How to create and work in a virtual desktop?

[davehetfield]

Hi, Since Windows has recently added virtual desktops, I have been opening a chrome window and storing it in its own virtual desktop because if chrome's startup is quite slow. 
Someone advice me any functions that can create and work in a virtual desktop? Thanks!

 

[mLipok]

 to   forum.

I suppose that this is the same problem as with minimalized RemoteDesktop over mstsc.exe ....
If you switch to other virtual desktops all Windows internal GUI messages, related to this not active particular VirtualDesktop has been "halted".

Edited April 14, 2021 by mLipok

[mLipok]

6 hours ago, davehetfield said:

I have been opening a chrome window

How ? Manually or via WebDriver ?

6 hours ago, davehetfield said:

storing it in its own virtual desktop

How manually or via AutoIt ?

6 hours ago, davehetfield said:

because if chrome's startup is quite slow

What you mean ?

 

[KaFu]

Looking into this myself I found this #C wrapper for the relevant IVirtualDesktopManager COM interfaces... fyi, in case anyone else want's to tinker along, not so good with COM myself 🙄.

https://github.com/Grabacr07/VirtualDesktop/tree/master/source/VirtualDesktop

Here's an MSDN entry too

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/shobjidl_core/nn-shobjidl_core-ivirtualdesktopmanager

and a useful stackoverflow post

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32659505/windows-10-ivirtualdesktopmanagermovewindowtodesktop

Edit:

And here's a pre-compiled DLL, will take a look into that:

https://github.com/Ciantic/VirtualDesktopAccessor

Edited August 28, 2021 by KaFu

[Nine]

This is what I got that far :

#include <GUIConstants.au3>

Local $CLSID_VirtualDesktopManager = "{aa509086-5ca9-4c25-8f95-589d3c07b48a}"
Local $IID_IVirtualDesktopManager = "{a5cd92ff-29be-454c-8d04-d82879fb3f1b}"
Local $tagIVirtualDesktopManager = _
    "IsWindowOnCurrentVirtualDesktop hresult(hwnd;bool*);" & _
    "GetWindowDesktopId hresult(hwnd;clsid*);" & _
    "MoveWindowToDesktop hresult(hwnd;clsid);"

Local $oVDM = ObjCreateInterface($CLSID_VirtualDesktopManager, $IID_IVirtualDesktopManager, $tagIVirtualDesktopManager)
ConsoleWrite(IsObj($oVDM) & @CRLF)

Local $hWnd = GUICreate("Test"), $bActive
GUISetState()

Local $iHresult = $oVDM.IsWindowOnCurrentVirtualDesktop($hWnd, $bActive)
ConsoleWrite($iHresult & "/" & $bActive & @CRLF)

Local $sCLSID
$iHresult = $oVDM.GetWindowDesktopId($hWnd, $sCLSID)
ConsoleWrite($iHresult & "/" & $sCLSID & @CRLF)

Local $hNote = WinGetHandle("[CLASS:Notepad]")
$iHresult = $oVDM.GetWindowDesktopId($hNote, $sCLSID)
ConsoleWrite($iHresult & "/" & $sCLSID & @CRLF)

$iHresult = $oVDM.MoveWindowToDesktop($hWnd, $sCLSID)
ConsoleWrite($iHresult & @CRLF)

While True
  Switch GUIGetMsg()
    Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
      Exit
  EndSwitch
WEnd

Got some issues with MoveWindowToDesktop.  Need to dig a bit on that...

Issue I was having with MoveWindowToDestop is that you must own the window.  You cannot move a window that is own by another process.  With this example it is working just fine.  Create a second Desktop, start Notepad, run this script on the first Desktop : the GUI window will be transferred to the second desktop.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Nine

[KaFu]

Couldn't find any methods to create, browse or close a virtual desktop, workaround would be simple sends of hotkeys.

WIN + TAB = Open "Task View" / virtual desktop overview
WIN + CTRL + D = Create virtual desktop
WIN + CTRL + RIGHT = Move to right virtual desktop
WIN + CTRL + LEFT = Move to left virtual desktop
WIN + CTRL + F4 = Close current virtual desktop

[Nine]

There is the IVirtualDesktopManagerInternal that can perform those actions.  However, these interfaces are not documented in MSDN.

$IID_IVirtualDesktopManagerInternal = "{f31574d6-b682-4cdc-bd56-1827860abec6}"

 

[KaFu]

There's some stuff here:

https://github.com/Grabacr07/VirtualDesktop/blob/master/source/VirtualDesktop/Interop/(interfaces)/IVirtualDesktopManagerInternal.cs

https://github.com/Grabacr07/VirtualDesktop/blob/master/source/VirtualDesktop/Interop/(wrappers)/VirtualDesktopManagerInternal.cs

[KaFu]

18 hours ago, Nine said:

Issue I was having with MoveWindowToDestop is that you must own the window.  You cannot move a window that is own by another process. 

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32659505/windows-10-ivirtualdesktopmanagermovewindowtodesktop

[Nine]

Thanks for sharing.  I made an example of both interfaces.