I built a one-click switch between my work and sim-racing PC setups

If you use the same Windows PC for work and sim racing, getting ready to drive can turn into a checklist: rearrange monitors, change the default speakers and microphone, start companion apps, and then reverse the whole thing when you're done.

I built Sherpa Manager to make that switch a repeatable profile rather than a ritual. It's a standalone, open-source Windows utility linked from the GridSherpa site. GridSherpa helps you explore iRacing schedules; Sherpa Manager solves a different problem: changing the PC setup around a racing session.

What a profile saves

• A display layout captured from your current Windows setup.
• Playback and recording devices, so a headset/mic can belong to a racing profile and desk speakers to a work profile.
• Companion apps to launch, with optional apps to close on a switch.

It starts with Work, iRacing, and ACC profiles, and you can create your own. Profiles can be activated from the app, a keyboard shortcut, or a desktop shortcut. The app also supports tray controls and a Restore Last action.

Why the display test matters

Monitor configuration is the risky part of a one-click switch: a wrong layout can leave you looking at the wrong screen. Sherpa Manager asks you to arrange your displays first and capture that known-good state. When you test a layout, you have 10 seconds to keep it; otherwise the display change reverts. If a monitor, cable, or driver changes later, recapture the layout on that PC.

The NVIDIA Surround option needs a compatible NVIDIA GPU and driver; it isn't a promise that every display configuration will work on every rig.

A sensible first run

1. Arrange your displays in Windows or NVIDIA settings, then capture a Work layout.
2. Set the playback and microphone devices, and add the apps you want for that profile.
3. Repeat for Racing, test the display change, and only keep it if it looks right.
4. Save anything open before activating a profile if you enable Close on switch; apps in that list may be force-closed.

Sherpa Manager runs on 64-bit Windows 10/11. The release has an installer and a portable build that share profiles. It is MIT-licensed, requires no account, and has no telemetry. The downloads are currently unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen may warn; inspect the source and release details before deciding whether to install. It is not affiliated with iRacing or ACC.

You can find Download Sherpa Manager for Windows in the GridSherpa header or go directly to the source and README and releases. If you run a mixed work/racing PC, I'd be interested in what part of the switch still takes manual effort for you.