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Sorry I didn't know how to ask this question without labelling it "Windows 8 multiple desktops" Which brings up a whole bunch of people trying to do something else.

I like the "swype" alt-tab alternative in windows 8, but that only tabs between "apps", not programs running within the "desktop" app.

Google Chrome lets you run it either in desktop mode or "windows 8 mode" So that's nice, but what about all the other programs in the world? (Many of which support a very nice full-screen mode).

What I want is either a way to:

  • Force any full-screen windows program to act like a windows 8 "app", or
  • Instantiate multiple "desktop" apps, in which I can full-screen various programs. Ideally even rename them from "desktop" to whatever that app is.

Hopefully this can be done!

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  • Why the downvote? Is this a bad question? Jan 17, 2013 at 0:30

1 Answer 1

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This cannot be done.

The classical desktop and the modern apps are two separate worlds.

  • Classical desktop applications are those that (can) run on previous versions of Windows.
  • Modern apps are the new thing in Windows 8, they didn't exist before. These applications have new API to the system and are run in a more restrictive environment than regular (or classic) desktop applications.
    The only exception is made to browsers which can use the full Windows API even in modern interface, and can be run as either desktop or modern mode.

You cannot start multiple desktop "apps" because it's not really an application, it's just the "legacy" Windows desktop presented as a tile.

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  • multiple virtual desktop tools like dexpot let you create multiple "desktops" on windows, all it would take is for one of those tools to build a win8 savvy version. I assume it's been done or in the works... Jan 17, 2013 at 0:29
  • Yes, but that would still be a virtual desktop which runs on one Windows desktop. You would not be able to switch between such desktops the same way you switch between modern apps. Jan 17, 2013 at 6:08

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