How PowerToys workspaces work in Windows

If you use Windows daily and always start your day by opening the same applications in the same places on the screenPowerToys' workspaces will sound like heavenly music to you. This new utility was created precisely for automate that ritual to open programs, place them and adjust them for each type of task.

With PowerToys Workspaces you can save your entire desktop layout as a "scene" and later, Rebuild it with a single clickImagine having one space for working, another for studying, another for development or video editing, and switching between them without having to rearrange anything each time.

What are PowerToys work areas and what are they used for?

Workspaces are a desktop management utility included in microsoft power toys allowing launch a set of applications with a specific position and configuration automatically. Each combination of apps and its windows are saved as a reusable workspace.

In practice, a workspace is a "snapshot" of your desktop: what programs are open, how they are arranged on the screen, whether they are maximized, minimized, or of a specific sizeand even what parameters they are taken with. That photo can then be "developed" again whenever you want.

The goal of this feature is to get you to your "ideal" desktop state for each activity faster. You stop wasting time manually opening programs. Outlook, the browser, the code editor, or the music player, and you have them ready exactly as you saved them with a click from the editor or from a shortcut on the desktop.

This utility integrates with the rest of PowerToys and internally uses the FancyZones engine to reposition windows, thus taking advantage of the same advanced window organization logic which are already used by many advanced Windows users.

Microsoft PowerToys prerequisites and installation

Before you can try out the workspaces, you need to have the Microsoft PowerToys suite installed. It's a set of Free and open-source tools for advanced Windows users, officially maintained by Microsoft and designed to optimize productivity.

PowerToys is compatible with Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or higher and with any edition of Windows 11If you are using older versions of the system, the utility is not supported. Regarding the hardwareIt works on x64 and ARM64 architectures, so it's also valid for many portable modern ones with ARM processors.

The installation can be done from the Microsoft Store searching for “PowerToys” or by downloading the .exe installer from the official GitHub repository in the Releases section. For IT departments, the installer supports silent deployments and is easy to integrate with tools like Intune or SCCM.

A key advantage in professional environments is that each PowerToys module can be activated or deactivated separately, allowing compliance with corporate security and standardization policiesIt is possible to deploy the suite with only the utilities that are of interest, including or excluding Workspaces according to the needs.

How to activate work areas in PowerToys

Once PowerToys is installed, the first step to using this feature is enable the Workspaces module From within the application itself. Open PowerToys and, in the left panel, you will see the complete list of utilities available in the version you have installed.

In that list, locate the entry called “Work areas” or “Workspaces”When you select it, in the right panel you will find a brief description of the tool, the switch to activate it and several basic configuration options, such as the keyboard shortcut to open the editor.

Activate the "Enable workspaces" switch if it is disabled. From this point on, the utility will be available, and you can open its editor by clicking the corresponding button or using the configured key combinationBy default, the official documentation indicates Win + (configurable shortcut), and some users have seen shortcuts like Win + Ctrl + Ñ, which you can change to your liking.

To modify the shortcut, click on the "Activation Key Combination" control and press the desired key sequence on your keyboard. PowerToys will register that sequence. shortcut key to launch the workspace editorfacilitating access without having to go through the main interface.

Create a new workspace step by step

The heart of this utility lies in the Workspaces editor. From the PowerToys settings, tap on “Open editor” or “Launch editor” within the Workspaces section. You can also use the global shortcut you've set up to open the editor directly.

The first time you log in, you'll see an empty window, as you don't have any saved space yet. To start the process, click the button. “Create workspace”This action activates the capture experience, and the desktop becomes your canvas: you can use it normally to prepare the design you want to save.

In this phase, open the applications you usually use for that specific scenario: for example, your browser, Teams, a spreadsheet, and a email client for your office workspace, or Visual Studio Code, Bus Terminal and the browser for a development area.

Next, place each window in the desired area of ​​the screen. You can combine this with FancyZones if you already work with designs from windows in grid or in custom columnsOr simply adjust sizes manually as you normally would. Everything currently on your desktop (including minimized windows) will be included in the capture.

Once you have your desktop exactly as you want it to appear in the future, press the button “Capture”At that point, PowerToys records the open applications and their positions. Then, you'll return to the editor, but now with your new workspace ready for in-depth retouching and customization.

Customize the workspace in the editor

After capturing the desktop, the editor displays a list of all applications detected in that session. Each one appears with its icon, name, and a series of drop-down controls to adjust its behavior when the workspace is launched.

The first thing to do is to give that configuration a meaningful name. From the top left corner of the editor, you can type a descriptive name, such as “Office Work”, “Study”, “Video Editing” or whatever you prefer. This will help you quickly identify each space when you have several.

In each application entry, you'll see a small arrow or drop-down menu. Opening it gives you options to remove that app from the workspace, adjust its settings, and more. exact position and size on the screen, define its initial state (maximized, normal or minimized) and even add line arguments commands (CLI) so that it starts in a specific way.

CLI arguments are especially useful with tools like Visual Studio Code, Windows Terminal, or web browsers, as they allow you to open specific files, folders, or profiles when launching the command. workspace configurationFor example, you can have VS Code directly open a specific repository or have Terminal launch an Ubuntu profile. PowerShell determined.

Furthermore, from this editor you can decide if you want create a desktop shortcut for that spaceIf you select the corresponding option, PowerToys will generate a .lnk file that you can run whenever you want, and even pin to the taskbar to have the workspace just a click away.

Using CLI arguments and launching as administrator

One of Workspaces' strengths is its compatibility with command line arguments (CLI) for each application. In the dropdown menu of each app, you can specify these parameters so that they are passed to the executable at startup.

The syntax for these arguments depends on the program. For example, in Visual Studio Code you can use –reuse-window to reuse the already open window and not create a new instance, or specify a folder or file path to open automatically. In Terminal, you can specify the profile you want to launch (for example, Ubuntu) or commands to run at startup.

This allows you to design very fine workspaces, where not only does "the code editor" open, but also... the exact project you're working on, along with the terminal in the environment you need and the browser on the key pages of your workflow.

Additionally, the editor includes a "Start as administrator" option available for each application. If you enable it for a specific app, when you launch the workspace, the following will be displayed: User Account Control (UAC) dialog box requesting confirmation before running that tool with elevated privileges.

This option is very useful if you work with administration consoles, development tools that require elevated permissions, or system management applications, as they integrate directly into the automated routine of your workspace without having to right-click → Run as administrator every time.

How to start an existing workspace

Once you've saved your settings, putting them into action is very simple. From the Workspaces editor itself, you can see the list of areas you've created, and next to each one, a button to... “Launch”When pressed, PowerToys will begin the process of opening or rearranging the applications according to the saved definition.

If you created a shortcut on your desktop, simply double-clicking it will launch the corresponding space. Like any other shortcut, you can also... pin it to the taskbar to have the start even more readily available. This is especially convenient if you frequently switch between multiple workspaces within the same session.

During launch, PowerToys displays a floating window showing the process status. For each application, three possible states are visually indicated: the app has launched and successfully repositionedThe app is either starting and moving, or an error has occurred and it has not been able to start.

This status window will close automatically when all applications are in place, although you can close it yourself at any time. From this window you can also cancel the start of the work area If you need to, for example, because an application is not responding or you prefer to abort the process.

Keep in mind that some Windows limitations prevent PowerToys from directly instructing an application to appear in a specific location. Instead, the tool launches the app and then... move and resize the window on the flyThis causes you to sometimes see the window "jump" from one place to another on the screen, which is normal because of how the system works.

Edit and refine an existing workspace

It's very common that, with use, you'll want to adjust an existing workspace: add a new application, remove one, or change how the windows are arranged. To do this, simply open the Workspaces editor from PowerToys and select the workspace you want to modify of the list.

When you enter the edit view of that configuration, you'll see the list of apps with the same options as when it was created. You can delete entries, add CLI arguments, change window sizes and states, or enable/disable them. the start as administrator for each program.

If you want to redo the design in a more visual way, you have the "Launch and edit" option available. When you use it, PowerToys first launches the workspace as configured and then lets you repeat the experience. desktop capture from scratch, just as during the initial creation.

This way you can rearrange windows directly on the desktop, close or open new applications, and then recapture the set to update the definition of the workspace without having to manually adjust each position and size value.

When you've finished making changes, don't forget to save the settings. From then on, every time you launch that Workspace, you'll see the new design, with all the apps and settings you adjusted in the last edit.

Behavior with existing windows and multiple instances

Not all applications react the same way when they launch if they already have an instance open on the desktop. Some reuse the existing window and simply bring it to the front; others, however, create a new default instanceThis behavior directly influences how your workspaces are rebuilt.

In each area's settings, there's an option called "Move existing windows." If you enable it, PowerToys will attempt to reposition any windows that are already open of those applications in the positions defined in the Workspace, and will only start new instances for the missing apps.

This prevents unnecessary duplicates when you're already working with certain tools. For example, if you already have your browser open and you're part of a workspace, the function will try to move that window to the corresponding opening instead of opening a new browser.

For specific cases, CLI arguments are key. Visual Studio Code, for example, by default opens a new window when invoked from the command line, but if you prefer to reuse the existing one, you can add the argument –reuse-window in that app's settings within the work area.

The general recommendation is to take advantage of the application's own options (CLI parameters, profiles, instance configuration) to align its behavior with what you expect from your Workspace, thus optimizing it as much as possible. the consistency of your work environments.