How To Customize a Microsoft Windows Screen

Introduction

The Microsoft Corporation designed the Windows operating system to be highly customizable, which includes what users see on the screen. For many users, being able to directly influence what appears on the display is an unfamiliar experience. As a comparison, although digital cable TV has come a long way from the days of over the air broadcast antenna, subscribers are still relegated to seeing a screen that has been customized by someone else at the cable company. Another comparison can be drawn at the movie theatre where patrons pay the same ticket cost to look at a single movie on the screen, which is customized by the person who is manning the projector.

In the case of the personal computer, Microsoft realizes that people want control over a system which they paid for out of pocket. Owners have rights to use Windows because they have literally purchased a license, which is included in the purchase of a PC. If you are bored with the default screen settings in the operating system, there are at least five ways that you can change the screen to suit your personal aesthetics and needs.

Step 1

Right-click on the Taskbar at the bottom of the desktop on the Windows screen. Select Properties from the menu, opening a new dialog box. Click on the first tab in the box that is also titled Taskbar.

Check mark the box titled Use Small Icons in the Taskbar Appearance section. This is helpful if you have pinned several program icons in taskbar, which leaves little room for actual programs when they are actively in use.

Open the drop-down menu next to Taskbar Location on Screen. Select another location for the taskbar, such as the top of the desktop.

Open the menu next to Taskbar buttons and select the Always Combine option to have multiple windows for open programs combine to a single icon.

Step 2

Click on the Start button in the bottom left hand corner of the Windows desktop screen. This open the Start Menu. Right-click on the Start Menu and then select Properties, opening a new dialog box. Click the Start Menu tab in the dialog box.

Click the Customize button to change how links, icons and menus look when you open the Start Menu on the screen in Windows.

Step 3

Click on the Start button and then type "Personalization" in the search box at the bottom of the Start Menu. Press Enter to open the Personalization window. Click the Window Color button, which is located at the bottom of the window.

Click on the square that represents the color that you want to be the predominant theme in Windows. Traditionally, the Windows color theme centered around blue, but you can change it to green, yellow, orange or any other color on the screen.

Step 4

Click on the Start button and then type "Personalization" in the search box at the bottom of the Start Menu. Press Enter to open the Personalization window.

Click the Desktop Background button at the bottom of the window. Change the image to another background that across the entire Windows screen.

Step 5

Click on the Start button and then type "window metrics" in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu. Press Enter to open Window Color and Appearance box.

Change the color of specific objects in the operating system, only, leaving the rest of the Windows screen alone.

Tips

• Use the System Restore utility to undo changes to the Windows screen, if you are unsure how you made the changes in the first place.

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