DeskSpace 1.5.8 Documentation - Managing Desktops.

# Managing Desktops

DeskSpace gives you the ability to manage the windows, icons, and desktop backgrounds that appear on each desktop, and lets you choose a name and picture for each desktop. You can manage desktops using the following dialogs, all of which are accessible by Right-Clicking on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray.

This will display the DeskSpace System Tray Menu. Next, navigate to the Manage sub-menu, which contains the following menu items:

- Desktop Names and Pictures - Lets you choose a name and picture for each desktop.
- Desktop Backgrounds - Allows you to select a different background picture for each desktop.
- Desktop Icons - Lets you choose which icons appear on each desktop.
- Desktop Application Assignment - Allows you to select which desktop an application will appear on.
- Desktop Taskbar - Lets you choose how DeskSpace will manage with the Windows Taskbar when switching between desktops.

# Managing Desktop Names and Pictures

DeskSpace allows you to specify a name and picture for each desktop. For example, you can name the first desktop "Work" and the second desktop "Games". To configure the desktop names and pictures, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Manage sub-menu, and then Left-Click on the Desktop Names and Pictures... menu item. This will display the Manage Desktop Names and Pictures dialog:

To change the name and picture of a desktop use the Desktop drop-down menu to select a desktop, then enter a name for the desktop and select a desktop picture. If you'd like to use a desktop picture that's not listed, click the Browse for more pictures... button, browse to the picture you want to use, then Double-Click it. To remove a picture that you've added, Left-Click it and then click the Remove the selected picture button. Please note that the pictures that come with DeskSpace cannot be removed.

When you're finished choosing desktop names and pictures, Left-Click the Save Changes button to save your changes, or Left-Click the Cancel button to discard any changes you've made.

# Managing Desktop Backgrounds

To choose a background for each desktop, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Manage sub-menu, and then Left-Click on the Desktop Backgrounds... menu item. This will display the Manage Desktop Backgrounds dialog:

To allow DeskSpace to display different backgrounds on each desktop, check the Show a different desktop background on each desktop option. You can select the desktop you'd like to change the background of from the Desktop drop-down menu.

If you'd like to display a background picture on this desktop, check the Show a background picture on this desktop option. Next, Left-Click the Browse for Picture... button to select the picture that will be displayed, then choose how the picture will be positioned on-screen (e.g. Center, Tile, Stretch).

If you only want to display a solid background color on this desktop, leave the Show a background picture on this desktop option unchecked and select the background color by Left-Clicking on the Choose Color... button.

When you're finished setting up your desktop backgrounds, Left-Click the Save Changes button to save your changes, or Left-Click the Cancel button to discard any changes you've made.

# Managing Desktop Icons

To choose the icons that will appear on each desktop, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Manage sub-menu, and then Left-Click on the Desktop Icons... menu item. This will display the Manage Desktop Icons dialog:

To allow DeskSpace to show different icons on each desktop, check the Show different icons on each desktop (disables desktop icon Auto Arrange And Auto Align features) option. Please note that in order to display different icons on each desktop, DeskSpace needs to disable the desktop icon Auto Arrange and Auto Align features. Turning these features back on will disable DeskSpace desktop icon management.

You can select the desktop you'd like to configure the icons of from the Desktop drop-down menu. Icons that are shown on the desktop are displayed in the Shown Icons list, while icons that are hidden are displayed in the Hidden Icons list.

To hide icons on the desktop, select one or more icons in the Shown Icons list, then Left-Click the Hide Icon button. To hide all icons on the desktop,Left-Click the Hide All Icons button. To show icons on the desktop, select one or more icons in the Hidden Icons list, then Left-Click the Show Icon button. To show all icons on the desktop, Left-Click the Show All Icons button.

When you're finished choosing which desktop icons to display on each desktop, Left-Click the Save Changes button to save your changes, or Left-Click the Cancel button to discard any changes you've made.

# Managing Desktop Application Assignment

DeskSpace allows you to assign certain applications to appear on certain desktops. For example, you can define an assignment that says that when Internet Explorer is launched it should appear on the second desktop, or another assignment that says Microsoft Word should be displayed on all desktops.

To set up desktop application assignments, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Manage sub-menu, and then Left-Click the Desktop Application Assignment... menu item. This will display the Manage Desktop Application Assignment dialog:

The desktop application assignments are displayed in the Application Assignment list on the left side of the dialog. You can add an application assignment to the list by Left-Clicking on the Add an Assignment button, and remove the currently selected application assignment by Left-Clicking on the Remove this Assignment button. To edit an application assignment, Left-Click on it in the Application Assignment list.

To set up an application assignment, first enter the name of an application EXE file in the edit box under the Select an application to assign: text. For example, if you want the application assignment to apply to Firefox, enter FIREFOX.EXE in the Application Name edit box. If you don't know an applications EXE file name, you can select the name of a currently running application by clicking on the drop down menu to the right of the edit box, or select an application EXE file on your computer by Left-Clicking on the Browse for more applications... button.

Next, if the application should be shown on all desktops then Left-Click on the Assign this application to every desktop radio button. Alternatively, if the application should be moved to a desktop when it first starts up, click the Assign this application to radio button, then select the desktop the application will start on from the drop down menu underneath this button.

When you're finished setting up your desktop application assignments, Left-Click on the Save Changes button to save your changes, or Left-Click the Cancel button to discard any changes you've made.

# Managing the Taskbar

You can configure how DeskSpace manages the Windows Taskbar when switching between desktops using the Manage Desktop Taskbar dialog.

If you would like DeskSpace to preserve the order of taskbar buttons when switching between desktops, check the Preserve the order of taskbar buttons when switching between desktops option.

To speed up desktop switching, check the Disable taskbar animation option. Please note that you must restart Windows for this option to take effect.

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