Yes, you can have several desktops with distinct files in Windows 10.
Yes, you can have several desktops with distinct files in Windows 10.
Another user profile? Or similar to Macs where you can create multiple screens with identical desktop backgrounds?
You cannot directly use Windows natively for this purpose. You can set up a virtual desktop, but the files and folders remain consistent across all of them. Your desktop serves as your primary workspace, meant to stay tidy near the recycling bin after you finish. It isn't built for an iPad, unless you understand what I mean. Third-party tools might help hide or reveal files, but be ready for name clashes—files you think are gone might still appear elsewhere, or the program could overwrite them accidentally, risking important data. All items on your desktop are stored in the folder at C:\Users\<YourName>\Desktop, which is a single location, so duplicate names aren't allowed.
I conducted my own investigation one year ago and didn’t find anything... I’m considering adjusting settings for a possible solution. Moving the "desktop" folder elsewhere could work, but would it be feasible to detect when it changes? If yes, we could capture that event, relocate the current items into a temporary spot like C://tmp/desktop[prev Desktop Number], and then transfer files from the new location back to the real desktop. We’d also need to arrange icons in a sorted grid layout, which is a trade-off I’m open to. Do you have any ideas or resources for this approach? Anyone interested in similar solutions would be welcome!