How to Show All Open Windows on Taskbar on All Desktops in Windows 11

You can display all open windows on your Windows 11 taskbar across all virtual desktops by adjusting a specific setting in Taskbar behaviors.

This allows you to see every application, regardless of which virtual desktop you are currently using. It’s a powerful way to manage your workspace, especially if you juggle many programs simultaneously.

By default, Windows 11 often hides windows not on your active virtual desktop. This guide helps you change that behavior.

Why This Matters

Task View (Win+Tab) is a virtual desktop manager. It helps you switch quickly between all your open apps on multiple desktops. This makes multitasking easier and keeps your work organized.

You can virtual desktops to group apps for productivity, entertainment, or whatever you choose. Multiple desktops are great for keeping unrelated projects organized. They also help you quickly switch desktops before a meeting.

What Happens When Done

By default, Windows shows all open windows on the taskbar only on your current desktop.

If you change this setting, you can see all open windows on the taskbar on all desktops.

On all desktops = Windows open on all desktops will show on the taskbar for every desktop. You can quickly switch between any windows with a simple click on the icon. If the window is on a different desktop, Windows will switch to that desktop automatically.

Only on the desktop I’m using = Windows open on other virtual desktops will not show on your current taskbar. You will need to use Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Tab, or Task View (Win+Tab) to switch between open windows on other desktops.

Option One

Show All Open Windows on Taskbar Using Settings

1. Open Settings (Win+I).
2. Click on System on the left side. Then click on Multitasking on the right side.
   

    Open Mulitasking Settings

3. Click on Desktops on the right side to expand it.
4. Select On all desktops or Only on the desktop I’m using (default) from the “On the taskbar, show all the open windows” dropdown menu.
5. You can now close Settings if you like.

Option Two

Show All Open Windows on Taskbar Using Registry

⚠️ Admin Required: This option will not work when Administrator protection is turned on.

Open the Windows Terminal app as an administrator and run the command below.

Show All Open Windows on Taskbar “On all desktops”

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v VirtualDesktopTaskbarFilter /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Show All Open Windows on Taskbar “Only on the desktop I’m using”

This is the default setting.

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v VirtualDesktopTaskbarFilter /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Option Three

Show All Open Windows on Taskbar Using Registry Editor

1. ⚠️ Admin Required: Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2. Navigate to the key location below in the left pane of Registry Editor.
   

   HKEY_USERS\<SID>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

   
   

   Substitute <SID> in the key path above with the actual SID for the account you want to change. For example: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2398723747-3920169192-1191725819-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3. In the right pane of the Advanced key, double-click on VirtualDesktopTaskbarFilter DWORD to modify it.
4. Enter 0 (“On all desktops”) or 1 (“Only on the desktop I’m using” – default) for what you want. Then click OK.
5. Either restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart your computer to apply the change.
6. You can now close Registry Editor if you like.

To find your SID, use the steps below:

Copy and paste the command below into PowerShell. Press Enter.

Get-WmiObject win32_useraccount | Select name,sid

Find the SID (example: “S-1-5-21-2398723747-3920169192-1191725819-1001”) for the account you want to configure. You will need to know the SID of the person’s account.

Summary

Windows 11 lets you control how open windows appear on your taskbar across virtual desktops. You have three ways to make this change: through Settings (easiest), using a REG file, or through Registry Editor (most advanced). Choose the method that works best for you. Once changed, you can quickly access windows from any virtual desktop without switching desktops first.