Virtual Monitor Manager
Up to nine independent virtual workspaces on each physical monitor. Like having multiple monitors — using just one screen.
What Is Virtual Monitor Manager?
Virtual Monitor Manager turns your physical monitors into up to nine independent virtual workspaces per screen. Each workspace behaves like a separate physical monitor — applications open on it, stay on it, hide when you leave, and reappear when you return. Nothing closes, nothing restarts. Switching is nearly instantaneous and your layout is always preserved.
This isn't a virtual desktop in the traditional sense. It takes Windows Desktops to the next level — keeping all your applications running in the exact state you left them.
The Workspace Grid
When Virtual Monitor Manager launches, a compact grid appears on your screen — your workspace navigator. The default is a 3×3 layout with nine cells labeled A through I:
Cells show you what's happening at a glance — active workspaces are bright with a white border, occupied workspaces have a dim blue border, and empty ones fade into the background. Drag the grid to any corner of your screen. Resize it or minimize it completely. Both position and size are saved automatically.
Four Ways to Switch Workspaces
Click the Grid
Left-click any cell to jump directly to that workspace. The active cell flashes briefly to confirm the switch.
Mouse Edge Navigation
Move your cursor to the screen edge and hold. Virtual Monitor Manager detects the direction and switches to the adjacent workspace — just like sliding your mouse to another physical monitor. Dwell time is configurable (200–2000ms) to prevent accidental switches.
Keyboard Hotkeys
Ctrl+Alt+A through I switches directly to any workspace. The letter matches the label — no memorization needed. Modifier keys are configurable (Ctrl+Alt, Ctrl+Shift, or Alt+Shift).
On multi-monitor setups, tap the letter twice for the second monitor, three times for the third.
Peek — Shift+Click
Hold Shift and left-click any cell to glance at that workspace without committing. Release the mouse first to snap back to where you were — your cursor is still in the app you were typing in, so just keep typing. Release Shift first to stay on the new workspace.
The fastest way to check a reference, a chat, or an email without losing your place.
Your Typing Rhythm Never Breaks
When you switch away from a workspace and come back, the app you were last typing in is automatically refocused. Your cursor is exactly where you left it — no clicking back into the app, no breaking your train of thought.
It works the same way whether you switch by click, hotkey, edge navigation, or peek. Each workspace remembers its own "last typed in" app independently. Draft a message on B, hotkey to D to glance at a reference, hotkey back to B, and continue typing immediately. Hop between workspaces all day without ever clicking back into an app.
This is the heart of how Virtual Monitor Manager minimizes workflow disruption: glance at what you need, then return.
Managing Applications
Apps Stay Where You Put Them
Launch apps normally — they open on whichever workspace is active. When you switch away, they hide. When you return, they reappear in the exact same state and position.
Move Apps Between Workspaces
Drag a window toward a screen edge to reassign it to the adjacent workspace. Or right-click any window's title bar for a workspace list — pick a destination and it moves instantly.
Pin Apps to a Workspace
Right-click an app's title bar and pick "Always open on" → workspace. Pin your browser to I, your email to E — every launch lands where it belongs. Pins persist across sessions and survive layout changes.
Ctrl+Click — Power Move
Click the window you want to move, then Ctrl+click any cell on any grid — including a grid on a different physical monitor. The window jumps there immediately. The fastest way to relocate a window across screens.
Clean Exit
When Virtual Monitor Manager exits, all tracked applications are released and restored to their normal on-screen positions. Nothing is closed. Your work is preserved.
Multi-Monitor Support
On multi-monitor systems, each physical screen gets its own independent workspace grid. Switch workspaces on one screen without affecting the others. Use Ctrl+click on a secondary monitor's grid to move the focused window to any workspace on that screen.
Hotkeys work across monitors too — tap a hotkey once for the primary monitor, twice for the second, three times for the third.
Want all monitors to switch together? Enable Mirror mode in Settings and every screen switches to the same workspace simultaneously.
Always-On Workspace Indicator
The Virtual Monitor Manager taskbar button shows the letter of your currently active workspace (A–I) on your primary monitor. Each switch alternates the background between deep blue and deep orange — instant at-a-glance confirmation, even when the grid is out of your line of sight.
A system tray icon (next to the clock) keeps the app accessible even with the grid minimized: left-click to restore, right-click for Settings, Minimize, and Exit.
Settings
Right-click any grid cell or the system tray icon to open Settings. Every change takes effect immediately — no Apply button needed.
- Layout — Choose from 2 to 9 workspaces
- Grid Opacity — Adjust transparency so the grid fits your workflow
- Theme — Light, Dark, or Auto (follows your Windows setting)
- Edge Hold Time — 200ms to 2000ms dwell time for edge switching (default 500ms)
- Corner Catch Size — Control multi-monitor corner zone size (5%–50%)
- Start with Windows — Launch automatically at login
- Mouse Edge Switching — Enable/disable, or toggle instantly with Ctrl+Alt+M
- Mirror All Monitors — Sync all screens to the same workspace simultaneously
- Show Pin Placement Notifications — Toggle the brief toast that appears when a pinned app launches
- Show Secondary Monitor Panels — Hide or restore grid panels on secondary monitors
- Hotkey Modifiers — Choose Ctrl+Alt, Ctrl+Shift, or Alt+Shift
Settings are saved to %AppData%\Virtual Monitor Manager\settings.json and persist across sessions.
Best Practices
Tips from how I use Virtual Monitor Manager day to day. I'll add to this list as I find more — and as users send in their own.
- Pin your most-used apps. Right-click the title bar and pin them to a specific workspace. They'll always launch where they belong, no matter which workspace you're on at the time.
- Use the fewest workspaces you need. Two or four well-organized workspaces beat nine half-used ones. Bump up the layout only when you actually run out of room.
- One app per workspace, maximized. The cleanest setup. Each workspace becomes a focused workstation for one task.
- If you need more than one app on a workspace, size them so you can see all of them at once. Avoid stacking — workspaces aren't meant to replace alt-tab.
- Keep one workspace empty. An unused workspace gives you instant access to the desktop without minimizing anything.
- Turn off edge detection and learn the hotkeys. Edge switching was the original way to change workspaces, but it's prone to accidental switches. Hotkeys (Ctrl+Alt+A through I) are faster and more reliable. Toggle edge switching off with Ctrl+Alt+M.
Got a tip that works for you? Send it in — I'd love to add it here.
Known Limitations
Apps That Fight Back
A small number of applications aggressively manage their own window position and visibility. Virtual Monitor Manager can still track and switch them, but the transition may look a little less polished than with a well-behaved app — a brief flicker, a redraw, or a window that briefly snaps back before settling.
Known fighters:
- Visual Studio Code
If you run into an app that behaves oddly during a workspace switch, let me know and I'll add it here.
Apps We Can't Capture
Some windows can't be tracked at all. This is a Windows security boundary — Virtual Monitor Manager runs as a standard user app, so anything running with elevated privileges is off-limits.
- Task Manager
- Resource Monitor
- Device Manager
- Registry Editor
- Any application launched as administrator
- Exclusive full-screen games (run them in borderless-windowed mode instead)
How Is This Different from Windows Virtual Desktops?
| Virtual Monitor Manager | Windows Virtual Desktops | |
|---|---|---|
| Switching | Edge-based — feels like sliding to a real monitor | Win+Tab overlay or keyboard shortcut |
| Taskbar | Apps visible across all workspaces | Apps only on their assigned desktop |
| Per-monitor | Each monitor gets its own independent grid | All monitors share the same desktop |
| Workspaces | Up to 9 per monitor | Unlimited but shared across all monitors |
| App State | Apps hidden/shown — never closed or minimized | Apps minimized or moved between desktops |
Pricing
One-time purchase. No subscription. No recurring fees.
Available on the Microsoft Store and Gumroad.
Downloads are handled through the Microsoft Store or Gumroad.
Requirements
- Windows 10 (version 1903 or later) or Windows 11
- .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime (included with installer)
- Single or multiple physical monitors
- 1920×1080 or higher resolution recommended
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my applications close when I switch workspaces?
No. Virtual Monitor Manager never closes, minimizes, or interferes with your running applications. It moves them off screen and brings them back. Every application stays in exactly the state you left it.
Does it work with games or full-screen applications?
Windowed and borderless-windowed games work normally. Exclusive full-screen games operate outside Virtual Monitor Manager's reach. Running games in borderless-windowed mode is recommended.
Does it affect system performance?
No meaningful impact. The application uses a lightweight polling timer and low-level Win32 calls. CPU and memory usage are negligible during normal operation.
Does it require admin privileges?
No. It runs as a standard user application. As a consequence, it cannot manage applications that are themselves running as administrator (Task Manager, Registry Editor, etc.).
What happens to my apps when I close Virtual Monitor Manager?
All tracked applications are released and restored to their normal on-screen positions. Nothing is closed. Your work is preserved.
My hotkeys conflict with another application.
Open Settings and change the Hotkey Modifiers option. Ctrl+Shift or Alt+Shift may not conflict where Ctrl+Alt does.
I can't find an application — it seems to have disappeared.
It's almost certainly on a different workspace. Check the grid — any cell with a medium-brightness fill has applications assigned to it. Click through those cells to find it.
Support
Check the FAQ above first — most questions are answered there. If you need more help, email me:
[email protected]
I read every message and respond personally within 1–2 business days.