Customizing your Desktop or Notebook
This page provides information about customizing your desktop or notebook by changing settings in Windows.
You can:
1. Change screen and display settings.
2. Change the background and screen saver.
3. Adjust the touchpad settings.
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 optimal 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:
In Windows XP, click Start , then select Control Panel . Click Appearance and Themes .
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:
In Windows XP, click Start , then select Control Panel . Click Appearance and Themes .
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:
Click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Appearance and Themes.
Click Display , then click the Appearance tab.
Select a scheme from the Color Scheme list, then click OK .
Changing the desktop background
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.
To change the desktop background in Windows XP:
Click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Appearance and Themes.
Click Display , then click the Desktop tab.
Select a background picture from the Background list.
- OR -
Select a background picture from another location by clicking Browse .
If you want the picture you chose to cover the entire screen, select Stretch or Tile from the Position list.
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.
Click OK .
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 .
If you want the picture you chose to cover the entire screen, select Tile from the Picture Display list.
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.
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:
In Windows XP, click Start , then select Control Panel . Click Appearance and Themes