Appearance customization. How to change the desktop wallpaper in Windows To change the font size

The concept of personalization first appeared in Windows Vista. This is a set of several mechanisms combined under one "roof", with the help of which you can influence the appearance of the operating system interface. This mechanism was transferred to the new operating system practically unchanged, with some improvements in the interface and the use of additional effects.

As before, the Personalization mechanism is located on the Control Panel (Fig. 7.1).

Rice. 7.1. Launching the Personalization component

Using the Personalization mechanism, you get access to setting the following parameters of the system interface:

R desktop themes;

R desktop background;

R window colors;

R sounds;

R splash screen;

R desktop icons;

P mouse pointers;

R account drawing.

Let's take a quick look at these options.

7.1. DESKTOP THEME

The visual design of the Desktop is the first thing that catches your eye after starting the operating system. As the saying goes, “they meet on clothes”, and it is this fact that affects whether you can continue to use the operating system with pleasure or just get used to it. It has long been proven that the visual perception of an object unequivocally affects its practical use.

So, let's see what the new Windows 7 operating system offers us in terms of visual design.

After launching the Personalization mechanism, you will see a window with the activated theme settings tab in front of you (Fig. 7.2). The Desktop Theme changes not only the background of the Desktop, but also sounds, window color and other settings. However, once a desktop theme is selected, you can additionally change each of the components of the selected theme, including the background and sounds. How this is done is described below.

Rice. 7.2. Customizing the Desktop Theme

The Windows 7 operating system comes standard with two themes to choose from: Aero and standard base themes. Users whose computer capacity meets the recommended operating system installation requirements windows themes 7 are a bit more fortunate, as instead of the default theme, they can choose one of the Aero themes, which have a lot more visual effects. Other users can also install Aero themes, but they will only get the appropriate desktop background and sound scheme, but will not be able to enjoy most of the effects: window transparency, taskbar add-ons, visual effects when switching between windows, etc.

Installing the theme is fast enough - you only need to select the theme you like from the list. As a result, you immediately see the result and can easily set the

The theme that best suits your mood and idea of ​​how the desktop should look like.

Also note that at the top right of the list is a link to More Topics on the Web. By clicking on it, you will be taken to the Microsoft website, in the personalization section, which contains a large number of a variety of themes and backgrounds of the Desktop, not included in standard set. By clicking the Download button and selecting the Open option in the window that appears, you simplify the process of installing the theme into the operating system as much as possible. You will only have to wait for the download process to complete and allow the installation of a new theme. Any theme that is installed in this way, such as by downloading from the Internet, will then go to the My Themes section, located at the very top of the theme list.

7.2. DESKTOP BACKGROUND

The desktop background as an integral part of the theme can also be changed at any time. For example, do you like the sound of the installed theme, but do not like the background used? No problem: changing the desktop background is just as easy as changing the theme itself, so don't be discouraged, just choose a different one.

To change the background, click on the Desktop Background link (see Figure 7.2). In the window that opens (Fig. 7.3), you will see a list of images that change depending on which of the location sources is selected. For example, you can use images from the image library or choose the most popular photos. If you don't have enough of what is, you can always click the Browse button and specify any folder with images.

As with the theme, the background image changes on the fly so you can see the result right away. If you don't like it - choose any other image, especially since there are enough ways to do it.

Now the most interesting. The operating system allows you to install both one permanent image and set up a slide show of your selected images. Installing a "stable" image is very simple: choose a suitable background and click the Save Changes button. To set up an image slideshow, you need to do the following.

Rice. 7.3. Changing the desktop background

1. Mark the images that should be included in the slideshow. In this case, it is most convenient
save the desired images to one folder, and then specify it using the Browse button. After
To do this, you can click the Select All button to mark all images at once. You can also
Mark images using the Ctrl or Shift key.

2. Specify the position of the image by selecting one of the
values ​​Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center. If the image
more screen resolution, this will not lead to problems, you just need to select from the list
position Fill or Stretch. If the image resolution is lower and
stretching it distorts, you can modify the desktop background by choosing a color that
complement the image. To do this, use the Change background color link at the bottom of the window.

3. Select the frequency of changing images using the Change images list
every. There are options from 10 seconds to 1 day. The most optimal and "calm" option -
set the frequency in the region of 1 hour: it is pleasant to the eye and does not bother.

4. Specify how to change images. By default, the images change in order, as
shown in the list. If you want to somehow diversify the slide show, you can check the box In
random order.

To apply your changes, click the Save Changes button.

7.3. WINDOW COLOR

The ability to customize the color scheme of the window was transferred from the Windows XP operating system, and without any changes. To use this mechanism, you need to click on the Window Color link at the bottom of the window shown in Fig. 7.2.

There are quite a lot of controls to choose from, the color scheme of which you can customize. Some of them apply only to the Aero theme, while most of them apply to the standard desktop theme, as indicated by the inscription in the window that opens.

Here, in addition to the actual color design of windows and its elements, you can also customize the display of labels by specifying the font and size. For example, you can set a different font for the window title, define the spacing between icons, the color of hyperlinks, and more.

7.4. SOUNDS

Sounds, that is, sound design, are directly involved in the perception of the Desktop, so it is only natural that the Windows 7 operating system allows you to customize them to your liking.

To switch to the sound management mode, select the Sounds link in the window shown in fig. 7.2.

A similar way of setting existed in Windows Vista, and compared to this operating system in Windows 7, there were no significant changes in this regard.

Managing sounds is very easy. There are more than ten different sound schemes to choose from, which you can set using the Sound scheme list. Once the sound scheme is selected, you can move on to managing sounds that are responsible for various operating system events.

The central part of the window (Fig. 7.4) contains a list of all system events and sounds associated with these events. If the sound is set, the speaker icon is displayed next to the corresponding event. Regardless of whether a sound is installed or not, you can change it or bind it to an event, for which the Sounds list is used: after selecting the desired event, open the Sounds list and select one of 40 sounds of your choice from it. If you don't need any audio for the event, select No from this list.

Rice. 7.4. Changing the soundtrack

You can do the same with any system event. As a result, a new sound scheme will be formed, which you can save using the Save as button, which will allow you to select it at any time.

If you are not satisfied with the set of system sounds, you can specify your own sounds using the Browse button. By default, only WAV files can be selected. But is it really a problem if there are a large number of programs with which you can easily convert any audio file to WAV?

SCREENSAVER

Because there are times when you are away from your computer, the operating system may display a splash screen when you enter power-saving mode. At the same time, in addition to saving electricity, you get a pleasing picture. And besides, you can make it so that the exit from the screensaver mode will be possible only after entering the password. This means that no one can see the information on your screen, especially people who don't need to see it at all.

The mechanism for working with splash screens has not changed much since its appearance in earlier versions of the operating system. Why change something in a useful and, most importantly, well-functioning mechanism?

To be able to manage screensavers, select the Screensaver link, which is located in the lower right part of the window shown in fig. 7.2.

In the window that appears (Fig. 7.5), you can select any screensaver you like from the Screensaver list. At the same time, a small copy of the splash screen is displayed on a small screen at the top of the window. If you click the Preview button, you can see its work "live", in full screen mode.

Rice. 7.5. Customizing the splash screen

Almost all screensavers have options that you can customize. For example, if you select the Photos screensaver, as shown in fig. 7.5, then after pressing the Options button you will be able to specify a folder with your images that will participate in the slide show. You can also choose the speed of these images.

If you want the screen saver mode to only exit when you enter your password, select the Start at login screen check box. This opportunity is very often used by office workers, especially if one office is shared between several colleagues at once.

7.6. CHANGING DESKTOP ICONS

As you probably already noticed, by default, immediately after installation, the operating system displays only the Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop. It is not clear why this decision is connected, because the Computer and Network icons are used much more often in practice, and yet the developers decided not to display them. Such a "disgrace" is very easy to fix.

First of all, you need to start the mechanism for working with icons, for which you use the Change desktop icons link on the left side of the window shown in fig. 7.2.

As a result, a window will open in which you will see a list of standard icons, as well as parameters that show their current state (Fig. 7.6). If you want the Computer and Network icons to be present on the Desktop, simply check the appropriate boxes in this window.

Figure 7.6. Setting appearance and icon display

As with previous operating systems, in Windows 7 you can change the icon by clicking the Change Icon button. As a result, a window will open containing a fairly large set of various icons. To revert to the default icon image, click the Normal Icon button.

If you want your desktop icons to change when you install a new theme, select the Allow themes to change desktop icons check box. In this case, the icons may take on a more original appearance.

7.7. CHANGING MOUSE POINTS

The ability to customize mouse pointers existed in the earliest versions of the Windows operating system, so the developers of Windows 7 decided not to reinvent the wheel and use an already debugged mechanism. However, they took it in the form in which it is present in Windows Vista.

As before, the user has the ability to configure the following parameters.

P Mouse buttons. You can adjust the speed of double-clicking, enable or disable sticky, reconfigure the button layout for the left-hander.

R Pointers. There are over 10 to choose from. different schemes with pointers. At the same time, you can customize the appearance of the pointer for each mode, enable the display of a shadow. There is also an option to enable or disable the change of pointers when installing new themes.

R Pointer options. You can customize pointer settings such as how fast the pointer moves, hides it from the screen when typing, sets the pointer to the default button, shows the tail, and so on.

R Wheel. The mouse wheel is also configurable, for example, you can specify the number of lines to scroll the contents of the window with one wheel scroll. If you have a mouse with a wheel that can be tilted left and right, you can also use this feature for scrolling, such as setting up full-screen scrolling, which is useful when reading e-books.

7.8. CHANGING YOUR ACCOUNT PICTURE

The account picture is what you see when you enter your login password or exit screensaver mode. In addition, this graphic is also displayed at the top of the Start menu. Not everyone likes the icon chosen by the system, such as a bunny or a fish. The icon can be changed, and it's very easy to do.

As a result, a window will open in which you will see a set of images, as well as the image that your account is currently using (Fig. 7.7). Any image present in the window can become your account's picture, you just need to select it and click the Change Picture button. You can also select your own picture. To do this, simply follow the link Search for other images and specify its location on the disk. It supports the main graphic file formats.

Rice. 7.7. Change your account picture

Similarly, you can change pictures for other accounts that are registered in operating system. If you have admin rights of course...

Using and setting up gadgets

As mentioned earlier, unlike Windows Vista, in which gadgets could only be displayed in a special sidebar, in Windows 7 they can be placed anywhere on the Desktop (Fig. 9.1). In addition, it became possible to change the size of the gadget window.

Rice. 9.1. Example of Gadgets on the Desktop

The number of gadgets is increasing every day, and their quality is also growing. Windows 7 has 9 standard gadgets. In addition, you can download new ones both from the Microsoft website and from any other.

Gadgets vary in purpose. The most interesting are those that run as web services. Examples of such gadgets are informers for weather, currencies, news, etc., that is, those that display data from the Internet. There are also general purpose gadgets such as clocks, various mini-games, slideshows, etc.

To manage gadgets, use the Control Panel item called Desktop Gadgets (Fig. 9.2). After its launch, a window will appear (Fig. 9.3).

Rice. 9.2. Launching the Desktop Gadgets Mechanism

Rice. 9.3. List of available gadgets

This window displays a list of gadgets that are currently installed in the system. Over time, as the number of gadgets increases, all of them will not fit in this window, so the list can be scrolled using the navigation bar in the upper left corner of the window.

Each item in this list is provided with a short description that appears when the desired gadget is highlighted. By default, this window is displayed in compact mode, so you need to enlarge it to see the description. To do this, select the Show details link in the lower left corner of the window.

As mentioned above, new gadgets can be downloaded from the Internet, in particular from the Microsoft website. To do this, use the link Find gadgets on the Internet in the lower right corner of the window.

To add a gadget to the Desktop, simply drag it from the list to the Desktop. Alternatively, right-click on the gadget and select Add from the context menu that appears. For example, consider using and configuring a standard weather gadget (Figure 9.4).

Rice. 9.5. Example of a weather gadget

The window size of almost any gadget can be changed. However, as the window size increases, functionality can be added. For example, if you drag the weather gadget to the desktop, by default it will be displayed in a reduced version, which means displaying only the weather forecast in the selected city at the current moment. If you increase it, it will show the weather forecast for four days and in more detail (Fig. 9.5).

Rice. 9.5. Enlarged gadget window

The window is enlarged in the following way. If you move the pointer over the gadget, an additional panel with buttons appears, among which there is a Larger button. Clicking it increases the size of the window.

On the same panel there is also the Settings button, which opens a window with gadget settings. In our case, if you click this button, the window shown in Fig. 9.6. Here
there are only two parameters that affect the operation of the gadget - changing the type of temperature display and choosing the city where the weather should be shown.

Rice. 9.6. Gadget setup

To change the city to any other, such as St. Petersburg, type part or all of the city name and press the search button. As a result, a list of matches will appear, from which you must select the desired position. After that, click OK and enjoy the result.

After you have updated your device to Windows 10, the Desktop will open in front of you.

Some users simply do not know what to do now. Just calm down and consider everything. Everything in Windows 10 is made so that you can work on it from the first second. Applications from Microsoft, which I also wrote about, will allow you to work on your computer.

I will tell you how to more effectively configure your device.

Desktop personalization

hardly among Windows users there are many that do not change the design of the operating system interface in any way - at least everyone probably changes the wallpaper on the desktop. Everyone wants to see the interface sharpened just for themselves. Windows 10 makes it easy to customize the look and feel of your desktop. To access personalization settings, right-click anywhere on the desktop, and select Personalization from the context menu. The personalization settings screen will open. You can also open by walking the path Options - Personalization.

Clicking on an option Background, you can change the desktop background. You can set the standard Windows 10 background or choose your own folder with images. I always choose my photos, but sometimes I dilute them with extraneous images. If you have a large selection of desktop wallpapers, it is convenient to use them as a background in slideshow mode. To do this, you just need to select the "Slideshow" item in the "Background" drop-down list, and then specify the path to the image folder using the "Browse" button. For images in a slide show, you can also choose a suitable position, and of course set the frequency of their change.

In chapter Colors you can easily change the background color. Windows interface 10 multicolored background colors are juicy, warm and with a varied palette. By changing the background color, you can automatically change the color of the Start menu and Action Center.

Chapter Lock screen will allow you to set a background screensaver that will greet you when you turn on your device. Here you can also set your own image. To do this, just click on Review and any of your photos will be displayed on the Lock Screen.

Recently, there have been reports on the Internet that on the Screen Microsoft blocking began to place various kinds of advertisements. Disabling it is easy if you turn off the setting " Display fun facts, jokes, hints and other information on the lock screen. Then the ads will no longer bother you. Below you can select the list of applications that will be displayed on the Lock Screen. For some, this is very convenient after using smartphones.

Chapter Themes will allow you to install, as you might guess, various themes on your desktop.
Pressing theme options, you find yourself in Personalization, which you saw in Windows 7 / 8.1. Here you can use Windows 10 themes, and you can also add your own. You will also find related settings here.

How to find a cool theme for your desktop and lock screen?

If you want to find cool themes and backgrounds for your Desktop and Lock Screen, it's very easy to do it by clicking on Other topics on the Internet. You fall into Gallery personalization, where you will find a theme or background image for every taste and theme. They can be easily downloaded and installed on your device without restrictions. For those who want to download without digging into the settings, here is a direct link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/themes?ocid=w8_client_themes . Let your device please you with a beautiful theme.

How to customize the start menu?

In Windows 10, the Start menu reappeared, representing this time a mixture of the start that was in Windows 7 and the Start screen in Windows 8. At the same time, the absence of such a menu in the previous version of the OS was probably its most often mentioned shortcoming among users.

Understanding the new Start menu is very easy. By default, the Start menu is a panel divided into two parts, where a list of frequently used applications is displayed on the left (by right-clicking on which you can prevent them from showing in this list).

There is also an entry to access the All Apps list, which displays all your programs in alphabetical order, entries to open File Explorer (or, if you click on the arrow next to this entry, to quickly access frequently used folders), options, turn off or restarting the computer.

In the upper right corner you will see the username, by clicking on which you can configure account, sign out, or lock the computer.

On the right side there are active application tiles and shortcuts for launching programs, sorted into groups. With a right-click, you can resize, disable updating tiles (that is, they will become static instead of active), remove them from the Start menu (the “Unpin from Start Screen” item), or remove the program itself corresponding to the tile. By simply dragging the mouse, you can change the relative position of the tiles. You can also create application groups.

You can find the basic settings of the start menu if you go through the path Settings-Personalization-Start or in the old fashioned way, by clicking on the desktop with the right mouse, in the section Personalization.

Here you can turn off the display of frequently used and recently used installed programs, as well as a list of transitions to them (opens by clicking on the arrow to the right of the name of the program in the list of frequently used ones). If you have touch screen, then you can enable the parameter " Open elementary screen in full screen mode", and the Start menu will look almost like the initial windows screen 8.1, which can be handy for touch screens.

You can also choose what you want to display in the Start menu. To do this, open the " Select, what kind folders will displayed in menu Start". This will help more efficient use start menu.

Don't forget to also choose a start menu display color to make it more in line with your vision and a pleasure to use. Personally, I'm tired of the dullness.

The Start button has retained one feature from Windows 8.1. When you right-click on it, a menu familiar to users from the previous version of the operating system appears. I use it often because access to some settings through it is very accessible.

By the way, for those who did not like the new Start menu in Windows 10, it is possible to use free program Classic Shell, StartIsBack and other similar utilities to return exactly the same Start as it was in Windows 7.

Why the button "Search on the Internet and in Windows"?

The search field will be one of the first things you will notice when you start using Windows 10. It allows you to search both on the web and on your computer and is located in the taskbar next to the Start menu, where we usually place shortcuts for quick access to folders, programs or drives.

I often use this button. Knowing the name of the program I need, I can easily find it without rummaging through the laptop settings.

I do not deny the fact that some do not like this button. Do they have little space on the taskbar, or does it annoy them, or do their knees tremble in front of Cortana, or does their religion not allow them to use it? There is a way for them to hide this interesting button.

To do this, right-click on taskbars, find Search and press Is hidden. The hated search button will disappear from the taskbar. If you want to return it, you will have to follow the same path, but instead of the option Is hidden click on the Show search icon or Show search box.

Why virtual desktops in Windows 10?

The Windows 10 operating system is equipped with one very useful feature by default - the ability to support multiple virtual desktops. This function has been used for several years in Mac OS X, Linux and has proven itself very well.

What are virtual desktops for? To optimize the user experience or, to put it simply, for convenience and comfort. For example, when there is a dense and stressful work on a PC, there are often many applications open: a calculator, a browser, a Word document, media files, etc. In such cases, when several windows are open, it is easy to get confused when switching from one object to another.

With the help of virtual desktops, work can be organized more conveniently and productively. It's like having several computers and monitors at hand. One would have a browser and a Word document open, another would have a calculator and organizer, a media player, and so on. By the way, an additional desktop is useful at work - to hide the contents from the authorities.

How to create them and how to use them? To organize work with programs and windows in certain areas, preferences, click on special button in the "Taskbar", which includes the "Task View" mode.

All thumbnails will appear. running applications, where you can select the desired program at the moment. In the lower right corner is the “Create Desktop” icon, by clicking on which a new virtual desktop will appear.

If you go into it, then there will be no open applications - as if you just turned on the computer. Now you need to go to the first desktop, and from the thumbnails shown, drag the necessary program to the second desktop. It is possible to open the desired application in the newly created desktop. Those. complete creative freedom. The number of desktops is unlimited. When you close each desktop, the applications open in them are automatically moved to the adjacent desktop. The only thing missing is the ability to put a password on each desktop.

You can also customize what to show on the Taskbar when opening virtual tables. To do this, open Settings-System-Multitasking.

Hot keys for virtual tables

For those who want to more effectively and quickly switch between virtual tables, there is a set of hotkeys.

• Win+Tab- access to all working folders and applications
• Win+Ctrl+D- a new Windows desktop is created
• Win+Ctrl+F4– closes the current Windows desktop
• Win+Ctrl+left or right arrow- switching between Windows desktops

The use of virtual desktops makes the user's work much easier. Perhaps not everything will be clear the first time, but you just have to delve into the principle of work - things will run ahead of you.

How to Customize the Notification Center in Windows 10

In the new operating system from Microsoft, for the first time, the Notification Center appeared, familiar to everyone who has used modern smartphones for at least one day.

Using the notification center in the operating room Windows system 10, many system applications, as well as those installed from the Windows Store and many other programs, have the ability to display various notifications on the screen. Such information is distributed according to the display time, as well as according to the degree of its importance, and is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen.

If you expand the Notification Center, then at the bottom you can see buttons for quickly turning on different modes and performing the necessary actions. These panels can be edited and choose what to display. To do this, let's walk the path Settings-System-Notifications and actions and we ourselves choose what and from where we will come to the Notification Center.

If, nevertheless, you do not need it or are simply tired, then you can turn it off. There in Notifications and actions there is an option "Turn system characters on and off". Open it and simply turn off this feature. You can disable the Notification Center completely, but this is already using the registry. In inexperienced hands, it can harm the operation of the device.

In conclusion, I would like to wish you a pleasant work with your device. Customize it to your liking and preferences. Let working at a computer on Windows 10 bring you joy and a lot of positive emotions.

The ability to customize your desktop in Windows 10 allows you to make the operating system more personal, and it can even help you be more productive. Thus, today we are going to look at some settings that everyone should know to improve their experience with the OS.

Perhaps one of the most strengths Windows is the ability to customize just about everything; users can customize the desktop with available options in the operating system and even through settings in the registry and policies. You can fine-tune after installation.

Customize the Start Menu just the way you like it

The Start menu in Windows 10 is very similar to what you used in Windows 7. However, it also integrates parts of the Start screen from Windows 8.1, and it's one of the first features you'll want to customize.

Just like Windows 8.1, Windows 10 offers the ability to drag and group Live Tiles any way you like. If you want to name the group, just right-click on the top edge of the group and name it whatever you want.

With Live Tiles, you can view the latest information without having to open the app. But sometimes you may not like or need to see certain information. While you can't turn this feature off globally, you can right-click on each tile and select Turn Live Slices off.