As someone new to Stardock’s Fences, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I installed the newest version. Within a few minutes, it became clear that this is one of those “why doesn’t Windows already do this?” kind of tools. If you’ve ever used your desktop as a catch-all for everything—downloads, shortcuts, quick notes—Fences makes that chaos manageable. If you use your desktop as a task list—you will be in heaven. 

Getting Started with Fences 6 

Installation was quick and seamless. The moment I launched Fences 6, it automatically grouped my existing icons into logical sections based on type. Without any tutorial or prior knowledge, I could easily figure out how to rename these groups and move them around and found the levels of customization surprisingly deep. You can create “fences” for documents, folders, websites, or even stuff like recent files. 

Before Install

After Install

What really impressed me was the ability to “roll up” a fence—making it disappear and reappear or shrinking it to just a title bar until you need it. It’s a small detail, but it instantly declutters the desktop without sacrificing accessibility. It also offers a level of privacy. 

Powerful Features and Deep Customization 

Fences 6 offers even more ways to interact with your desktop through a wide range of features that feel both intuitive and optional. One standout is Peek, which lets you temporarily bring all your fences to the top of your screen without minimizing open windows. You can activate Peek using a hotkey, a hot corner, or a customizable taskbar icon—making it incredibly fast and unobtrusive. 

Hide is another clever feature that instantly clears your desktop of all visible content, perfect for video calls, demos, or just a clean work environment. Combine that with Roll-up fences, and you can selectively minimize individual groups while keeping others expanded.  

Then there are tabbed Fence groups, which let you layer multiple categories within a single fence for even more granular control—projects, files, reminders, you name it. You can even create multiple pages of fences, giving you an entire ecosystem of organized spaces. 

But what really sets Fences apart is its Rules engine. You can automate organization by sorting files into specific fences based on file type, name, target folder, or even when they were created or modified. It’s incredibly flexible and saves you from ever needing to manually sort your desktop again. 

I’m genuinely impressed by how customizable everything is. Whether you want to keep it simple or go full power-user mode, Fences meets you wherever you are. 

A Smarter, Cleaner Desktop 

I tested Fences 6 on a work desktop where I regularly juggle folders, files, screenshots, and meeting notes. Before Fences, my desktop was basically a graveyard. With Fences, I now have distinct zones for my different work projects, tools, recurring AI prompts, and all those temporary files. Everything is still on my desktop—it just makes sense now. 

For power users, there’s even more under the hood: Folder Portals let you mirror a live folder directly on the desktop, so you can interact with its contents without opening File Explorer. I didn’t think I’d use this much, but it’s been a surprisingly smooth way to jump into shared project folders or network drives. 

Why It Feels Like It Should Be Part of Windows 

Fences isn’t trying to reinvent how you use your computer—it just adds a layer of clarity and organization. It doesn’t require you to change how you work—it quietly adapts to it. It’s minimal, elegant, and functional in a way that feels like it should be built into Windows itself. 

Final Thoughts 

I’ve only scratched the surface of what Fences 6 can do, but it’s already earned a permanent place in my setup. It’s the kind of software that fades into the background—until you use someone else’s computer and see the noisy junkyard of icons cluttering up their desktop. 

If you’ve never tried Fences before, or if you gave it a spin years ago and moved on, Fences 6 is worth another look. Especially if you're someone who uses the desktop as an active part of your workflow, this tool quietly transforms your workspace into something far more productive.