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Windows XP Control Panel

Display Properties

Desktop Tab: From this tab you may customize your Desktop Background/Wallpaper as well as Desktop Items & Icons.

Windows XP comes with a list of preinstalled Backgrounds (sometimes called wallpapers). To preview a background, scroll through the list and click once on the name. A small preview will appear on the monitor above the list. Once you find a background you want to use, choose it's position.

If the background isn't quite the size of your desktop you can choose to stretch it. Usually Windows will try to avoid making the image look distorted. However, if it does happen you can choose to Center the image. Windows will then place the image you chose in the middle of your desktop with space around it.  The final position is tile. This just means windows will repeat the image on your desktop so there is no empty space around it like in the Center position.

You can also change the color of the background by click on the Color drop down and either selecting from colors or making one of your own by clicking Other.

Next is the Customize Desktop button. A desktop Items window will pop up with a General and Web tab. On the general tab you may select which items, and icons, you would like to appear on your desktop. For example, say your younger brother/sister uses your computer and always manages to open your documents or My Computer, with this you can choose to not show those icons by simply un-checking them. 

In the sliding window below you can customize your desktop icons. To do so, click once on the icon you want to change then on the Change Icon button. Another window displaying various icons will appear from which you can select a new icon, if desired.

Next is a new option called Desktop Cleanup. By clicking on the button a Desktop Cleanup Wizard will appear. Click next.

The next screen will appear (above). From here you may select which icons to keep, or delete. On the right side of the icons is the Date the shortcut was last used, if ever. To KEEP a shortcut, leave the checkbox blank. To DELETE a shortcut, check the box next to it. Press next to proceed. Click Next. The next window will display all of the shortcuts you selected to delete. To continue click Finish and Windows will delete the selected shortcuts from your desktop.

 

 

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