Customise your Windows Desktop

The Windows Desktop has become one of the most iconic images of modern times but do you know how easy it is to change it?

You can add your own picture, choose the look of icons and how they are arranged, alter the size of the text that’s displayed on the screen and even shift the position of the Taskbar.

In this Back To Basics guide we will explain how these features and more besides work in Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Desktop background
For starters, there is no need to stick with what Windows provides as the default Desktop background.

In XP, right-click on the Desktop and choose Properties. When the dialogue box opens, click the Desktop tab and select a background from the list. When you find one you like, click Apply to see it full screen and OK to accept the change.

In Vista and Windows 7, right-click on the Desktop and choose Personalize, then Desktop Background. Scroll through the list of wallpapers, pick one you like and click OK to apply it (in Windows 7, click Save Changes and then the ‘x’ in the top-right corner to close the dialogue box).

It’s also easy to use your own photos as a Desktop background with any version of Windows. Just go to your My Pictures folder (Vista calls this ‘Pictures’) and right-click on the photo you would like to use and choose Set as Desktop Background from the pop-up menu. When you return to the Windows Desktop your picture will be displayed there.

Desktop icons
Rather than digging through the Start menu to find a file, folder or program, Windows lets you display items on the Desktop as icons.

In XP, right-click on the Desktop and choose Properties, click the Desktop tab and then click the Customize Desktop button. Ensure the General tab is selected and pick the items you would like displayed on the Desktop by putting a tick next to them (and get rid of ones you don’t want by clicking to remove the tick).

While you are there, why not change one of the icons as well? Select My Documents in the panel and click the Change Icon button. Choose a different icon and click OK. Click OK and OK again to complete the change.