Windows offers support for virtual desktops through its «Task View», but the system has some limitations. Without going too far, its keyboard shortcuts are quite poor, since they don't allow us to jump to a specific desktop. Fortunately, the WinJump application solves that problem relatively easily, applying in its default configuration advanced shortcuts with the Alt key that notably simplify the process.
A quick search in the official Microsoft documentation confirms that the combination Win+Ctrl+D creates a new virtual desktop in Windows, Win+Ctrl+F4 closes it, and then we must use Win+Ctrl+Left or Right arrow to navigate between them. On the surface it doesn't seem like a bad idea, but its emphasis on the left hand, the use of three keys, the change to two hands to close a virtual desktop, and the absence of «direct jumps» prove that Microsoft could have done a better job. That's where WinJump comes in.
How to create keyboard shortcuts for virtual desktops with WinJump
In its standard configuration there is absolutely nothing to do. Once we run WinJump, its icon appears in the system tray, and the shortcuts Alt+1 to Alt+0 are activated to jump to ten different virtual desktops. If that's not enough, the documentation available on GitHub indicates that it is possible to create secondary groups (i.e., assign a shortcut to rotate within a group of predefined desktops), and move a foreground window to a specific desktop.
Changing shortcuts is done by editing the configuration file in WinJump. At first it seems like an alien language, but mastering its structure takes a few seconds. Personally, I think the combination of Alt+(desktop-number) works very well by default, and will be very useful for most users. WinJump does not have a formal installer, and must be manually copied into shell:startup so that it starts with the operating system. The only detail? Its executable weighs more than 140 megabytes.
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