shanselman

shanselman / MaximizeToVirtualDesktop

Public

macOS green-button behavior for Windows 11 — maximize any window to its own virtual desktop

150
6
100% credibility
Found Feb 09, 2026 at 109 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
Sign Up Free
AI Analysis
C#
AI Summary

A Windows 11 tray app that sends the active window to a new full-screen virtual desktop with hotkey or Shift+click support, auto-restoring on close or toggle.

How It Works

1
🔍 Hear about the app

You learn about this handy Windows tool that lets you send any window to its own private full-screen workspace, just like on a Mac.

2
📥 Download and start it

Grab the ready-to-run file from the trusted site and double-click to launch – it quietly sits in your system tray, ready to help.

3
🖥️ Spot the tray icon

Look at the bottom-right corner of your screen where a small icon appears, showing it's watching and waiting for your command.

4
⌨️ Press the magic key combo

Hold Ctrl+Alt+Shift and tap X on the window you want to focus – or hold Shift and click its maximize button.

5
🪟 Window flies to new space

Your chosen window instantly moves to a fresh virtual desktop, filling the screen completely so you can concentrate without distractions.

6
🔄 Finish and it cleans up

When you close the window or press the keys again, everything snaps back to where it was, and the extra space vanishes automatically.

🎉 Master your workspaces

Now you juggle apps across seamless private screens, feeling like a multitasking wizard with zero clutter.

Sign up to see the full architecture

5 more

Sign Up Free

Star Growth

See how this repo grew from 109 to 150 stars Sign Up Free
Repurpose This Repo

Repurpose is a Pro feature

Generate ready-to-use prompts for X threads, LinkedIn posts, blog posts, YouTube scripts, and more -- with full repo context baked in.

Unlock Repurpose
AI-Generated Review

What is MaximizeToVirtualDesktop?

This C# app replicates macOS green button maximize behavior on Windows 11, sending the foreground window to a new virtual desktop and maximizing it full-screen. Trigger it with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+X hotkey or Shift+click on any compatible maximize button; it auto-restores the window to its original spot on close or unmaximize, plus cleans up the temp desktop. Runs self-contained from the system tray with no .NET install needed, handling crash recovery and Windows updates via GitHub auto-checks.

Why is it gaining traction?

It nails the macOS change green button workflow devs miss on Windows—reliable toggling without orphaned desktops or stuck windows, even across multi-window apps like VS Code. Stands out with Shift+click support on most Win32/WinUI apps, pin-to-all-desktops hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P), and smart notifications. Zero dependencies and built-in updates make it frictionless versus flaky alternatives relying on undocumented APIs.

Who should use this?

Windows 11 devs juggling virtual desktops for focused coding sessions, like full-stack teams isolating debuggers or editors. macOS switchers craving that green button desktop behavior, or power users with 5+ desktops who hate manual Task View shuffling. Ideal for VS Code, Terminal, or Explorer heavy workflows.

Verdict

Grab it if virtual desktops are your jam—solid user experience and thorough docs outweigh the modest 114 stars and 1.0% credibility score. Still maturing with low adoption, but MIT-licensed from Scott Hanselman means it's stable enough for daily drive; watch for Windows update breaks.

(198 words)

Sign up to read the full AI review Sign Up Free

Similar repos coming soon.