How to stop MATLAB windows changing to different Windows desktops?

I use Windows 10 Desktops to organize my work. I usually start MATLAB in desktop 2 and everything is fine while I'm working on that desktop. But when I switch to another Windows desktop to do other work the matlab windows start to move themselves to the current desktop.

How can I stop this behaviour? Why doesn't MATLAB respect the Windows desktops?

[Adam Danz]

Are you refering to virtual desktops?

I've had a similar problem where multiple Matlabs will be open, each in a different desktop, but if my laptop goes to sleep and restarts, the MATLAB windows (and other programs) are no longer assigned to the original desktops. It drives me nuts but this problem happens with multiple programs, not just MATLAB.

What you describe sounds different. You said that when you switch to another desktop, the MATLAB window seems to move to that desktop. You might have enabled "show this window on all desktops". To turn that off, press win+tab to open the virtual desktop options, then right click on the MATALB window and see the context menu.

[Peter MacMillin]

Yes, virtual desktops. Nope, it's not the show on all desktops option though. It doesn't happen right away, but if I leave my laptop on a different virtual desktop for a while (without going to sleep), the matlab window will switch to the current desktop.

It's very annoying!

[Mark Magdaleno]

Similiar issues here. Seems like crickets chirping on this issue.

[Oliver Boyd]

Same here, and I've only had this issue with Matlab.

[Ganapathi Subramanian R]

It seems to be working fine at my end. Can you provide more information regarding that?

[Lee]

I have this problem also, it is especially confusing if you have two instances of matlab on different "virtual desktops" since when they move you don't know which child-windows belong with which matlab-instance.

They seem to move when windows goes to sleep/rewakes?

Also, I can tell matlab has moved on because certain matlab icons are flashing on my taskbar. BTW, i usually have matlab and editor and figures in separate windows, Usually it seems that mainly the matlab and editor windows move around. (I have three monitors in addition to multiple vitrual desktops, not sure if that matters here)

This should allow you to reproduce: create two windows virtual desktops, open an instance of matlab in each one, type/run/do something different in each instance so you know which is which. Lock the computer and then unlock it, or sleep, or hybernate. I always have other non-matlab windows open, so you might try that also.

[Lukas]

+1. I have this problem as well. Matlab 2023b on Windows 10. It's only the main Matlab window and the help window that moves after I connect to a different docking station or suspend/resume. Simulink stays put on the correct virtual desktop.

[John Goulet]

This is actually also an issue on mac (for me at least).

To reproduce (on Mac): Create four virtual desktops (Mac calls them spaces). Open Matlab in space 2, then in space 3.

Lock your laptop let it go to sleep, all matlab sessions will move to space 1 (the first virtual desktop) without fail.

[Umar]

I am having this issue as well

[khayyam]

+1 on macos. FWIW this has annoyed me enough that I've gone through the bug report process.

[khayyam]

Apparently it's a known problem with the java desktop and the only solution is to use the beta desktop. Which, I presume, would introduce a whole lot of other known problems in the beta product...

I guess the only real hope is for the new desktop to exit beta.