Change desktop theme
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Windows Vista includes two themes: Windows Vista and Windows Classic, which is similar to the look and feel of earlier versions of Windows. Each person who has an account on the computer can choose his or her own theme .
Classic view gives Windows the look and behavior of earlier versions. You can change just the Start menu or Control Panel to Classic view, or use the Windows Classic theme for a broader change. You can also change your folders to Classic view, which turns off the Navigation pane, Preview pane, and toolbar in all folders. This setting gives you more room to display files because it hides panes you might not need. Learn how to:change the Start menu to Classic view, change the Control Panel to Classic view, change the theme to Windows Classic, change folders to Classic view. Change your desktop background (wallpaper)
Your desktop background (also called wallpaper) can be a digital picture from your personal collection or one that comes with Windows. You can also select a color for your desktop background or use a color to frame your background picture. Desktop overview
The desktop is the main screen area that you see after you turn on your computer and log on to Windows. Like the top of an actual desk, it serves as a surface for your work. When you open programs or folders, they appear on the desktop. You can also put things on the desktop, such as files and folders, and arrange them however you want. Customizing the desktop:
The desktop is the work area on a computer screen that simulates the top of an actual desk. The desktop contains the Recycle Bin and other icons (shortcuts to programs, files, folders, and various types of documents such as letters, reports, or pictures) that you can arrange on the electronic desktop just as you would arrange real objects on a desk. Add or remove icons from the desktop
You can add or remove desktop icons for programs, files, pictures, locations, and more. Most of the icons you add to your desktop will be shortcuts, but you can also save files or folders to the desktop. If you delete files or folders that are stored on your desktop, they are moved to the Recycle Bin, where you can permanently delete them. If you delete a shortcut, the shortcut is removed from your desktop, but the file, program, or location that the shortcut links to is not deleted. Create a shortcut toolbar on the desktop
If you want easy access to your most frequently used programs and files but don’t want to clutter your desktop with shortcuts, you can store shortcuts to those items in a toolbar on your desktop. Desktop tips and tricks
The short time it takes you to organize your desktop can save you time and help make your computing experience simpler and more pleasant: Move program shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar. Organize files and programs on the Start menu. Don’t store files on the desktop. Show, hide, or resize desktop icons
The icons on the desktop give you quick access to shortcuts. You can show them, or hide them if you prefer a clean desktop. You can also resize them. What is a user account?
A user account is a collection of information that tells Windows what files and folders you can access, what changes you can make to the computer, and your personal preferences, such as your desktop background or color theme. User accounts make it so that you can share a computer with several people, but still have your own files and settings. Each person accesses their user account with a user name and password. The Language bar (overview)
The Language bar is a toolbar that appears on your desktop automatically when you add text services, such as input languages, keyboard layouts, handwriting recognition, speech recognition, or input method editors (IMEs). The Language bar provides a quick way to change the input language or keyboard layout from your desktop. You can move the Language bar anywhere on your screen, minimize it to the taskbar, or hide it. The set of buttons and options on the Language bar changes depending on the text services you have installed, and the software program that is currently active. Create a user account
User accounts make it so that several people can easily share a single computer. Each person can have a separate user account with unique settings and preferences, such as a desktop background and color theme. User accounts also control the files and programs you can access and what types of changes you can make to the computer. Typically, you’ll want to create standard accounts for most computer users. Taskbar
The taskbar is the area of the desktop that contains the Start menu and buttons for all open programs. By default, the taskbar is located at the bottom of the desktop. Change computer sounds
You can have your computer play a sound when certain events happen, such as when you log on or when you receive a new email. Windows comes with several sound schemes that play for common program events. Additionally, some desktop themes have their own sound schemes . Change mouse settings
You can customize your mouse in a variety of ways, such as swapping the functions of your mouse buttons, making the mouse pointer more visible, and altering the scroll wheel speed. To change how the mouse buttons work. To change how the mouse pointer looks. To change how the mouse pointer works. To change how the mouse wheel works. Change the way Windows Mail looks
You can change the way Windows Mail displays messages to make it easier to find specific types of messages. Windows Mail includes a number of built-in view options, and you can create custom views as well. How can I change which messages are displayed in the message list? Can I create custom views showing only certain messages? Can I group related messages together? Can I change the information shown in the message list? Change the display of dates, times, currency, and measurements
You can change the format Windows uses to display dates, times, currency, and measurements. You can also change the sorting order of text to match sorting rules used in a specific country or region. Formatting text in WordPad
WordPad is a basic program that you can use to create and edit documents. Unlike Notepad, WordPad enables you to include text with formatting such as italic, bold, and underlineas well as graphics.How do I change the font or text style?How do I change paragraph alignment?How do I indent a paragraph?How do I set or remove tab stops in paragraphs?How do I create a bulleted list?How do I change the way my document appears on screen and when I print it? Lock the taskbar
You can keep the taskbar in one place by locking it, which can prevent accidental moving or resizing. If you unlock it, you can move it to the bottom, side, or top of the desktop. Change webpage text size in Internet Explorer
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. You can make webpages easier to read by changing the text size. If you change the text size, graphics and controls will remain in their original size but the text size will change. Uninstall or change a program
You can uninstall a program from your computer if you no longer use it or if you want to free up space on your hard disk. You can use Programs and Features to uninstall programs or to change the program’s configuration by adding or removing certain options. Create or delete a shortcut
You can place shortcuts in a convenient place, such as on the desktop or in a commonly used folder, for quick access to files or folders. You can distinguish a shortcut from the original file by the arrow that appears on the icon. Change your keyboard layout
You can customize your keyboard for a specific language or format by changing the keyboard layout. The layout controls which characters appear on the screen when you press the keys on your keyboard. Some input languages have several keyboard layouts; others have only one. For example, you can change your keyboard layout from the English QWERTY format to the English Dvorak format. After you change the layout, the characters on your screen might not correspond to the characters on your keyboard keys. Change the Narrator voice
You can change the speed, volume, and pitch of the voice Narrator uses. Taskbar overview
The taskbar is the long horizontal bar at the bottom of your screen. Unlike the desktop, which can get obscured by the windows on top of it, the taskbar is visible almost all the time. It has four main sections: Start button, Quick Launch toolbar, middle section and notification area. Change modem settings
You can change modem settings, such as the speaker volume. Choose where Magnifier focuses
Magnifier enlarges only a portion of the screen while you work, leaving the rest of your desktop in a normal state. You control which areas of the screen Magnifier enlarges. Unlock and move the taskbar
Once you unlock the taskbar, it’s ready to move to any horizontal or vertical edge of the desktop. Change the font for On-Screen Keyboard keys
On-Screen Keyboard might be easier to use if you change the font used to illustrate the keys on the screen. The местным find easiest to see on the screen are Verdana and Arial. Change Internet Explorer Security settings
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. The Internet Explorer Security tab is used to set and change options that can help protect your computer from potentially harmful or malicious online content. Change, create, or delete a power plan (scheme)
A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your computer uses and conserves power. Power plans can save energy, maximize system performance, or balance energy conservation with performance. The default power plans-Balanced, Power saver, and High performance-meet most people’s needs. But you can modify settings for existing plans or create your own plan. Learn: To change settings for a single plan. To change settings that affect all of your power plans (system settings). To create your own plan. To delete a plan. Show or hide the Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin usually appears on the desktop. If you prefer, you can hide it. Change the display language
The display language is the language that Windows uses in wizards, dialog boxes, menus, Help and Support topics, and other items in the user interface. Some display languages are installed by default, and others require you to install additional language files. When you change the display language, it is changed for your user account and is not changed on the Welcome screen. Change Internet Explorer General settings
How do I set my home page? How do I delete my интернет surfing history and temporary Internet files? What are search settings and how do I change them? What can I do with tab settings? What are Appearance settings? The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. Change or choose a search provider in Internet Explorer
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. You can choose which provider you would like to use when you search for information on the Internet. You can change the search provider for a specific search (Internet Explorer uses that search provider until you choose another one or until you close Internet Explorer) and you can specify which search provider you prefer to be used by default. When you first install Internet Explorer, you might have only one provider installed. If you want to change providers, follow the steps below to add new search providers. Why can’t I change the printer properties?
If you can’t change printer properties, you might not have permission to manage the printer. Windows Sidebar and gadgets
Windows Sidebar is a long, vertical bar that is displayed on the side of your desktop. It contains mini-programs called gadgets, which offer information at a glance and provide easy access to frequently used tools. For example, you can use gadgets to display a picture slide show, view continuously updated headlines, or look up contacts. Change the appearance of Magnifier
Learn how to change the appearance of Magnifier. Change Internet Explorer Programs settings
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. By using Internet Explorer’s Programs settings, you can change your default интернет browser and webpage editor, and manage Internet Explorer add-ons. Choose which text Narrator reads aloud
Narrator reads aloud the text that appears on your screen and describes your desktop and any windows you have open. You can also have it read aloud what you type, as well as announce events that happen on the screen (such as dialog boxes that appear). Customize Windows Sidebar
You can customize Windows Sidebar by hiding it, keeping it on top of other windows, adding and removing gadgets from it, detaching gadgets to place them on the desktop, and more. You can find a wide variety of Sidebar gadgets, from games to productivity tools, available for download at the Windows Live Gallery website.
