Chapter 11: Setting Up Your Desktop

What Are Display Properties?

You configure your desktop and monitor by changing Windows' display properties. For example, if you want to dress up your desktop, you can change the background color or image and change the size, color, or font of the individual elements that make up the desktop. You can even incorporate a Web page or two into the background of your desktop. When you step away from your computer, you can tell it to display a screen saver until you get back.

The command center for anything having to do with your monitor or desktop is the Display Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 11-1. You can access it from the Appearance And Themes category of the Control Panel or by right-clicking any unoccupied spot on the desktop and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.

Figure 11-1: The preview box in the center shows the effects of proposed changes before you apply them

The Display Properties dialog box has the following five tabs (your dialog box may have more tabs, if your system has any special display software):

• Themes Controls desktop themes.
• Desktop Lets you choose icons and background pictures.
• Screen Saver Offers screen savers and automatic settings for turning off your monitor.
• Appearance Controls the color, size, and font of every standard type of object Windows uses.
• Settings Lets you set the size of the desktop (in pixels), number of colors displayed, and monitor performance

You can modify the settings on most of these tabs to change the way your desktop looks and acts. When you make changes on any of the other tabs of the Display Properties dialog box, the new settings are not applied until you click Apply or OK. Clicking Apply makes the change and leaves the Display Properties dialog box open. Clicking OK makes the change and also closes the Display Properties dialog box.