Switching desktops in Windows 11 is pretty handy when you’re trying to keep things organized or just want to separate work from play. Honestly, it’s one of those features that seems simple enough—click a button, choose a desktop—and yet, on some setups, it can be a bit finicky or not show up right away. Sometimes, the task view button vanishes or desktops don’t create properly the first time. Kind of weird, but just a heads-up—if you run into those issues, there are a few tricks to fix it, and I’ve been through all of them. They might seem basic, but they work, especially if your system’s glitching or ignoring the desktop features for some reason.
How to Switch Desktops in Windows 11
Access Task View and Make Sure It’s Enabled
First off, find the Task View button on the taskbar (next to the Start menu).If it’s not there, right-click the taskbar, then select Show taskbar buttons and make sure Task View is checked. This button looks like two overlapping rectangles. If it’s visible, great. If not, that’s probably your first hurdle—without it, switching desktops is a pain.
Sometimes, the Task View button just…disappears after updates, or Windows decides to hide it by default. In those cases, hitting Windows + Tab keyboard shortcut also opens the desktop switcher—much faster once you get used to it.
How to Create New Desktops Without Any Hassle
Once Task View’s open, you’ll see a button labeled New desktop. Click that, and instantly, a fresh desktop appears. Because of course, Windows has to make it simple but slightly unreliable sometimes—on one laptop, the button might lag or not respond at first. Just give it a second or click again if needed.
This creates a clean space for another project or set of apps, so you don’t get overwhelmed. On some machines, you might need to toggle the “Show desktops” options or restart Explorer if the desktop options don’t show up after updates.
Switching Between Desktops the Easy Way
After creating multiple desktops, just hover over the Task View thumbnail or click it, then select the one you want. Alternatively, you can memorize the shortcuts: Win + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow. Works like a charm, especially if you’re juggling numerous apps and want to avoid the mouse. Not sure why it works, but sometimes the shortcut just does what it’s supposed to—other times, it doesn’t. Might be system-specific weirdness.
Close Desktops You Don’t Need Anymore
Back in Task View, you’ll see all your desktops as thumbnails. Hover over one you want gone and click the X. Be aware: closing a desktop doesn’t close the apps that are open on it; they just move to another desktop, or stay open but loose the space. So, if apps are lingering, closing desktops is a safe clean-up method—unless Windows freaks out and doesn’t remove the desktop immediately, which has happened on occasion.
And don’t forget, you can rename your desktops (click on their names in Task View) to keep things tidy — very helpful in cluttered workflows. Because if Windows is going to be stubborn about it, at least giving your desktops meaningful names might help avoid confusion.
Tips for Fixing Desktop Switching Glitches
- Make sure your Windows is fully updated. Sometimes, bugs are fixed in patches.
- If your Task View button is missing, try restarting Windows Explorer through Task Manager. Hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer, right-click and choose Restart. That often brings back missing buttons or stuck interfaces.
- If desktops aren’t creating or switching correctly, run a quick system check—open Command Prompt or PowerShell as admin and run
sfc /scannow. It fixes corrupted system files that could interfere with desktop functions. - A clean reboot often fixes weird interface hiccups; on some setups, the desktop switcher refuses to work until after a restart.
- In case you’re still having trouble, check the registry key at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advancedand ensure the value for ShowTaskViewButton is set to 1. But, be careful modifying registry files—if you’re not comfortable, skip this step or back up first.
Once you start troubleshooting these minor issues, the desktop switching experience gets way smoother. Sometimes, Windows just needs a nudge or a restart to realize that, yes, the Task View button should exist and function properly.
Summary
- Make sure the Task View button is visible on the taskbar.
- Create new desktops from Task View or with shortcuts.
- Switch desktops via Task View or keyboard shortcuts.
- Close desktops you no longer need to keep things tidy.
- Run system checks or explorer restarts if things get weird.
Wrap-up
Getting desktop switching to behave may take a little fiddling, especially after Windows updates or if the UI gets glitchy. But once it’s working smoothly, it’s a real productivity boost. Learn the shortcuts, customize your desktops, and keep an eye on system updates—it’ll save you some frustration down the line. And hey, if all else fails, a reboot tends to fix a lot of quirks. Fingers crossed this helps — it’s made my multitasking way less painful.