Desktop Switcher 🖥️⚡

A powerful Windows automation toolkit that lets you instantly switch between optimized desktop modes with zero hassle. Perfect for gamers, streamers, developers, and anyone who wants maximum performance on demand.

🎯 What It Does

• 🎮 Gaming Mode – Kills background apps, optimizes resolution, and maximizes performance for gaming
• 💼 Productivity Mode – Restores your full desktop environment with all your tools and customizations
• ⚡ Instant Switching – No UAC prompts, no delays, just double-click and go
• 🔧 Fully Customizable – Configure apps, resolutions, and behaviors to match your workflow

🚀 Key Features

• Zero UAC Prompts – Runs silently with admin privileges
• Smart App Management – Automatically closes/opens apps based on mode
• Resolution Optimization – Different resolutions for different use cases
• Visual Notifications – Know when modes switch with toast notifications
• Audio Feedback – Sound notifications for mode changes
• GUI Interface – Easy-to-use interface for configuration
• Example Configs – Pre-made configurations for different user types

📦 Quick Start

1. Download & Install

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jiroaku/desktop-mode-switcher.git
cd desktop-mode-switcher

# Download NirCmd (required dependency)
# Visit: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html
# Extract to: C:\Tools\NirCmd\

2. Run Setup

# Right-click and "Run with PowerShell" as Administrator
.\scripts\Setup-GamingSwitcher.ps1

3. Use Desktop Shortcuts

After setup, you'll find two shortcuts on your desktop:

• 🎮 Gaming Mode – Optimizes for performance
• 💼 Productivity Mode – Restores full desktop

🎮 Usage Examples

For Gamers

• Gaming Mode: Kills Discord, Spotify, browsers, and other apps
• Productivity Mode: Restores all your desktop tools and apps

For Streamers

• Streaming Mode: Keeps OBS/Streamlabs running, closes distractions
• Content Creation Mode: Opens video editors, design tools, and productivity apps

For Developers

• Focus Mode: Minimal distractions, just VS Code and terminal
• Development Mode: Full IDE, Docker, databases, and collaboration tools

⚙️ Configuration

Using the GUI

# Launch the configuration interface
.\scripts\DesktopSwitcher-GUI.ps1

Manual Configuration

Edit config.json to customize:

• Apps to kill/start in each mode
• Resolution settings
• Notification preferences
• Sound settings

Example Configurations

Check the examples/ folder for pre-made configurations:

• gamer-config.json – Optimized for gaming
• streamer-config.json – Perfect for content creators
• developer-config.json – Ideal for coding sessions

🛠️ Advanced Usage

Custom Scripts

You can add custom PowerShell commands to each mode:

{
  "gaming_mode": {
    "custom_commands": [
      "Start-Process 'C:\\Games\\MyGame\\game.exe'",
      "Set-Volume -Volume 0.8"
    ]
  }
}

Multiple Configurations

Create different config files for different scenarios:

# Use a specific configuration
.\scripts\Setup-GamingSwitcher.ps1 -ConfigPath ".\examples\streamer-config.json"

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"NirCmd not found"

• Download NirCmd from: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html
• Extract to C:\Tools\NirCmd\ or update the path in config.json

"Access denied" errors

• Run PowerShell as Administrator
• Check that NirCmd is in the correct location

Shortcuts not working

• Verify scheduled tasks exist: schtasks /Query /TN DesktopSwitcher-GamingMode
• Re-run the setup script

Apps not closing/opening

• Check app names in Task Manager (exact process names)
• Update the configuration with correct process names

Getting Help

1. Check the Issues page
2. Review the example configurations
3. Use the GUI to test your settings
4. Check Windows Event Viewer for detailed error messages

🗑️ Uninstallation

# Remove all components
.\scripts\Uninstall-DesktopSwitcher.ps1

📁 Project Structure

desktop-mode-switcher/
├── scripts/
│   ├── Setup-GamingSwitcher.ps1    # Main setup script
│   ├── DesktopSwitcher-GUI.ps1     # GUI interface
│   └── Uninstall-DesktopSwitcher.ps1
├── examples/
│   ├── gamer-config.json           # Gaming-focused config
│   ├── streamer-config.json        # Streaming-focused config
│   └── developer-config.json       # Development-focused config
├── config.json                     # Default configuration
└── README.md

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. Report Issues – Found a bug? Let us know!
2. Suggest Features – Have an idea? We'd love to hear it!
3. Submit Configs – Share your custom configurations
4. Improve Documentation – Help others get started

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• NirCmd by NirSoft for resolution management
• Windows Task Scheduler for silent execution
• PowerShell community for automation inspiration

🧠 Author

@jiroaku

---

⭐ If this project helps you, please give it a star!