder and name it WindowsHotkeys. All subsequent files and folders will be created inside this one.

#Part 1: Prepare the Workspace Switching Tools

This section covers the download and setup of the necessary files and scripts inside your project folder.

#Step 1.1: Download and Place the VirtualDesktop Tool

1. Navigate to the VirtualDesktop releases page on GitHub: https://github.com/MScholtes/VirtualDesktop/releases
2. Download the latest .zip file (e.g., VirtualDesktop_v1.19.zip).
3. Inside your Documents\WindowsHotkeys folder, create a new folder named Tools.
4. Inside Tools, create another folder named VirtualDesktop.
5. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file. From the extracted files, copy VirtualDesktop.exe into the Documents\WindowsHotkeys\Tools\VirtualDesktop folder.

#Step 1.2: Create Directories for Scripts and Batch Files

1. Inside Documents\WindowsHotkeys, create a folder named Scripts.
2. Inside Documents\WindowsHotkeys, create a folder named QuickAccess.

#Step 1.3: Create and Run the PowerShell Batch File Generator

1. Open Notepad or another plain text editor.

2. Copy and paste the entire PowerShell script below into the editor.
   # Define paths relative to the user’s profile.
   $basePath = “$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\WindowsHotkeys”
   $virtualDesktopPath = Join-Path -Path $basePath -ChildPath “Tools\VirtualDesktop\VirtualDesktop.exe”
   $outputFolder = Join-Path -Path $basePath -ChildPath “QuickAccess”

   # Check if the VirtualDesktop executable exists.
   if (-not (Test-Path -Path $virtualDesktopPath)) {
   Write-Error “VirtualDesktop.exe not found at ‘$virtualDesktopPath’. Please check the path.”
   return
   }

   # Generate batch files 1.bat through 9.bat.
   for ($i = 1; $i -le 9; $i++) {
   # Desktop numbers are 0-indexed, so we subtract 1.
   $desktopNumber = $i - 1
   $batchFilePath = Join-Path -Path $outputFolder -ChildPath “$i.bat”

   \# Content of the batch file. $batchContent \= "@echo off\`n\`"$virtualDesktopPath\`" /Switch:$desktopNumber" try { Set-Content \-Path $batchFilePath \-Value $batchContent \-Encoding Ascii Write-Host "Successfully created $batchFilePath" } catch { Write-Error "Failed to create $batchFilePath. Error: $\_" } }

   Write-Host “Batch file generation complete.”

3. Save the file as GenerateBatchFiles.ps1 inside the Documents\WindowsHotkeys\Scripts folder.
4. Open PowerShell by pressing Win + X and selecting Windows PowerShell.

5. Run the following command. This command navigates to your script folder and runs the script, bypassing the default security policy that normally blocks local scripts.
   Set-Location “$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\WindowsHotkeys\Scripts”; powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\GenerateBatchFiles.ps1

6. Press Enter. Verify that the script output says it successfully created 1.bat through 9.bat.

#Part 2: Create Hotkeys with AutoHotkey

#Step 2.1: Install AutoHotkey

1. Go to the official AutoHotkey website: https://www.autohotkey.com
2. Download and run the installer, choosing the Express Installation option for AutoHotkey v2.

#Step 2.2: Create the Combined AutoHotkey Hotkey Script

This single script will enable both switching between workspaces and moving windows to them.

1. Go to your Desktop, right-click an empty space, and select New > AutoHotkey Script.
2. Name the file WorkspaceHotkeys.ahk.
3. Right-click the new file and select Edit Script.
4. Delete all default text and paste the complete code below.

Save and close the file.

Part 3: Activate the Hotkeys Step 3.1: Run the AutoHotkey Script Go to your Desktop and double-click the WorkspaceHotkeys.ahk file.

A green “H” icon will appear in your system tray (bottom-right of the screen). This indicates the hotkeys are active.

You can now use Win + Numpad [Number] to switch desktops, and Win + Alt + Numpad [Number] to move the active window to a new desktop. A small command window may flash on screen; this is normal.

Step 3.2: Make Hotkeys Run Automatically on Startup Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.

Type shell:startup and press Enter.

Copy the WorkspaceHotkeys.ahk file from your Desktop and paste it into this Startup folder.

The setup is now complete. The hotkeys will activate automatically every time you log into Windows.