Customizing the Windows Desktop
If you want to learn more about your Windows PC, this tutorial is for you! Although written with Windows XP in mind, users of other versions will find the information relevant. Vista users may have a different shortcut from Control Panel to the display properties windows.
- Changing Your Desktop Background
- Changing the Screensaver
- Changing Font Size, Icon Size, and Colors
- Changing the Volume and Clock Settings
- Disabling or Changing Sounds
- Changing the Mouse Double-Click Speed
Changing Your Desktop Background (Wallpaper)
The picture on your desktop behind the icons is called the background, or wallpaper. You can choose from a variety of backgrounds built into Windows, or you can use a photograph of your own. These changes are made on the Display Properties window. To get to this window, click Start and click Control Panel. Then double-click the Display icon. Alternately, on a blank area of the desktop, right-click and click Properties.
On the Display Properties window, click the Desktop tab and find the section labeled Background. To preview all of the backgrounds provided by Windows, first make sure that Position is set to Stretch. Then, using the up arrow in the Background box, go to the top of the list, and click on the first background. It will display in the preview area. Then use the down arrow key on your keyboard to view each background. If you find one you like, click Apply.
If you use a photograph of your own, it should have approximately the same height-width ratio as your monitor. Write down the filename of the photograph (e.g. garden12.jpg) and what folder it is in (e.g. My Pictures). Go to the Display Properties window as instructed above and click the Desktop tab. Click Browse, locate the photograph file (see separate section on locating files if you need help), and click Open. Then, under Position, choose Stretch. If your photo has the same height-width ratio as your monitor, the photo should fill the display preview area nicely. Click Apply. When finished with the Display Properties window, click OK.
Changing the Screen Saver
You may have noticed that when your monitor remains idle for a certain period of time, a screen saver - or moving image - activates. It used to be harmful to monitors to sit idle with the same image on the screen. This may still be a concern if you use an older CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor, but the flat screen and laptop monitors are not susceptible to this problem. Nevertheless, most folks use a screen saver just for fun.
To change or activate a screen saver, click Start and click Control Program. Then click Display. Or, on a blank area of your desktop, right-click and click Properties. Then click the Screen Saver tab. Choose a screen saver and watch it in the preview window. Change the time period for the screen saver to become active in the box below the screen saver name. You can preview the screen saver on your display by clicking the Preview button. And for some screen savers, you can adjust their speed by clicking the Settings button. When you have selected a screen saver, click Apply. When finished with the Display Properties window, click OK.
Changing Font Size, Icon Size, and Colors
If you are visually challenged, the Appearance tab on the Display Properties tab is where you want to go next. Find the "Font size" box at the bottom of the window and click the down arrow to view your options. If you click on a different font size, Windows will show the new font size in the preview window above. If you like it, click Apply. To change icon size, click the Effects button, place a checkmark beside "Use large icons," and click OK. When finished with the Appearance tab, click OK.
You can also change the Windows color scheme from the Appearance tab. Click the down arrow by the box labeled "Color scheme" and choose a different color. You will immediately see the new color in the preview window. If you like it, click Apply. Check out the choices next to the "Windows and buttons" box and see if you prefer another choice. When finished with the Appearance tab, click OK.
Changing the Volume and Clock Settings
To change the sound volume of your Windows PC, find the volume icon in the Notification Area of the Taskbar. The icon looks like a round knob. There are two ways to adjust the volume. The simplest way is to click the icon and move the volume slider. When you click on anything else, the volume slider will disappear. For more comprehensive volume control, double-click the volume icon and see the Volume Control window. Here you can adjust the volume for each facility that plays sound.
To change the system clock, double-click the clock displayed in the Notification Area of the Taskbar. On the Date and Time properties window, click the Date & Time tab. To change a portion of the time, highlight the hour, minutes, or seconds and type over with the correct data. To change AM or PM, use the little up and down arrows to the right of the time.
Make sure your time zone is correct on the Time Zone tab and ensure the "automatically adjust clock for daylight savings" box is checked, if applicable. If you want Windows to keep your clock in perfect time, click the Internet Time tab and check the box to have Windows automatically synchronize your time. Windows will synchronize once a week, but you must be on the Internet at that time. You can manually synchronize the clock by clicking the Update Now button when you are on the Internet.
Disabling or Changing Sounds
If you dislike the sounds that Windows makes when you do certain things, you can change them or turn them off. Click Start and click Control Panel. Double-click the icon labeled Sounds and Audio Devices, and click the Sounds tab. In the drop-down box labeled "Sound scheme," choose No Sounds to turn off sounds altogether. To change the sound for an event, click on the event in the "Program events" window and listen to its current sound by clicking the black arrow to the right of the "Sounds" box at the bottom. If you dislike the sound, click the Browse button and click on a different sound. You can preview the sound before leaving this window by clicking the black arrow after "Preview" in the bottom left of the window. When you find a sound you like, click OK.
When you have made all your changes, click the Save As button below the Sound scheme box. Type in your name and click OK. Click OK again to exit. Some default sounds are jarring. For instance, the Windows default sound for Critical Stop makes my heart skip a beat, so I have replaced it with "ringout.wav."
Changing the Mouse Double-Click Speed
If you have trouble double-clicking effectively, try changing the double-click speed of your mouse. Click Start and click Control Panel. Double-click Mouse (or right-click and click Open). Click the Button tab on the Mouse Properties window. Then find the section titled Double-click Speed and notice the slider bar that moves from Slow to Fast. Next to the slider bar is a folder for testing your double-click effectiveness. Adjust the speed and double-click the folder to see if it opens. If it does not, adjust the speed again. Once you get the test folder to open, double-click it again to see if it closes. (Repeated double-clicking of the test folder vacillates between open and close.) When satisfied, click OK.
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