Best Free Software

Virtuoz

www.snipca.com/17436

What you need: Windows XP, 7, Vista, 8.1 or 10

At last, Windows 10 makes its debut in our ‘What you need’ list... for a program you wouldn’t need on Windows 10 anyway. Virtuoz is a virtual-desktop tool – and Windows 10 has virtual desktops built in.

But we haven’t all got Windows 10 yet (or want it) – and we certainly don’t all want to chuck out our spare laptops with Windows XP, 7 or 8 installed. So Virtuoz, made by the same team as the brilliant PUP- blocking tool Unchecky (see page 55), is very handy for making life easier on older, smaller monitors.

Virtual desktops are not the same as virtual PCS. Virtual PCS let you run multiple operating systems on one computer, using much more complicated programs like Virtualbox ( www.snipca.com/17426). Virtual Desktops are simply different Desktop layouts that you switch between with one click, like TV channels. So you can move swiftly between programs, browser windows and documents on one screen.

Virtuoz, which is tiny (half a MB) and portable, is similar to Sysinternal desktops ( www.snipca.com/17425), which supports four virtual Desktops. Virtuoz also offers four by default, but you can create up to 20 by editing its INI file. Other than that, there’s no complicated configuration involved. Just select one of the four default desktops from the Virtuoz dropdown menu, then open the window or windows you want to assign to that desktop (say, ‘Desktop 4’), and that’s that. See below for examples.

To download the program, click ‘Virtuoz.zip’, save the file and extract its contents. You can then access and control it any time from your system tray. Because the program file is portable, you can run it safely on XP from a USB stick. 1 In Virtuoz’s window, click ‘Desktop 1: Alt+1’ to open the dropdown menu, where you’ll find three more virtual desktop options. 2 Select a virtual Desktop from the dropdown menu (for example, Desktop 1) and open a program (say, File Explorer). That program is now assigned to Desktop 1. 3 Select another virtual Desktop from the dropdown (for example, Desktop 2) and open a program (say, VLC). Now, if you go to Desktop 2, you’ll only see VLC.

4 Alternatively, open the Virtuoz window then manage Desktops from the systemtray icon. The dropdown menu lets you reassign virtual Desktops easily at any time.