My MacBook Pro Is Stuck on the Default Desktop
With Mac OS X Lion, Apple introduced a new way of managing applications through a series of different desktops, also known as Spaces. This new feature, called Mission Control, merges Snow Leopard's Dashboard, Spaces and Exposé into a single interface. Until you understand how Mission Control differs from previous versions of OS X, moving from one desktop to another can be quite problematic, making it seem as if you're stuck on the default desktop. Mission Control allows you to use up to 18 different desktops on your MacBook Pro. This includes any full-screen programs, which each occupy a desktop themselves.
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Lion 10.7.2
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If you are having any difficulties using multiple desktops in Mac OS X Lion, ensure that you have updated the operating system to version 10.7.2 or later. In December 2011, Apple introduced a software update to address issues related specifically to using multiple desktops in Lion. These fixes include being able to reorder desktop spaces and full screen applications in Mission Control as well as being able to drag files between desktop spaces and full screen applications.
Mission Control
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If you used Spaces in Mac OS X Snow Leopard, you could switch between desktops by selecting an open application using the "Command-Tab" keyboard combination. The Mac would automatically switch to the desktop you specified for that application. In Mac OS X Lion, this method no longer works. To switch between desktops, or create new desktops, you must use Mission Control. To launch Mission Control on a MacBook Pro, place three fingers at the bottom of the trackpad and swipe them upward.
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Creating and Deleting Desktops
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Mac OS X Lion only displays the Home desktop until you add additional desktops in Mission Control. To do this, move the mouse to the top corner of the screen while in Mission Control, then click the "+" symbol on the Desktop icon that appears. If you have changed the Mission Control preferences to assign either top corner to another function, you have to specify a new corner to create new desktops. To delete a desktop, click the red "X" on the top left corner of the desktop icon in Mission Control. Once a desktop is deleted, it is gone for good. If you delete all of the desktops, applications default to the Home desktop.
Assigning Apps to Desktops
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If you launch an application on the Home desktop or any other desktop, the application opens on the desktop from which you launched the app, unless you assigned it to another desktop. To specify a desktop for any application, go to that desktop in Mission control, then click the application in the Dock while holding down the "Control" key. Then specify the current desktop as the default location for the application. From the same menu, you can also specify that the application uses all desktops. Until you define the desktop, the default setting for each application is "None," meaning it opens in the desktop you are currently using.
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