Copyright: Copyright © 1998 Catalin Caranfil


 The XDESK picture-list editor

This is a dialog that can be used in order to build or edit a list of pictures that can then be used by XDESK when it will "randomize" the wallper or by the XDESK screen-saver .


 The XDESK screen-saver

One of the new features inside XDESK is a small screen-saver that will create a slideshow with your preferred pictures.

The screen-saver is installed automatically but it is possible that it will not become the default screen-saver as in this image:

There are two simple settings that can be edited directly - how long each picture will be displayed (in seconds) and after how many minutes the slideshow will stop and the screen will be blanked.

There is also a more complex setting that will invoke the XDESK picture-list editor


 What's new

New in build 750:

- a very easy way to copy items to desktops was added - "Send To" -> XDESK -> Desktop X;

- a simple form of "snooze" was activated in the Alarms dialog;

- small change in recovery after a system crash (in Settings / Tasks),

- small fixes to make "XDESK recovery mode" even safer.

New from v3.02 to 3.10:

The most important new feature is "XDESK Quick View" - this is a small window that contains an "artificial snapshot" of how all the desktops are looking - starting from the desktop color or wallpaper and up to the windows on each desktop & their order. This window also becomes the third way to move applications from one desktop to another or to all desktops and has some other nice functions too.

A VERY important new feature is the support for double-byte / multi-byte characters (it should be now possible to create rules on Japanese Windows) and a MUCH better look when the system font is not the "US default".

Another new feature is the ability to change the commands performed by XDESK as a result of different "actions" - for instance the commands associated with HotMouse, Mouse Knocking, Mouse Squeezing and the HotCorners (there are 4 of them now, and more "independent" :)

We also have a new type of CPU Meter - and colors for it can be changed.

XDESK contains  now a screen saver - with it you can create a slideshow of your preferred pictures (and you can set how quick the pictures are changed and after how long the screen is blanked)

"XDESK Desktop Extensions" have been expanded  and now it is possible to randomly change the wallpapers  when you change the desktop or after some time.

Finally - the first XDESK "wizard / plugin" is ready - it is an "XDESK Rule Wizard" that should be an easier way to create / modify / delete permanent (or temporary) rules!


Tasks Settings - Recovery after system crash

From this control it is possible to select how XDESK will act after a system crash - by default XDESK will automatically recover & restore all previous settings (in certain situations that will require a logoff & logon) but it is possible to also generate a message asking for confirmation or to completely ignore the crash (NOT RECOMMENDED !!!)


Startup Settings - AutoStart on the first desktop

If this option is selected then XDESK Desktop AutoStart will also be enabled on the first desktop (by default it is not).


Advanced Settings - Default action for temporary rules

When this option is checked XDESK will try to optimize the number of repaints for the desktop icons.


Utilities - Save Reminders as text file

This menu option will export all the reminders to a simple text file.


Mouse Scrolling Settings - Right Squeezing Action

From this control you can select the precise "action" that will be executed as a result of a Right Squeezing (the default is to activate Quick View - and if this feature is used then it is recommended to also activate Mouse Scrolling - this will eliminate any action in the window where the Squeezing takes place BUT might interfere with Right-dragging in Explorer).


Mouse Scrolling Settings - Left Squeezing Action

From this control you can select the precise "action" that will be executed as a result of a Left Squeezing (the default is to activate the Main Menu BUT Left Sqeezing is inactive by default since it might interfere with some other operations in windows - like pressing on a scroll arrow).


Mouse Settings - HotMouse R + L Action

From this control you can select the precise "action" that will be executed as a result of a Right + Left HotMouse (the default is to activate the Task  Menu).


Mouse Settings - HotMouse L + R Action

From this control you can select the precise "action" that will be executed as a result of a Left + Right HotMouse (the default is to activate the Main Menu).


Mouse Knocking Settings - Bottom Mouse Knocking Action

From this control you can choose what action will be executed after knocking with the mouse pointer on the bottom side of the screen.


Mouse Knocking Settings - Top Mouse Knocking Action

From this control you can choose what action will be executed after knocking with the mouse pointer on the top side of the screen.


Mouse Knocking Settings - Right Mouse Knocking Action

From this control you can choose what action will be executed after knocking with the mouse pointer on the right side of the screen.


Mouse Knocking Settings - Left Mouse Knocking Action

From this control you can choose what action will be executed after knocking with the mouse pointer on the left side of the screen.


HotCorners Settings - HotCorner Enable
HotCorners Settings - HotCorner Enabled

From this control you can selectively enable or disable the selected HotCorner.


HotCorners Settings - HotCorner Action

From this control you can choose what action will be executed when the mouse pointer is located inside a given HotCorner for a certain amount of time.


HotCorners Settings - HotCorner ID

From this control you can choose one of the four possible HotCorners in order to edit them.


Quick View Settings - Quick View Hints

This setting will add some hints to the title bar of the Quick View window - it is a nice way to remember some of the possible way in which it can be used (like for instance moving very easy one window from one desktop to another or to all desktops).


Quick View Settings - Quick View Delay

This setting will control the amount of time after which Quick View will auto-hide itself - if 0 auto-hide will be disabled!


Quick View Settings - Quick View activated by tray

This setting will control if Quick View is activated each time the mouse pointer is over one of XDESK tray icons - if this is not enabled Quick View can still be activated with some other "actions" (like a HotKey or a HotCorner).


Quick View Settings - Quick View active

This setting will activate Quick View.


General Settings - Use CPU History

This setting will activate a new type of CPU meter - this one will show the evolution of the CPU usage for the last seconds.


General Settings - CPU Idle Color

With this setting you can control the color used by the CPU meter to display the percentage of time when the CPU is idle - this only takes place when the CPU meter is in the new "history mode".


General Settings - CPU Busy Color

With this setting you can control the color used by the CPU meter to display the percentage of time when the CPU is working - this only takes place when the CPU meter is in the new "history mode".


General Settings - Desktops Base

With this setting you can control how desktops are numbered - either 0, 1, 2, ... or 1, 2, 3, ... .


General Settings - Use VXD

When this option is checked (under Win95/98 only) XDESK will use a different (undocumented :) method to determine the CPU usage - this method is more accurate and especially very important with notebooks and other computers that can easily go into "sleep mode".


Advanced Settings - Optimize Desktop Icons Repaint

When this option is checked XDESK will try to optimize the number of repaints for the desktop icons.


Advanced Settings - Keep child windows...

When this IMPORTANT option is checked XDESK will try to keep all closely-related windows "together" - it is recommended to also set "Popups follow related windows" to "Windows of the same thread".


Advanced Settings - Hook TaskBar

When this option is checked XDESK will add some enhancements to the behaviour of the TaskBar.


Advanced Settings - Optimize Desktop Repaint

When this option is checked XDESK will try to optimize the number of repaints for the desktop itself.


Advanced Settings - Extend System Menu

When this option is checked XDESK will add a few commands to the "System Menu" - this is the menu you get by clicking on the icon in the top-left corner of a window, or by pressing Alt+Space or by right-clicking on the window bar or on the application button in the TaskBar.


HotCorners Settings - HotCorner Delay

HotCorners Delay is the amount of time (3000 - 10000 miliseconds) that the mouse has to stand still in a given corner before starting the corresponding action.

However on top of this delay there might be some extra time before the results become visible - about 1 second when disabling the screen-saver and 5-6 for activating the current screen-saver.


HotCorners Settings - HotCorner Size

HotCorners Size is the dimension (1 - 64 pixels) of the active region that represent a HotCorner - usually 3-4 pixels should be a good value - not to big to be activated by mistake and not to small to make the corner difficult to find.


HotCorners Settings - Active Corners

From this checkboxes you can selectively enable each of the HotCorners - the top-left is used in order to disable any screen-saver (handy if you want to read a document without being interrupted by the screensaver) while the top-right is used to force the activation of the current screen saver.


Tasks Settings - Hook Alt+Tab

When this option is checked (under Windows NT4 and Windows2000 only) XDESK will replace the normal Alt+Tab dialog with a smarter version that also knows about programs on different desktops or about the preferred desktop for a given program.


Tasks Settings - EXPLORER.EXE crash recovery

Since the TaskBar and the System Tray are very important for XDESK it will try to fix some problems when the process containing them is crashing.

After such a crash XDESK can:

- automatically start a new process to replace the old one;

- ask if the user wants to start a new one (RECOMMENDED);

- do nothing.


Tasks Settings - Show all top-level windows in Task Menu

When this option is checked the Task Menu and the special XDESK Alt+Tab Dialog will also contain "owned" top-level windows (normally not shown) - this can be handy with some programs (like Delphi or Borland C++ Builder) when you want to switch with Alt+Tab between different windows that belong to the same task.


Tasks Settings - Show preferred desktop for each window in Task Menu

When this option is checked the preferred desktop (the desktop that will become active with that window) will be added (between angle brackets) before the window name in the Task Menu.


Tasks Settings - Show Nr. of applications on each desk in Main Menu

When this option is checked the number of windows on each desktop will be added (between angle brackets) after the desktop name in the Main Menu.


Mouse Settings - Desktop Menu Activation

One very handy feature of XDESK is the "Desktop Menu" - this is a menu with all the items (icons) on a given desktop.

By using this feature you will no longer need to switch to another desktop and minimize all windows in order to click on one icon!

The "Desktop Menu" can only be activated if the "Tray interface" (in Settings / General) is set to "Normal" and the commands from this menu will depend a lot on the mouse-button (left or right) used to activate it!

If the left button is used the result will be the same as double-clicking with the left button on the corresponding desktop icon.

When the right button is used the result is the same as a right-click on the desktop icon - a small menu with different commands that can be performed on that desktop item.

Depending on this setting the "Desktop Menu" can be activated by:

- pressing & holding for 1-2 seconds a mouse button on any XDESK tray button - the menu will reflect the icons from the desktop who's button was pressed & hold;

- double-clicking with a mouse button on any XDESK tray button - but if you choose this method a small extra delay will be added when you will single-click on the tray (in order to switch desktops or generate XDESK Main Menu);

- not active.


Memory Cleaner Settings - Free Memory Limit

The "Advanced NT Memory Cleaner" will be activated every time the "Memory Cleaner Interval" elapses but will actually do it's work only when the amount of free memory is under a certain limit - and you can set this limit anywhere from 100% of your RAM (this will never be entirely free, so the Memory Cleaner will do it's work on each activation) to 1/64 of your RAM - usually 1/4 to 1/8 of your RAM is a good setting here.


Memory Cleaner Settings - Advanced NT Memory Cleaner

If this is NOT activated under NT (or always under Windows 95/98 where it can not be activated) the "memory cleaner" will only do a "defragmentation" of the memory inside your computer.

When this is activated (RECOMMENDED) some extra steps will be taken (only under NT4 & Windows2000) in order to make applications run without wasting a lot of memory - the main advantage is that new applications will start faster and instead of having a major slowdown of your system when memory is low XDESK will mostly distribute all those "garbage collectors" during idle times.


Memory Cleaner Settings - Memory Cleaner Interval

This is the delay (in minutes) between two successive activations of the Memory Cleaner.

If this value is 0 the Memory Cleaner is disabled.


Startup Settings - Logo Delay

This is the delay (in milliseconds) while XDESK will display the initial logo.


Startup Settings - Initial Delay

This is the delay (in milliseconds) while XDESK will wait immediately after it was started and before actually installing itself as a Virtual Desktop Manager.


MainMenu - Desktops

This is a list of all active desktops - with a checkmark on the current desktop - and with extra information like desktop names, hotkeys and the number of applications visible on each desktop (between angle brackets).


Plugins
Wizards & Plugins

XDESK has a modular architecture and can have plugins and wizards - which are small programs that will add extra features.

All wizards and plugins are not permanently present in memory but instead only loaded when needed and unloaded as soon as their work is done.


Virtual Desktop Manager

A "Virtual Desktop Manager" is a program that allows you to open an application on your desktop, and with a keystroke or two, switch to another, empty desktop without closing down the application. The original desktop, and applications running on it, can be returned to whenever convenient. Of course that a good Virtual Desktop Manager will do much more than that!


 About Box

This menu item will display a dialog displaying information about XDESK.  The author, copyright information, version number, and other information will be displayed. Also, if you are using an unregistered version of XDESK  that will be indicated here, as well as ordering information.


 Advanced Rules

In order to make Rules work the best for you, it may help you to understand some advanced topics about windows and how Rules are applied to them. If what is discussed in this topic seems complex, don't worry. You can use XDESK  just fine without fully understanding what is stated in this topic.

When a window is opened, the operating system creates a "window handle," a unique identifier for that window that exists for as long as the window is opened. When the window is closed, the identifier is gone forever (at least, insomuch as the identifier refers to that specific window). This is true for "normal" windows, such as the type created by Windows Notepad, or for various other kinds of windows, like floating toolbars. It even includes "hidden" windows that are never seen by the user.

When a window is created that does not have a permanent rule assigned to it, XDESK  assigns a default rule to the window. XDESK  knows which rule to apply to that window by referencing its handle. Thus, when you open Notepad, XDESK  finds the handle for the Notepad window, and assigns the default rule. When you close Notepad, the handle is lost, but reopening Notepad will also create a new handle which XDESK  will retrieve and again apply the default rule.

In order for XDESK  to remember rules applied to windows even after the window is closed (or after the computer is rebooted) it uses the window's "title," or the caption displayed in the title bar of the window. XDESK  remembers the window's title (or some "permanent" part of the window's title) and reassociates that text with the newly-created window handle when a new instance of the window is opened.

Because these window titles often change, XDESK  allows you to assign variable to the rule with regards to the title. For example, a web browser's title will usually change for each page that is opened. But generally some part of the window title remains constant, such as the browser's name. (For most browsers, the page title will be first in the title bar, followed by the browser name, such as "Netscape" or "Internet Explorer.") Thus, XDESK  allows you to make the page name a variable, and remember only the browser name, which is constant.

When making a conversion from such a "text-based" rule to a "handle-based" rule, you need to make it PERMANENT (via the Mode list box) and introduce the variable for that part of the title which may change from time to time, so that XDESK looks only at the permanent part of the text. Then your rule will apply in every instance of opening the window.


Advanced Settings - Hook "Alt-Tab" (Under NT)

When unchecked, this control allows users of Windows NT to continue to use the default NT task-switcher. However, this will not allow you to switch to programs on other desktops, but you will still be able to use CTRL+ALT+TAB.


Advanced Settings - Popups Follow Related Windows

This setting controls the behavior of 'popup' windows that appear occasionally when applications complete a process, or need to send the user some information about a current process. For instance, Internet Explorer commonly displays a small dialog box when a download is complete.

If you select Never from this drop down list, these popup windows will always appear on the currently active desktop, which is handy if you want to be immediately aware of these dialogs.

If you select Windows of the same thread from this list, XDESK  will monitor these popup dialogs, trace them back to the thread that called them, and display the dialog on the same desktop as the application thread that called it.

If you select Windows of the same process from this list, XDESK  will again monitor the popup dialogs, trace them back to the originating process that called it, and display it on the same desktop as that process.


Advanced Settings - Save/Reload Transparent Background Status For Icons Names

This allows you to make the icon text captions on your desktop "transparent" so that the desktop wallpaper will be visible through the icon captions, rather than the desktop color. This will hold true across desktops, which might each have its own unique wallpaper image or background color.


Advanced Settings - Show Popup Windows In Task List

When checked, this option extends the list displayed with both hotkey and HotMouse task switching. This means you will be able to switch between different windows of the same task.


Advanced Settings - Use Hooks

Unchecking the Use Hooks checkbox can disable some other XDESK  settings but could solve some behavioral problems when running older programs under Windows 95. This is not an issue under Windows NT, so if you are running that, then this setting should be left on.


Advanced Settings - Use Separate Desktop Icon Postions
Advanced Settings - Use Separate Desktop Icon Positions

This option allows you to rearrange your icons on each desktop. Enabling this option allows greater flexibility for your desktops, but can make switching between desktops slower. This option is only available if "Use Hooks" and "Use separate icons on each desktop" are both checked.


Advanced Settings - Use Separate Icons On Each Desktop

If this option is enabled you will have greater flexibility in arranging each desktop by displaying some icons on one desktop, and completely different ones on another. However, this slows down switching between desktops. This option is only enable is "Use Hooks" is checked.


AppBar Settings - AppBar Repaint Optimization

This slider allows you to control the repaint optimization of the AppBar. In other words, how quickly the AppBar icons are refreshed when you change desktops. The default is to have no optimization, at all but that might slow things - even with a fast computer you can move the slider one or two marks, maybe more for a slower computer.

You can force an AppBar repaint at any time by right-clicking on the XDESK  micro-icon.


AppBar Settings - Auto-Position AppBar

If this box is checked ( the default) the AppBar will be positioned in the upper right corner of the screen, and will not be able to be moved. If unchecked, the AppBar can be dragged anywhere on the screen.


AppBar Settings - Use AppBar

If this box is checked (the default) then the AppBar will be displayed. If unchecked, the AppBar will not be displayed.


Arrange - Close Button

This button closes the dialog.


Arrange - Copy Button

This button allows you to copy the selected application to the current desktop. When you use Copy, the application window will be visible on all desktops you have copied it to.


Arrange - Current Desktops

These buttons correspond to the current desktops you have defined. You can easily move an application window from the current desktop to another by highlighting it in the list window and pressing the desktop button you wish to move it to.


Arrange - Delete Button

This button allows you to remove an application window from the selected desktop.


Arrange - Move Button

This button allows you to move an application window to the currently selected desktop. When you use this option, the application window will only be visible on the desktop you move it to.


 Arrange Dialog

This dialog can be activated in several ways, including:

by choosing Arrange from XDESK  main menu.

left-click the mouse on the current "down" button on the tray interface

press ALT + the currently active desktop. For instance, if you are on Desktop 2, then you would press ALT + 1 (since XDESK  starts counting desktops from 0).

The dialog should look similar to this :

With this dialog, you can easily move applications from one desktop to another. You can also copy the application from one desktop to another, or to all desktops, with just a couple of mouse clicks.

To move an application from one desktop to your currently selected desktop, simply highlight the name in the list window and click the Move button. You can copy an application to your desktop the same way, by pressing the Copy button. This will cause the application to be visible on all desktops which it is copied to.

You can also move an application from your current desktop to another through this dialog. To do this, click the tab for the current desktop, highlight the application you wish to move, and then click the Desktop Button under the list window that you want to move the application to.

Finally, there is Delete button that you can use to "delete" - or remove - a window from a currently selected desktop. If, for example, you have an application visible on desktops 1 and 2, you can remove it from either of those desktops by clicking the appropriated desktop tab, highlighting the application in the list window, and pressing the Delete button.

NOTE: You can remove an application window from all desktops, but even if you do so, it will still be listed under the ALL tab, so you can copy it to another desktop again.

If you perform one of these operations on an application window that has a simple permanent rule and you have Auto Save Rules ON, this modification will also be saved.


Arrange Tabs

These tabs represent your currently defined desktops. By clicking on each tab, you can quickly see what applications are running on each of your desktops.


Arrange Window

The main window in the Arrange dialog displays which applications are running in each of your defined desktops.


 Contact Information

If there is some aspect of XDESK  that you would like to see modified or added,  don't hesitate to write us an e-mail - XDESK  is experiencing extraordinary growth, and a lot of great features started as suggestions from users, not to mention the pretty high number of users that said things like

"I have to tell you, though, that I am very happy now that I *did* send you that original note about ****** (4-5 different features/bugs here, generally each one from a different user) instead of just throwing away XDESK. There's a lot  to like about this program" .

You can find the latest version at http://www.xdesksoftware.com [image].

Also a free mailing list is provided so that you can be automatically be informed about latest versions or other special stuff (like beta versions).

NEW - at the same site you can now register ONLINE! (actually there are links to our US distributors - they handle all the credit-card part safely and quickly)

The maximum price (but some distributors have smaller fees than other) for EACH license is:

30US$ 	1 license

25US$ 	2-9 licenses

20US$ 	10-49 licenses

15US$ 	50-999 licenses

10US$	for 1000 more more licenses

You will generally need a total number of licenses equal to the number of separate XDESK instances that can run at the same time. (if you have three computers and each one has both NT4 and Win95 you only need three licenses, not six!).

Prices for special (= other than e-mail) handling/delivery costs are not included!

Included in this price is:

latest version (by e-mail) registered with a name of your choice - it can be your name or the name of your company

1 year subscription for any other version launched during this subscription (new versions will automatically be delivered by e-mail!).

e-mail based technical support (and eventually the solution for "bugs" you might discover).

In order to get special licenses (very big orders/site licenses or unlimited upgrades & support) you should contact by e-mail xdesk@xdesksoftware.com or xdesk@interplus.ro.


 Rules Wizard

Rules are the core concept behind XDESK's  flexibility and power but in the first versions it was not very easy to create or modify rules. In order to adress this problem in XDESK v3.10 a new feature was added - a "Rules Wizard"  that can be activated from the XDESK Main Menu / Wizards & plugins submenu !!!


Contents


 Creating Rules

Rules are the core concept behind XDESK's  flexibility and power. By taking just a few moments of time to understand what rules are and how they are applied to your system, you can increase you productivity tremendously!

When you select "Edit - Rules from the XDESK  main menu it brings up the following dialog:

Before you can start creating rules, you should understand a little about how XDESK  does its job. XDESK  maintains an internal database of rules that you create for each window you create the rule for. So what happens when a window is opened for which you have not defined a rule? A default rule is automatically creating, essentially stating that the current window will only be visible on the desktop under which it was created. When a window is opened that you have created a rule for, XDESK  recognizes this and acts according to the defined rule.

Defining rules is not difficult, but it does require some thought. How do you want to use your applications? How available do you want them to be? Finally, what rule can I create that best meets my needs?

After these questions are answered, it's time to turn attention to the Edit - Rules dialog. At the top of the dialog are the Available WINDOWS: and Available RULES: list boxes  When a selection is made from the Available WINDOWS: list, XDESK  automatically sets the Available RULES: list to the closest corresponding match. Remember that every window is given a default temporary rule, so every window has a rule in some form. In addition to the default rule, the rule itself is also given a default title, which is generally the window's caption, or the text you see in the title bar.

Also, note the Show TOOLWINDOWS checkbox under the Available WINDOWS listbox. If this box is checked, some windows will be shown in the list that might not be otherwise. Typical examples of this sort of window are Toolbars (such as those you can create with the Active Desktop feature of Internet Explorer 4.0, or Windows 98). These are windows that normally do not display in the Taskbar or system tray. If you wish to create rules for these types of windows (for instance, if you want your toolbars to display on all desktops all the time) then you should check this box.

Note as well the Show temp and Show permanent check boxes under the Available RULES listbox. If you only wish to see of the types of rules, check the corresponding box. If you wish to see all rules, check both boxes.

The Desktops buttons allow you to define which desktops the rule you are creating will apply to. Click all the desks you want to affect with the current rule. If you want all desktops affected, check the All checkbox.

Next, notice the Mode listbox. There are three possible Modes for a rule:

TEMP = TEMPORARY RULE - This mode is the default temporary rule mode. It means that the application window will be kept unmodified on the selected desktops. In other words, the window will only appear on the desktop under which it was created.

Ignore = On all desks - Use this rule if you do not want the selected window to be affected by XDESK  in any way. This has several advantages:

The window will be visible on all desktops

Some older 16 bit applications may not respond well to XDESK.  Sometimes these older programs don't care to being hidden or other actions that XDESK  may take for granted.

FORCE = PERMANENT RULE - This mode saves the rule to the XDESK  database. Any time you open this window, the rule you create will take effect. See Advanced Rules for more information

The Action listbox is where you define exactly how you want the window to behave.  There are eight options.

HIDE - This option causes the application window to be hidden on the selected desktops, and to be visible on others.

MINIMIZE - This option causes the application window to be minimized to the taskbar on the selected desktops, and in it's normal state on all other desktops.

MINIMIZEHIDE - This is a useful option for windows which normally are displayed on top of all other windows (such as toolbars), also known as TOPMOST windows. Hiding a TOPMOST window can conflict with all other TOPMOST windows, so it is usually best to make this sort of window MINIMIZEHIDE.

MAKE_TOP - This action causes an application window to remain Always On Top, even if that functionality is not a normal property of the application.

MAKE_TOPMOST - If the selected application window is normally always on top and you want to insure it stays that way on all your desktops, you should select this action.

MAKE_NOTOPMOST - If the selected application window is normally always on top, but you don't want it to have that functionality on all desktops, then this is the best action to choose. It will not be "Always on top" for the selected desktops, but it will be on all others.

MAKE_BOTTOM - If you want the selected application window to always open on the "bottom," or behind all other windows, then select this action. Again, this affects only the selected desktops.

RELOCATE - This command will "move" the window off the selected desktops without marking it as hidden. This option looks a little faster on some systems, but it is not as safe as "Hide."

See Also

Rule Type

Advanced Rules


Desk Number/Hotkey

When defining hotkey combinations for your desktops, use this list box to define which desktop the hotkey combination is for.


Desk/Hotkey Name

Type in the name you want to associate with the currently selected desktop.


 Desktop Additions

This dialog allows you to modify your desktop in a couple of interesting ways.

The X and Y coordinates settings allow you to position desktop wallpaper anywhere on your screen, allowing you more flexibility for the appearance of your desktop than ever before. Simply enter the coordinates you wish for the upper right corner of the image to be used as wallpaper and click the OK button.

NOTE: This feature does not work for centered wallpaper under Windows 98. Windows 98 incorporates special desktop features, which will be taken full advantage of in a future version of XDESK.

The checkbox for "Transparent text background" refers to the caption text for desktop icons. By default, when you are using desktop wallpaper, the background for icon captions is the color set for the desktop under the Appearance tab in the desktop properties page (accessible by right clicking on the desktop, selecting Properties from the menu).

With the "Transparent text background" option checked, you can make the text background the same as your wallpaper, as shown in the following pictures.

Note that in order to save this configuration for your next session, you must check the "Save/Reload transparent background" option in the XDESK  Settings dialog on the Advanced Tab.

It is now possible to have random wallpapers (that change when switching desktops or after a given amount of time)! In order to edit the list of pictures from which the wallpapers will be selected a special dialog will be used - the XDESK picture-list editor


Edit AppBar - Add Separator

This allows you to put separators between groups of shortcut icons. Also, if Autopositioning is disabled, you can use these separators to drag the AppBar to a new location.


Edit AppBar - AppBar Name

This list box is disabled for this version. Future versions of XDESK  will allow you to define and name multiple AppBars.


Edit AppBar - Apply Button

Click this button to apply the current changes to the AppBar without closing the Edit AppBar dialog.


Edit AppBar - Cancel Button

Click this button to cancel the edits you have pending and close the Edit AppBar dialog.


Edit AppBar - Insert Folder Shortcut

Click this button to insert an entire folder as a shortcut into the AppBar.


Edit AppBar - Insert Shortcut

Click this button to get a file list dialog that will allow you to insert a new shortcut. The new shortcut will be inserted above the currently selected shortcut.


Edit AppBar - Move Down

Click this button to move the selected shortcut down one space in the list


Edit AppBar - Move Up

Click this button to move the selected shortcut up one space in the list.


Edit AppBar - OK Button

Click this button to save your changes and close the Edit AppBar dialog.


Edit AppBar - Shortcut List

This is a list of all the shortcuts currently defined. You can toggle the checkbox to display:

Checkmark - The shortcut will be displayed in the AppBar

X - The shortcut will be removed from the AppBar and shortcut list.

Empty - The shortcut will be removed from the AppBar, but will still appear in the shortcut list.


Edit AppBar - Toggle Shortcut

Each shortcut in the list on the right can have one of three different states:

Enabled - Identified with a check in the box

Deleted - Identified with an X in the box. The shortcut will be removed from the AppBar and from the shortcut list.

Disabled - Identified by an empty checkbox. The shortcut will not appear in the AppBar but it will still remain in the shortcut list.

The shortcut can be toggled either with the Toggle Shortcut button or by clicking the checkbox beside the shortcut.


Edit Rules - Action

Select which specific action the rule should apply to the window.


Edit Rules - Apply Button

Apply the current changes to the rule being edited.


Edit Rules - Available Rules

This list shows all the rules currently defined for this session. This includes default temporary rules that XDESK  creates when windows are opened for which there are no defined rules.


Edit Rules - Available Windows

This list shows you which windows are currently open in your system. You may create rules for any window in this list.


Edit Rules - Close Button

Close this dialog.


Edit Rules - Convert Button

Convert a temporary rule for editing.


Edit Rules - Data Handle

This is an internal identifier to XDESK  for the application the rule applies to.


Edit Rules - Delete Button

Delete the selected rule.


Edit Rules - Desktops

Check which desktops you want the current rule to apply to. To select all desktops, check the ALL checkbox.


Edit Rules - Mode

Select which mode you wish to apply to the current rule.


Edit Rules - New Button

Create a new rule.


Edit Rules - New String Rule

Create a new string rule. Only string rules can be permanent rules.


Edit Rules - New Temp Rule

Create a new temporary rule.


Edit Rules - Show Permanent

Check this box if you only want to see permanent rules which are defined.


Edit Rules - Show Temp

Check this box if you only want to see temporary rules which are defined.


Edit Rules - Show Toolwindows

Some windows (most commonly toolbars) have special properties, and thus do not display by default in the list box above. To show these windows so you can create rules for them, check this box.


Edit Rules - Window Title

This is the caption that is seen in the title bar of most windows.


Exit

This menu item will close XDESK.  All windows open on all desktops will be available from a single desktop.


Help

Brings up this help file.


Help Button

This button brings up context-sensitive help.


 HotMouse Features

There are two special HotMouse actions which permit you to do incredible things without taking your hands from your pointing device.

if you press the LEFT MOUSE BUTTON, keep it pressed and then press the RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON you get the XDESK MENU. From here you can easily switch to the desktop you want or do special customizations

If you first press the RIGHT button and then the LEFT one you get a small menu with existing tasks - very much like ALT-TAB - so you can switch to any task with your MOUSE!

The Task Menu is looking like that (note the check on the active task and between angle brackets the list of desktops where each task is visible):


Hotkey

Press keys on your keyboard and they will be reflected in this box. That's all there is to assigning hotkeys to desktops!


 Introduction

XDESK is a "Virtual Desktop Manager" that gives even casual computer users a much more convenient and organized way to use their computers. In addition to multiple desktops, XDESK  allows you to customize its behavior and even remind you of important events.

The latest version features the following enhancements:

Multiple Desktops -Create and manage up to 10 independent desktops

Save Custom Settings - Save/Load all the settings and arrangements you make to your desktops. Separate settings can be saved for multiple users on the same PC.

Rule Management System - Build a set of rules which you can save and reuse to customize how XDESK  works for you

Easy Switching - Switch between desktops any way that works best for you: buttons in the system tray, menus, hotkeys, hotmouse or "mouse knocking" to give you incredible control with your favorite input device. Under NT the Alt+Tab dialog was replaced with a smarter version that is also aware of applications on other desktops!!! (the same feature can be used with Ctrl+Alt+Tab under 95/98)

Unique Desktop Appearance - Each desktop can have its own color, pattern, wallpaper icons & icon positions for easy identification

Shortcut Icons - Each desktop can have it's own set of shortcut icons, positioned independently of each other

Easy Access to Desktop Items - Double-click (or keep the mouse pressed) on the corresponding desktop button in the tray and all the icons on that desktop will be available in a popup menu. No more rearranging or minimizing windows to get to the desktop!

Compatibility - XDESK works with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000.

AppBar - A small but power AppBar keeps all your programs handy - and without taking valuable space on your desktop. Easily customize the AppBar and the shortcuts themselves.

Shortcuts Folder - A shortcut to a folder of shortcuts generates a popup menu. No application needs to be more than two clicks away.

Reminders - Quickly make reminders for yourself for appointments, important dates, etc. and XDESK  will display an alarm at the time you set.

Intelligent Task Manager - Press <CTRL> <ALT> <ENTER> to display a task list, allowing you to switch to any window or task in the system, or close a malfunctioning window or task.

Automatic Application Startup - Configure programs to start automatically when you switch to a given desktop.

Applications AutoRestart - Save all the programs running on a given desktop as a unique "layout".

Mouse Scrolling - Any mouse becomes more powerful than the latest wheel mouse!

HotCorners - Activate or disable your screensaver by simply moving the mouse!

MemoryCleaner - Keep your system clean & responsive!

NEW - Quick View - A smart (& condensed) preview of how all desktops look and a new way to move applications from one desktop to another.

NEW - Custom Actions - The actions performed as a result of HotMouse, Mouse Knocking, Mouse Squeezing and HotCorners can now be customized.


Load / Save Settings - Auto Load Desktop Settings

If this box is checked (the default) the desktop settings will be loaded every time XDESK  loads. If the box is unchecked, the desktop settings will not be reloaded when XDESK  is restarted.


Load / Save Settings - Auto Load Hotkeys

If this box is checked (the default) then keyboard "hotkeys" which have been defined will be loaded automatically when XDESK  loads. If unchecked, hotkeys will not be loaded.


Load / Save Settings - Auto Load Rules

If this box is checked (the default) then all the permanent rules which have been defined will be automatically loaded whenever XDESK  loads. If the box is unchecked, permanent rules will not be loaded.


Load / Save Settings - Auto Save Desktop Settings

When this box is checked (the default) any changes you make to your general desktop settings (number of active desktops, for instance) will be automatically saved. If the ox is unchecked, settings will be active for the current session only.


Load / Save Settings - Auto Save Hotkeys

If this box is checked (the default) then keyboard "hotkeys" which you define will be automatically saved to the XDESK  database. If unchecked, then hotkeys will not automatically be saved.


Load / Save Settings - Auto Save Rules

If this box is checked (the default) then permanent rules you define will be saved in the XDESK  database. If unchecked, permanent rules will not be saved.


Load Now Button

This button causes any previously saved applications settings to be immediately loaded.


Mouse Knocking Settings - Horizontal Mouse Knocking

Check this box to enable horizontal mouse knocking. If this box is unchecked, the next desktop in sequence will not be displayed when you double click on the left or right edge of the screen.


Mouse Knocking Settings - Knocking Max. Time

This control determines how quickly you must double click at the edge of the screen to successfully "knock."


Mouse Knocking Settings - Knocking Sensitivity

This determines the distance the mouse must travel in order to trigger mouse knocking.


Mouse Knocking Settings - Vertical Mouse Knocking

Check this box to enable vertical mouse knocking. If this box is unchecked, the XDESK  menu will not be displayed when you double click at the top or bottom of the screen.


Mouse Scrolling Settings - Scrolling Max. Time

This value defines the maximum time allowed between pressing and releasing the right mouse button in or order to get the "normal" right click.


Mouse Scrolling Settings - Scrolling Sensitivity

This control defines how far you need to drag the mouse with the right button clicked before scrolling starts. It also determines the size of each of the four "speed zones" (up, down, left and right). A small value will give a precise movement while a bigger value will generate faster scrolling.


Mouse Scrolling Settings - Use Mouse Scrolling

Check this box to enable Mouse Scrolling. If unchecked, Mouse Scrolling will be disabled.


Mouse Settings - Arrange Dialog

If this box is checked (the default) then left-clicking on the system tray XDESK  icon will display the Arrange dialog.


Mouse Settings - Left Squeezing Delay

This slider controls allows you to define how long the left mouse button must be pressed before the XDESK  main menu is displayed. If the slider control is all the way to the left (the default) this feature is disabled.


Mouse Settings - R + L

If checked (the default) this enables special HotMouse functionality that enables a popup menu listing all your open windows. If you have problems with other programs that use special mouse functions, you should uncheck this item.


Mouse Settings - Right Squeezing Delay

This slider control allows you to define how long the right mouse button must be pressed before a popup menu is displayed showing all the active windows. If the slider control is all the way to the left this feature is disabled.


Mouse Settings - Task Menu

If this box is checked (the default) the Task Menu will display when you right click on the current desktop from the tray icon.


Mouse Settings - Use HotMouse - L + R

If this box is checked, quickly clicking the left mouse button and then the right will bring up a menu of all windows on all desktops. You can then select an application window to move to that desktop.


Mouse Settings - Use HotMouse L + R

If checked (the default) this enables special HotMouse functionality that enables the XDESK  main menu from the desktop. If you have problems with other programs that use special mouse functions, you should uncheck this item.


Number of Active Desktops

Enter in this box the number of active desktops you would like to have. Valid values are from 1 to 10


 Quick Start

XDESK  is designed to maximize your Windows desktop, and thus makes itself as unobtrusive as possible When XDESK  loads, probably the only change you will see is a set of small buttons in the system tray...

... and an AppBar normally located in the upper right corner of your desktop:

but you can easily arrange your desktops to look something like this (note that the icons are different on each desktop and of course have different positions):

Another important window that you will probably soon discover is "XDESK Quick View" :

Though it looks unassuming, the tray interface was the first and most important method to control all of XDESK's  powerful features.

XDESK  first launches with a default of 3 desktops, although this can be customized. A program opened on one desktop will stay there until closed, unless you have defined a rule for the program which causes XDESK  to treat it differently.

Switching from one desktop to another can be accomplished in several ways, such as hotkeys, hotmouse, or mouse knocking, and from inside the Arrange Dialog. However, the most visible way to change desktops is to simply click on another desktop number from the XDESK  tray icon. this will also show you which desktop is currently selected.

To quickly understand the power and value of XDESK  simply open related applications (such as 'suite' applications) in one desktop, then click on another desktop in the tray interface, and open new applications, also related to one another (such as Internet applications).

You can give each desktop a name and change the color of each desktop as you normally would (right click on the desktop, select 'Properties,' click on 'Appearance,' select 'Desktop' from the Item drop-down list, change the color, and click OK). Also, you can select a different wallpaper for each desktop. determine different icons for each desktop (each with it's own position) and you can access a list of icons on your desktop by keeping the left/right mouse button down for 2 seconds on the corresponding desk button.\

Another feature of this powerful interface is the ability to access all the icons on your desktop in one quick menu. There are two means of doing so. You can double click with the left mouse button, and select an item from the menu which appears. This will launch the selected icon just as if you had left clicked it normally. Also, you can double click  with the right mouse button. This will cause the same menu to appear, but selecting an item will cause the item's popup menu (normally accessed by right clicking on the desktop icon) to appear. This feature of XDESK  is especially handy for IE4 / WIndows 98 users who prefer not to display icons on the desktop.

Other features you'll find very useful are the AppBar and the Reminder/Alarms. The goal of XDESK  is to provide the user with all the necessary tools in easy reach, allowing you to focus on solving problems rather than navigating through a complex operating system.

Another important feature to look for is 'mouse scrolling', special AppBar shortcuts, and the ability to auto-start applications when you switch to a given desktop.


Reminders - Adjust Alarm

This control will determine how often the reminder will reappear after the reminder is acknowledged. Enter a numeric value in the text box, and select the interval (seconds, minutes, hours, etc.) from the list box. The reminder will continue to appear until you select the Disable or Delete buttons from the reminder dialog.


Reminders - Alarm Activated

This field displays the date and time the reminder was originally scheduled for. If your computer is turned off, or if XDESK  is not running, the reminder will not display until the next time XDESK  is launched.


Reminders - Alarm Creation

This field displays the date and time you created the alarm or reminder.


Reminders - Alarm Number

This field lists how many active alarms are in your reminder list, and where in the list this alarm is.


Reminders - Delete

This button will permanently delete the selected reminder.


Reminders - Delete After Alarm

When an alarm is enabled, you can select this checkbox to delete the alarm automatically after it is acknowledged.


Reminders - Delete Reminder

This button will delete the selected reminder. This action cannot be undone.


Reminders - Disable

Click this button to disable the current reminder, but not to delete it. If it is a periodic reminder and this button is clicked, the reminder will not be displayed until it is manually re-enabled.


Reminders - Enabled Alarm

To enable the selected alarm, check this box. If you want to disable the alarm, leave this box unchecked.


Reminders - List Box

This listbox will show the name of the reminder if you want the reminder enabled. If you want to disable the reminder, select ALARM DISABLED from the drop down list.


Reminders - New Reminder

Click this button to create and name a new reminder.


Reminders - Next

Click this button to view the next reminder in the reminder list.


Reminders - Periodic Alarm

You can use these controls to have a reminder periodically appear at scheduled intervals, rather than one time only.


Reminders - Popup Dialog

For enabled alarms, this option will display a dialog at the time the reminder is scheduled for. If you do not want a dialog to display, leave this box unchecked. The alarm must be enabled for this checkbox to be enabled.


Reminders - Previous

Click this button to view the previous reminder in the reminder list.


Reminders - Reminder List

This window lists all the reminders that have been scheduled, including those that have already occurred but have not been deleted.


Reminders - Reminder Text

This text field displays the reminder you have identified. From the Create Reminder dialog, you can type directly into this field to define your reminder text. When the reminder appears, this text is not editable.


Reminders - Run Command

You can use this control to automatically launch an application at the reminder's scheduled time. When checked, a File List dialog will appear, allowing you to choose which application to run. This checkbox is only enabled if the selected reminder is enabled.


Reminders - Save Changes

When you have created a new reminder, or modified an existing reminder, this button is enabled and allows you to save the reminder.


Reminders - Scheduled Time

Use these controls to select the date and time you want the reminder to appear (or to first appear if it is a periodic reminder). The plus button increases the date or time value, the minus button decreases it.


Reminders - Sound Notification

If you want the reminder dialog to be accompanied by a sound notification, check this box. This control is only enabled if Popup Dialog is also checked.


 Rule Type

There can by two "types" of window rules:

Window Handle - A complex, 32-bit number that is unique, but only exists as long as the window exits.

Window Title - A string of characters, normally the caption found in the titlebar of most windows. It can have wildcards such as '*' or '?'.

Because Window Handles exist only as long as the window itself is open, only Window Title rules can be permanent. However, XDESK  introduces an easy way to create permanent rules.

Simply press the Convert button  to activate the edit control. Then edit the text containing the rule, and set the desktop(s) mode and action. Remember to Apply the changes after each important step.

Note that it is usually a good idea to replace variables with a '*' when editing the text containing a rule.


Save Now Button

This button causes the open applications on all desktops to have their settings immediately saved for XDESK  to load again later.


Startup Settings - Open Autostart Folders

Pressing this button will allow you to create shortcuts inside desktop folders. Whenever you switch to one of these "autostart" desktops, the shortcuts in it will be automatically launched.


Startup Settings - Start XDESK Automatically

Checking this box will cause XDESK  to start automatically when Windows starts. It is recommended that you leave this box checked.


Startup Settings - Use Desktop Autostart

When this box is checked, programs that you define in the Autostart folders will be automatically launched whenever you switch to the desktop you have chosen.


 Task List

The Task List is one of the most powerful features of XDESK, allowing quick access to the database and an easy way to manage your window list and apply Actions to them. You can access the task list from the XDESK  menu, or by pressing CTRL+ALT+ENTER on the keyboard.

The windows associated with every application that was ever run under XDESK  is listed in the main window. This list makes up the XDESK  database. The row of buttons at the top of this form allow you act on a selected window in a variety of ways. Click on the controls for more details.


Task List - Cancel Button

Clicking this button will close the Task List window without performing any actions on windows.


Task List - Exit XDESK Button

Clicking this button will close XDESK..


Task List - End Task Button

This button will immediately (but carefully) close the selected window.


Task List - Show CLASS Windows

By default, the task list does not display CLASS windows. If you wish these windows to be included in the list, check this box. CLASS windows are also referred to as TOOLWINDOWS.


Task List - Switch Button

This button will switch focus to the selected window, and whatever desktop it is on. If the window is not currently open, it will switch to the desktop it was last viewed from.


Task List - Window Button

Clicking this button displays a menu of rules which can be immediately applied to the selected window.


 Terms and Conditions of Use

All copyrights of XDESK  are exclusively owned by the author - Caranfil Catalin. You can test the EVALUATION version for a limited period of time - but no longer than 60 days (starting from first installation)! (Users that are BOTH non-commercial AND non-corporate can use the special limited unregistered version for free).

Registered users are granted a non-exclusive license to use XDESK on one computer with only ONE USER at a time (in other words - no network sharing of the registration itself !).  The registered XDESK software may not be rented or leased, but may be permanently transferred, if the person receiving it agrees to terms of this license. If the software is an update, the transfer must include the update and all previous versions.

XDESK IS DISTRIBUTED "AS IS".  NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. YOU USE XDESK AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DATA LOSS, DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY OTHER KIND OF LOSS WHILE USING OR MISUSING THIS SOFTWARE.

Using XDESK signifies acceptance of these terms and conditions of the license. If you do not agree with the terms of this license you must UNINSTALL XDESK and cease to use the product.

You may not use, copy, emulate, clone, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed program, or any subset of the licensed program, except as provided for in this agreement.  Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license and may result in criminal and/or civil prosecution.

Thanks to all people that helped with suggestions or beta-testing - the (somehow time-ordered) list contains (but is not limited to; also some names are actually the e-mail names): Alexandru Gociman, Gianmaria Fontana di Sacculmino Esq.,  Alex Koifman, Al Anger, Johan Köhler, Jim Edwards, Graham Williams (I hope I didn't forget anybody, however the list is still open !). A special mention for Anthony Bopp - without him this help would have never been here!

Special thanks to Info-ZIP group for their excellent work - actually the self-extracting code of the "setup program" is based on UnZipSFX and since that code did not incur any extra costs the result is a cheaper product for any end-user - see http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/ for more info ! (And people involved in the effort of Info-ZIP can get one of the special registered versions as an explicit sign of my appreciation ! - mail me at xdesk@interplus.ro for the registered version).


Tray Interface

The series of small, numbered buttons in the system tray, near the clock on the Windows Taskbar.


Type of Tray Interface

Define the type of interface to XDESK  you want in the system tray. You can have a button for each desktop defined, just one button, or no interface at all.


Use Applications AutoLoad

Checking this box will cause applications which were previously saved  by XDESK  to be automatically reloaded whenever XDESK  starts, using the settings under which they were saved.


Use Applications AutoSave

This option will automatically save certain information about the applications currently open on all desktops (size and position, for example). This saved data can then be used later to reopen the applications with the same settings, either by pressing the Load Now button in this dialog or by selecting the "Load Previously Saved Applications" item from the Utilities menu.


Use CPU Meter

Checking this box will add a small icon in the system tray that displays a bar showing the amount of work your CPU is doing at any given time.


Use Original Command Line

This option will force the application to open using it's original command line, rather than a command line which XDESK might have saved with the application's other settings.


 Using Reminders/Alarms

Reminders are a handy additional feature of XDESK  that can be managed from this dialog. You can type in a message to yourself via the large text field at the bottom, set the date and time for the reminder to appear, and at that time a dialog will appear on your desktop (whichever desktop is currently active) with your message.

Click on the control on the picture above for more information on using this valuable tool.

When the time for a reminder or alarm occurs, the following dialog will appear:

You have several options for how to deal with this reminder when it appears. Click on the controls in the picture for more details.


 Task-switching Dialog

XDESK  can replace the original task-switching dialog (the one you get by pressing Alt+Tab - but this can only be replaced under Windows NT & 2000 only for the moment, under 95/98 you have to use Ctrl+Alt+Tab).

The original one looks something like that:

while the one from XDESK  in EXACTLY the same conditions is like this one:

There are two important differences:

- you can also see applications that are NOT on the current desktop (like the calculator in image above - it is located on another desktop and the original dialog is not able to "see" it);

- before the name of the window you can now see the desktop where that application is located (between angle brackets) or <*> if the window is visible on all desktops - this will remember you that by switching to that application you will also switch to that desktop!

A similar feature called Task Menu can be achieved with HotMouse:


 Using the AppBar

The AppBar is a handy tool about the height of a standard Windows titlebar, and gives you one-click access to your most frequently used applications and documents.

You can configure various properties about the AppBar from the XDESK  settings dialog.

Also, you can edit the icons present in the AppBar by right-clicking on the mini-XDESK  icon in the upper left corner of the bar, and selecting Edit AppBar from the menu. (This menu item only appears if "Use AppBar" is selected from the Settings dialog.) The AppBar editor looks like this:

The AppBar Editor is fairly straightforward. Click on the controls in the picture above for more details.


 XDESK Quick View

If your desktops look like that:

then the equivalent XDESK Quick View window will look like that:

Note also the minimized windows that are now very easy to access with the Quick View.

Immediately after installation the new window will be activated by moving the mouse pointer over any of the XDESK tray icons (you can disable that from Settings / Quick View - and the entire Quick View can also be disabled from here, even if I don't see why you would like that!) or by the two new hotcorners at the bottom of the screen (that can be disabled from Settings / HotCorners).

I personally find that the BEST way to activate the Quick View is by using right mouse squeezing (I am also using mouse-scrolling so I never use the right button for things like special dragging in Windows Explorer).

One single mouse left-click on a given desktop in the Quick View will switch you to that desktop while a left double-click will switch AND make the window on which you double-clicked the active window. Minimized windows are shown in a special position and can also be restored & activated with a double left-click.

With the right mouse button windows can be dragged & moved - as long as the right button is down the selected window becomes of a different color and can be dragged to another desktop; if dragged to the non-client area (where the title "XDESK Quick View" is located) it will become visible on all desktops.

A right double-click on a window will "push" it to the bottom (handy if you want to drag another window) but a right double-click that is not on window will generate the special "desktop menu" for that desktop; finally only one right click that is not on a window (so it can not be related to dragging or double-clicking) will generate exactly the same result as a right-click on the desktop itself - this is handy if you want to right-click on the desktop for the normal Windows menu but you don't want to minimize all windows in order to get a little piece of desktop :)


Win Checkbox

Check this box if you want to use the Windows 95 system key on the keyboard as part of your hotkey combination.


Utilities
 Utilities Submenu

The Utilities submenu allows you to save and load several settings relating to the ease of use XDESK  offers. Click on the menu items below for details.


Utilities - Normal Taskbar Buttons

This menu option (which is only active when hooks are enabled) will change the look of the application buttons on the TaskBar to the normal, "icon and text" button.


Utilities - Small Taskbar Buttons

This menu option (which is only active when hooks are enabled) will change the look of the application buttons on the TaskBar to a small, "icon only" button.


Utilities - Make all desktops like current desktop

This menu option changes a group of settings that will decrease the differences between desktops and will make desktop switching MUCH FASTER !!!


Utilities - Load Previously Saved Applications

This menu option lets you load all the applications saved with the Save All Open Applications menu item. Applications will be loaded according to their previously saved settings under XDESK.


Utilities - Load XDESK Settings from File

This menu item allows you to load previously saved XDESK  settings.


Utilities - Restore XDESK Subfolders

This option lets you reload previously saved XDESK  subfolders.


Utilities - Save Open Applications

This menu option allows to save various settings about all open applications on all desktops: the size and position of the windows, the desktop(s) it is visible on, etc.


Utilities - Save XDESK Settings to File

This option allows you to save all your current XDESK  settings to a file. This means you can save several configurations and load them at any time from the Utilities menu, to so that you can work more efficiently with XDESK  and whatever project you happen to be working on at the moment.


Utilities - Save XDESK subfolders

This setting allows the XDESK  subfolders to be saved in their current configuration. The settings can then be reloaded from the Utilities menu.


Utilities - Wizard Generic Templates

No help available for this topic.


XDESK Basics
 Basics

For simple use, all you need to know is how to start XDESK. But if you also know the basic principles behind this type of "virtual desktop manager" you might be in a better position to estimate how this program can improve your productivity !

One important principle is that this program is not part of the operating system, so it can not do some things you might heard of - like "hardware" scrolling on a bigger window or hardware-unique desktops - the program simply makes much better use of the actual unique desktop Win32 provides (see note at the end of this topic about NT "hardware" desktops) - and it does so by "automating" things you already do - like minimizing "by hand" some of the windows when you need more desktop space !

However the program is much more powerful than an automated window minimizer. It can hide them (which is the default action on a window that does not belong to the current desktop) It can make the windows topmost, and much more. You can define these actions and properties by creating simple rules. In other words when you tell the program that you want Notepad visible only on Desktop 2, that actually means the program will automatically hide the Notepad window, in a safe way, from all desktops except Desktop 2.

You can switch between Desktops by clicking on the corresponding tray buttons . Also you can switch with hotkeys (by default <WIN>+<nr> - where <WIN> is the special "Win95" key and <nr> is one of the keys on the top row 0-9; the HOTKEY can be changed in the General menu). Another easy method is "mouse knocking" - all you have to do is to hit twice fast on the lateral edge of the screen.

A very important hotkey was redefined on Windows NT systems: ALT+TAB (and ALT+SHIFT+TAB; also under Win95 you can try ALT+CTRL+TAB / ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+TAB) now generate a special task-switching dialog - very similar to the original one but now you can switch to tasks not visible on current desktop !

* Note for NT DESKTOPS - under NT there is some primitive support for something we can call OS DESKTOPS - however there are BIG limitations when "MOVING" between different desktops so I am going to first wait for suggestions from (registered) users of the program AND the release of NT 5 before making extra work on that!

See also:

HotMouse


XDESK Main Menu
 Main Menu

The main menu is activated by right-clicking on the XDESK  tray icon. By default you must click on a desktop button that is in the "up" or not active position to activate this menu (or by right clicking on the CPU Meter, if is enabled).

From this menu, you can access all of the features of XDESK  and adjust the settings to your preferences. Further, your active desktops are listed at the top of the menu (together with the count of windows on that desktop), and can be accessed from here. Click on the menu items in the graphic below to go to the associated help topic.


XDESK Settings - Advanced Tab
 Settings - Advanced Tab

The options on this page control advanced features of XDESK  and can be very important for individual systems to get the most out of this powerful application. Click on the controls above to find out more about their operation.


XDESK Settings - AppBar Tab
 Settings - AppBar Tab

The AppBar is an efficient way to start frequently-used applications with a minimum of mouse clicks. Additionally, it takes no usable desktop space! Click on the controls in the picture for more details.


XDESK Settings - General Tab
 Settings - General Tab

This tab allows you to set some of the basic interface options for XDESK. It lets you determine how the tray interface is displayed - or if it is displayed at all. You can also rename your desktops from here, and define the keyboard commands you can use to switch between desktops. Click on the controls in the image above for details.


XDESK Settings - Load / Save Tab
 Settings - Load / Save Tab

XDESK  maintains several settings which can be enabled or disabled. These settings are controlled through this page of the Settings dialog. Click the various controls in the picture above for more details.


XDESK Settings - HotCorners Tab
 Settings - HotCorners Tab

Click on the controls in the picture above for more details about their use.


XDESK Settings - Memory Cleaner Tab
 Settings - Memory Cleaner Tab

Click on the controls in the picture above for more details about their use.


XDESK Settings - Tasks Tab
 Settings - Tasks Tab

Click on the controls in the picture above for more details about their use.


XDESK Settings - Quick View
 Settings - Quick View

Click on the controls in the picture above for more details about their use.


XDESK Settings - Mouse Knocking Tab
 Settings - Mouse Knocking Tab

Mouse knocking gives you the ability to switch desktops with nothing more than a double-click. Simply "knock" with a double click on the left or right side of the screen, and the next desktop in sequence will appear.

.Also, if you knock on the top or bottom of the screen, you can quickly bring up the XDESK  menu.

Click on the controls in the picture above for more details about their use.


XDESK Settings - Mouse Scrolling Tab
 Settings - Mouse Scrolling Tab

The Mouse Scrolling tab gives you tremendous control over the behavior of your mouse, giving it superior functionality to the "wheel" mouse.

Click on the controls in the picture above to learn how to take full advantage of this powerful feature!

To use mouse scrolling, make sure you have enabled the functionality through this notebook page, then press the right mouse button over any window which supports standard scrolling. Start dragging with the right button pressed, and the window will scroll. The more you drag, the faster the window will scroll.


XDESK Settings - Mouse Tab
 Settings - Mouse Tab

The Mouse tab of the Settings Dialog allows you to define how the mouse interacts with XDESK's  features. Click on the controls in the picture for more details.

CAUTION - The "mouse-squeezing" feature can be activated "by mistake" sometimes so it's better to disable it if you don't use it.


XDESK Settings - StartUp
 Settings - Startup

This page controls various start up options for XDESK.  Click on the controls above to get details about their operation.