Actually, 2 questions:

1. What version will work with .NET 4.6.2? I can't install .NET 4.7 because I don't have the latest Windows 10 version - because my IT department has not approved the latest Windows 10.

2. How do I uninstall my current version of VDesk?

Set alternate wallpapers or start menu settings per VD

Option to view different VDs on multiple monitors

Option to view different VDs on multiple monitors

Everything worked great at win 10 Build 10586.420 but I started to have problems as the builds advanced, I'm now at 14372..
The screen blinks but no virtual desktop is created nor is the application opened. For example
VDesk 2 "C:\Paul's Prog & BAT & Shortcuts\bat files\Zimbra Desktop"
where Zimbra Desktop is a shortcut.

VirtualDesktopManager appears to run and puts an icon in the Taskbar area but when you mouse-over it disappears.
Really like your tools so I hope the Windows build does not require many changes.

Hi
I tried the following, but instead of running the programs in two separate desktops, they run both in desktop 2:

vdesk create:2
vdesk on:1 run:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE"
vdesk on:2 run:notepad.exe

What am I doing wrong?
Cheers
Renger

Configure a number of VDs to launch at boot

Hello,

All vdesk are in memory after the next boot, I would to kill all at boot but can't find an option for doing this.
I have to do it manually.

Thanks!

This doesn't seem possible. The recommended way of starting a metro app, as far as I can tell, is, for example:

start wunderlist:

Work fine.
So I should be able to do:

vdesk on:2 run:start wunderlist:

That gives me an Open With dialog (on desktop 2, so that bit works) asking me what program to open start with, presumably.
Another try then:

vdesk on:2 run:"start wunderlist:"

This gives the error the system cannot find the file specified

Tested on Windows 10 x64 with Fall Creators update.

Hello,

Is it possible to switch to a desktop with opening an application.

For example: vdesk 3

When I try this, well I get a popup.

Thanks

Make a context menu option when you right click an application. eg Right click firefox on the desktop or start menu and choose "Open in new desktop" just like "open in new tab" in browsers. This runs the command automatically instead of making the user create custom links.

I am trying to run Visual Studio 2015, and for various reasons, I'm unable to target the correct version of VS to open up(I have multiple versions of VS) with the command devenv.

Normally, devenv is supposed to open the latest version of VS installed in the computer.

So, as a quick workaround, I created devenv2015.lnk and set the Environment Variable to the path. It works flawlessly on RUN and direct Powershall/CMD but on vdesk , its behaving poorly.

The Issue is

The last vdesk commands doesn't run at all when I use .lnk just before it.

vdesk create:3
vdesk on:1 run:slack
vdesk on:2 noswitch:true run:devenv2015.lnk
vdesk on:3 noswitch:true run:sublime_text
exit

It runs(and sometimes doesn't) rather unreliably when I change the order so that .lnk starts last.

Just drawing your attention to this because it might be something that causes related problems.

Hi! I tried using vdesk in a batch file (and in command-line too) to run excel on virtual desktop 2. It starts excel and immediatelly gives an dialog box with an error saying that vdesk had to be closed. But excel opens. Anyone noticed this also? I'm over Win 10 X64 enterprise with office 2016...

Great software btw!

vdesk on:2 switch:true

This is a feature request

Please add something like this on the next release. Basically, I just want to switch to another Virtual Desktop after running all the necessary commands. As you've mentioned in your doc that chrome, skype and the likes face problems with the noswitch:true switch, this could be a workaround.

I've been using a workaround vdesk on:2 run:temp.bat which exits as soon as it runs.

exit

In some cases, I found out that it needs a way to wait. so a /wait delimiter would also be appreciated.

Much appreciation for your great work - fellow recent vdesk user

Can an option be added to have an application start up in a specific direct, or at least set it to the directory where its exe is located?

Certain programs need to have this parameter filled out properly. This is the same as the "Start in" field in the properties of a shortcut.

For example, if I start HipChat:

vdesk on:2 noswitch:true run:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Atlassian\HipChat4\HipChat.exe"

The program complains about not being able to find most of its own core dlls. This is very likely because the startup directory for the process is incorrect.

If I wanted to open a batch file with this (.bat), how would I do so? I can't seem to get it...

The run-on-switch command (as far as I can tell, and what the code suggests) doesn't launch the application in the correct desktop. Instead it launches in the last desktop.
So if you have 4 desktops running and execute something like:
vdesk run-on-switch 2 winword
the application (microsoft word in this case) will open on the 4th desktop.
I think this is because you are returning the last desktop in createMaxDesktops and thus it is switching to that.
would it break anything to have that return something like:
VirtualDesktop.GetDesktops()[n - 1];
instead of
VirtualDesktop.GetDesktops().Last();

The only thing I could think of is if you wanted to be able to switch to the last desktop after creating at least n.

The run-on command launches on the current desktop not the specified in the number.

vdesk run-on 3 "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe" --comment "#2 Win 7" --startvm "54ab47e6-9cd1-44d7-8aab-d4ded43b0307"

Will launch on desktop 1

vdesk run-on-switch 3 "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe" --comment "#2 Win 7" --startvm "54ab47e6-9cd1-44d7-8aab-d4ded43b0307"

Will launch on desktop 3

running the exe via command line does not do anything.

OS : Windows 10 Home Single Language 64 bit

It would be very great option if the launched app did not switch to its desktop - so I could launch apps as background tasks on desktop N.
Or if it's not possible, could VDesk switch back to current desktop?

I mean
1 - get current desktop number A
2 - launch app
3 - wait until app has created its window and desktop B activates
4 - switch back to desktop A

Now I can make a workaround by calling vdesk twice, performing step 3 inbetween with another piece of software, then calling a dummy app for desktop A in step 4. Still, the taskbar contains the app of desktop B on desktop A, but it's no problem. The flash of switching desktops is more annoying.

Thanks for this must have (for me) software!

One program I'm trying to start on VD2 is Whatsapp (the desktop app, not the browser app). But for whatever reason, it always starts on VD1.

Here's the command:

vdesk on:2 noswitch:true run:C:\Users\thany\AppData\Local\WhatsApp\WhatsApp.exe

It starts fine, but not in VD2, but on VD1. VD2 does exist already.

Tried on Windows 10 x64 with Fall Creators update.

OS: Windows 10 version 1803 build 17134.112
Vdesk version : 1.1.2

Behaviour:
vdesk on:2 run:<command> works perfectly fine, but
vdesk on:2 noswitch:true run:<command> opens up the program in whatever desktop I'm currently in instead of the specified desktop, and gives the following error:

I can close the error box and the program behaves as expected, it's just in the wrong desktop.

¡Thanks for making vdesk, i always wanted something like that!

¿Would it be possible to make a ia32 build/installer?

Will you eventually add the feature to move already running apps to a different desktop?

Great project, thanks for that! 👍

It would be awesome to have it as a Chocolatey package, so people could include VDesk in their Boxstarter scripts and such.

Cheers!

Hi, first thanks for your efforts, for all I've read it is a unic and great application, but don't why it does not work for me, saw until now a series of issues:

1 - Tried the "vdesk -install" argument but it just opens the "help message" that says how to use the application and does not display any additional option on the context menu of the programs.

2 - When writing "vdesk create:x" it does only creates a x-2 number of new virtual desktops for no reason at all.

3 - Putting the vdesk on the "addres" of program links it just displays the same message and the link does not work.

4 -Trying the basic "Vdesk notepad" it does only opens the notepad but no addicional desktop.

The was basically the issues I have seen from now, also tried to download previous versions but got similar or 0 results. If you have any idea of what is going on please let me know.

Set shortcuts to open on specific VDs

Okay I have tried your new update but every time I try to run it be it from the CML or a batch file or even a desktop shortcut I get this popup that windows puts up.
Error: "This application could not be started"
Then i get asked if I want to got Microsoft KB web page.
Here is what it says about the popup I keep getting.

Error: "This application could not be started"
Error message
This application could not be started.
Cause
The app is not configured in a way that makes it possible to determine the appropriate version of the .NET Framework runtime. The corresponding shim code is SHIM_NOVERSION_FOUND.
Resolution
You can't fix the configuration problem yourself. Contact the app vendor to resolve the issue.

That comes from there page here. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2715633
maybe you cold look into this and help getting it to work.
Thanks for all our hard work,
Michael

The readme would be perfect for this. It would just be easier to have something one can refer to in the command line, and in the absence of the internet.

Hi,

One question - do the virtual desktops, created with this utility, each have own focus and cursor?

I'm trying to parallelize the Selenium tests. Just running them in several parallel processes is not enough, as focus is an exclusive resource, and only one test page can "own" it at a time. So when running several Selenium tests in the same desktop, the focus jumps between them and that messes up the test results.

To workaround, on Linux, I'm using xvfb-run, and that works very well, every process is running in its own X server, having own focus and cursor.

Does VDesk provide same functionality on Windows?

Thanks, Nickolay

The following command-line does not work:

vdesk 5 "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware.exe" -n "F:\My VMware Machines\Chip Development\Simple-XPSP2.vmx"

VMWare starts correctly.....but it doesn't get the additional argument.....so my VM doesn't open correctly.

Can you have it so instead of a new Virtual Desktop we can supply a number for the Virtual Desktop in which we want to run an application.

Vdesk 1 Notepad.exe
Vdesk 2 Powershell
Vdesk 2 "some other program"

Hello.

In some cases, when I launch an application on particular VD, VDesk reports error "Element not found":

For example, if I try to launch Viber with this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\VDesk\VDesk.exe" on:2 noswitch:true run:"C:\Users\dvesic\AppData\Local\Viber\Viber.exe" StartMinimized

it will report the error. If I remove Viber's "StartMinimized" parameter, it will launch it w/o error.

Strangely enough, even if there is no (visible) parameter in the command line for application, like this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\VDesk\VDesk.exe" on:1 noswitch:true run:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\office16\LYNC.EXE"

it will report the same error.

Regards,
Dejan

Hi eksime,

First, thanks for your work.

2 days ago my windows version was updated (attach version), after this, vdesk has some problems:

If you need something more, please contact me.

Thanks and regards, Javi.

Separate desktop icons per VD

Hi eksime,

First I want to thank you for your help, vdesk is a usefull program.

Explain the problem:

Recently i have activated Ubuntu subsystem in my w10, my idea was "have one desktop for each OS" adding a small script to start a second vdek with ubuntu bash when i log in my windows account.

If I try to open bash through vdesk, or system cannot find bash.exe, or issues access denied:

C:\Users\javipc\Desktop>vdesk run-on 1 qq.bat

qq.bat contains:
bash
pause::

I have created a .lnk with admin privileges to bash.exe, and then the error issues is access denied.

I have found a workaround using psexec, but is not a good solution, i don't want to type my password literally.

Thanks again for your help, and if you need more info tell me.
Regards.

I recently downloaded Microsoft's .NET Core 2.0 release. As I understand it, it's supposed to include the functionality of .NET 4.61. But your installer checks for 4.61 and fails to install because it doesn't see it, even though it was previously installed. I'm uninstalling .NET Core and reinstalling .NET 4.62. I suspect things will work, but this problem is likely to bite other folks. If .NET Core does include .NET 4.61 functionality, you might want to have your installer check for it, too.

This is a great tool. Thanks for that!
However, I found an issue I would like to report.

Environment

Windows 10 (Anniversary Update) on Asus UX305 (i5, 8GB RAM) using latest VDesk (0.2-beta1)
VDesk in my Windows PATH

Set-up

2 pinned programs (Whatsapp and Spotify) in taskbar (shortcuts) are using VDesk like this in Target:
vdesk run-on-switch 2 [path_to_app_folder]\WhatsApp.exe

Issue

Every time I use one of the shortcuts it starts a new (heavy) VDesk process (using up to 25% CPU) which keeps running (until I end the task manually). So after a while all of my CPU is used by VDesk. Check it out:

Probably a feature request, but is there any parameter that could be passed to tell the app to auto maximize at launch? It would also be great to be able to tell the app to load tiled to the left or right of the virtual desktop.

May have missed another request for this but can't find it - may not be possible.

Is there a way to start an app snapped to one half of screen?
Same as win + Left/ Right keys

Thank you for this app - incredibly helpful!

The latest VDesk sources were pulled and a release build generated with .net 4.6 target version.
Upon executing
vdesk run notepad
the application crashes.

Upon debugging, a XamlParseException is encountered.
Inner exception is

{"Unable to cast COM object of type 'System.__ComObject' to interface type 'WindowsDesktop.Interop.IApplicationView'. This operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM component for the interface with IID '{9AC0B5C8-1484-4C5B-9533-4134A0F97CEA}' failed due to the following error: No such interface supported (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80004002 (E_NOINTERFACE))."}

Please help.

Tried running command prompt as Administrator also. This did not fix the problem.

Trying to compile project under Visual Studio 2017 fails with WindowsDesktop namespace not found. What am I doing wrong?

I wanted to add VDesk to the windows context menu because as a commandline its not very practical for me. vdesk -install gives a messagebox with the usage so I went back to look at build/release notes and I haven't seen anything about this feature being removed, only added.

Don't seem to be able to get the handle for the main window of UWP apps, and as such the noswitch:true flag doesn't function for them.

The command line args s not working.
The command:

vdesk 3 notepad "C:\some file.txt"

opens the notepad, but ignores the "C:\some file.txt" arg.

The problem is in Program.cs, line 97:
for (int i = 1; i < 4; i++)

I changed it to the following to correct it:
for (int i = 1; i < 5; i++)

First off great app, much needed for a better experience. Everything is working fine so far on 1.0.1 but everytime I launch vdesk keeps bringing up a dialog box of the said command. Almost like a verify, press ok and it does what its suppose to. Is this by design or am I missing something. I am running this via batch file.

Thanks
Richie

Your main page confuses "it's" and "its" in several places.