Unlocking the Power of Workspaces: The Must-Try PowerToys Feature for Your Windows PC

Every day, I rely on a fixed array of applications to streamline my workflow. My primary monitor is split, with Obsidian serving as my go-to text editor on one side and a web browser occupying the other half. My secondary display is tasked with supporting myriad functions, such as File Explorer, LocalSend, a language model (LLM) tool, and an additional browser, each neatly occupying a quarter of the screen.

One challenge that arises from this setup is the necessity to manually restore it each time I reboot my computer, which happens more frequently than I’d prefer. Fortunately, the Workspaces feature in PowerToys provides a seamless solution for this issue. With just a single click, it can launch and arrange all of my applications exactly where I need them. This functionality is not only effortless and innovative but also ranks among the top features that Microsoft should consider including as a default in Windows 11.

What Is PowerToys Workspaces?

A Snapshot of Your Ideal Setup

Workspaces tool on PowerToys — Image credit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf

PowerToys is a suite of advanced utilities designed for power users on Windows 10 and 11. You may already be familiar with several of its popular tools, such as PowerToys Run for rapid application launches, FancyZones for custom window management, and Always Awake to prevent your device from sleeping. However, the feature that has significantly alleviated my long-standing frustrations with Windows is Workspaces.

Workspaces allows users to capture a precise snapshot of their open applications and their respective window positions, enabling quick restoration with a single click. Essentially, it accomplishes two key tasks: it remembers and reopens your frequently used apps, and it retains your preferred layouts, ensuring applications are positioned exactly as you like.

Additionally, you can create distinct workspaces for various tasks. For instance, I have separate workspaces for different clients, coding projects, and creative endeavors.

Workspaces tool settings open on PowerToys — Image credit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf

Workspaces comes integrated within PowerToys. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can download it from the Microsoft Store. After installation, open PowerToys, locate the Windowing & Layout section, and select Workspaces. Enable the feature by toggling the Enable Workspaces switch.

The default shortcut to launch Workspaces is Win + Ctrl + Backtick, but you can customize this under the Activation settings.

Creating Your Workspaces

Set It Up Once, Use It Indefinitely

To establish a workspace, start by arranging your applications in your desired layout. Open all necessary applications for a specific workflow, adjusting their positions using Windows snap layouts or FancyZones. After achieving the perfect setup, press Win + Ctrl + Backtick (or your personalized shortcut) to access the Workspaces editor.

Click on Create Workspace, name your setup, and then select Capture. This action saves every open application along with its positioning. Once the capture is complete, you’ll see a list of all captured applications in the editor. To remove any applications from this list, select it and click Remove. Each entry also features a dropdown arrow for accessing advanced options.

The advanced settings allow you to add command-line arguments, which is beneficial for applications that accept specific launch parameters. For example, you can configure VS Code to directly open a specific project folder by including the path as an argument.

Furthermore, you can customize apps to launch with administrative privileges (helpful for development tools) or determine if they should start minimized or maximized. The minimize option is particularly useful for background applications such as Slack or Spotify.

PowerToys advanced customization options for captured apps — Image credit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf

For those seeking precise control, you can manually adjust the position values for each application if the captured layouts aren’t accurate enough. Additionally, workspaces can be saved as desktop shortcuts, which can be launched from multiple avenues including the desktop, Windows search, PowerToys Run, or third-party launchers like Listary.

When you access the Workspaces Editor, you can launch your configurations by pressing Win + Ctrl + Backtick and then clicking Launch to restore all your applications.

The tool efficiently manages open apps, ensuring that it repositions existing windows without creating duplicates. If you’re utilizing multiple monitors, Workspaces remembers which screen each application is assigned to.

Opportunities for Enhancement

Not Quite Perfect Yet

Image credit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf

While Workspaces delivers significant benefits, it comes with some limitations. A notable drawback is its inability to save web applications, which means that restored sessions do not function correctly. For example, although I utilize YouTube Music as a standalone app in Edge, Workspaces incorrectly opens it in a standard browser window. This issue persists with other Progressive Web Apps and shortcuts created in Chrome.

Applications such as AutoHotkey, which rely on interpreters, or Java applications, can also cause complications. There are instances where Workspaces struggles with multiple instances of the same application, particularly with File Explorer or Chrome tabs. If you set up three different File Explorer windows in specified folders, they may not retain their intended positions or directory paths upon launching the workspace.

Additionally, the tool can falter with window positioning. An application intended to display on the left monitor may appear on the right, or windows can overlap rather than snapping neatly into place. Although you can rectify window arrangements manually with FancyZones, Workspaces ideally would manage this autonomously.

Addressing a Longtime Frustration with Windows

Despite its flaws, Workspaces effectively automates the tedious process of manually reconstructing your desktop each day. It allows you to restore your apps to their original positions with a single click, and you can create an unlimited number of workspaces. This feature makes one ponder how long it will take for Microsoft to incorporate this functionality into Windows natively. Until that day comes, Workspaces remains the optimal choice.

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