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Customizing your Desktop or Notebook         

    This page provides information about customizing your desktop or notebook by changing settings in Windows.

    You can:

Change screen and display settings
Change the background and screen saver
Adjust the touchpad settings

Help and Support
For more information on applying any changes, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings

    Adjusting the color depth and screen area are two of the most basic display settings you may need to change. You can also adjust settings such as the screen background and screen saver.

Adjusting the color depth

    Color depth is the number of colors your LCD displays. Various image types require various color depths for optimum appearance on your LCD. For example, simple color drawings may appear adequately in 256 colors while color photographs need millions of colors to be displayed with optimum quality.

    Windows lets you choose from several color depth settings for your LCD. We recommend 16-bit High Color setting be used at all times.

    If the color in your images seems "false" or "jumpy," especially after you have played a game or run a video-intensive program, check the color depth setting and return it to 16-bit High Color, if necessary.

To change the color depth:

    1. In Windows XP, click Start , then select Control Panel . Click Appearance and Themes .
      - OR -
      In Windows 2000 or Windows 98, click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel.

    1. Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

    2. Click the Settings tab.

    1. Select a setting from the Color Quality or Colors list.

    2. To save your changes in Windows XP, click OK , then click Yes .
      - OR -
      To save your changes in Windows 2000 or Windows 98, click OK , then click OK again.

Adjusting the screen resolution

    You can change the screen resolution to a size you prefer. For example, you can increase the resolution to fit more icons on your desktop, or you can decrease the resolution to make reading and identifying objects on the display easier. The higher the resolution, the smaller individual components of the screen (such as icons and menu bars) appear.

To change the screen resolution:

    1. In Windows XP, click Start , then select Control Panel . Click Appearance and Themes .
      - OR -
      In Windows 2000 or Windows 98, click Start , then select Settings , then Control Panel.

    1. Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

    2. Click the Settings tab.

    1. Drag the Screen Resolution or Screen area slider to the size you prefer.

    2. To save your changes in Windows XP, click OK , then click Yes .
      - OR -
      To save your changes in Windows 2000 or Windows 98, click OK , then click OK again.

Applying a color scheme

    A color scheme is a set of colors that you can apply to your Windows environment. For example, you can change the appearance of such things as the desktop, windows, and dialog boxes. You can select an existing scheme or create your own.

To select a color scheme in Windows XP:

    1. Click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Appearance and Themes.

    2. Click Display , then click the Appearance tab.
    1. Select a scheme from the Color Scheme list, then click OK .

To select a color scheme in Windows 2000 or Windows 98:

    1. Click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

    2. Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

    3. Click the Appearance tab. If you want to apply one of Windows' color schemes, go to Step 6.

    1. If you want to create a new scheme, select various items from the Item list and change their settings.

    2. Click Save As, type a name for the new scheme, then click OK.

    3. Select a color scheme from the Scheme list. An example of the scheme appears in the area above the list.

    4. Click OK .

Changing the desktop background

    In Windows 2000 and Windows 98, the Windows desktop background can be changed to either a picture or HTML document. Windows provides several background pictures. You can also use pictures or HTML documents that you have created or retrieved from other sources.

    In Windows XP, the Windows desktop background picture can be changed. Windows provides several alternative backgrounds, or you can use pictures that you have created or retrieved from other sources.

 

 
Important

In Windows 98, if Active Desktop is turned on and you have chosen to display Web content, the standard desktop background will be partially or completely hidden, so you may not be able to see changes you have made in the background.

 

To change the desktop background in Windows XP:

    1. Click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Appearance and Themes.

    2. Click Display , then click the Desktop tab.
    1. Select a background picture from the Background list.
      - OR -
      Select a background picture from another location by clicking Browse .

    1. If you want the picture you chose to cover the entire screen, select Stretch or Tile from the Position list.

    2. If the picture you chose does not cover the entire screen and you did not choose to tile or stretch the image in Step 5, you can change the solid color behind the picture by selecting a color from the Color list.

    3. Click OK .

To change the background in Windows 2000 or Windows 98:

    1. Click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

    2. Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

    3. Click the Background tab.
    1. Select a background picture from the Select a background picture or HTML document as Wallpaper list.
      - OR -
      Select a background picture from another location by clicking Browse .

    1. If you want the picture you chose to cover the entire screen, select Tile from the Picture Display list.

    2. If the picture you chose does not cover the entire screen and you did not choose to tile the image in Step 5, you can change the solid color behind the picture by clicking Pattern, selecting a pattern from the Pattern list, then clicking OK.

    3. Click OK .

Selecting a screen saver

    You can use a screen saver to keep others from viewing your screen while you are away from your computer. Windows supplies a variety of screen savers that you can choose from, and many more are available from the Internet and as commercial products.

To select a screen saver:

    1. In Windows XP, click Start , then select Control Panel . Click Appearance and Themes .
      - OR -
      In Windows 2000 or Windows 98, click Start , then select Settings , then Control Panel.

    1. Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

    2. Click the Screen Saver tab.

    1. Select a screen saver from the Screen Saver list. Windows previews the screen saver.

    2. If you want to customize the screen saver, click Settings and then make your changes. If the Settings button is not available, you cannot customize the screen saver you selected.

    3. In Windows XP, if you want to display the Welcome (Login) screen whenever you close the screen saver, select the On resume, display Welcome screen check box.

    4. If you want to change the time before the screen saver is activated, click the up or down arrows next to the Wait box.

    5. Click OK .

 


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