How to Change Your Desktop Background in Windows
Method 1 of 4:
Using Windows 10
- Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
- Click Personalize. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click the box beneath the "Background" heading. You can click one of the following options:
- Picture - Allows you to select a picture to display on your desktop. A bunch of recent and sample pictures will be listed and can be used by clicking one. You can also click Browse and choose a picture if you don't like the stock photos. Furthermore, you can click the box beneath "Choose a fit" to change the way the picture is displayed (e.g., filling your entire screen).
- Solid color - Allows you to select a solid color (e.g., gray) to fill your Windows desktop.
- Slideshow - Displays a series of photos from your computer's default "Pictures" folder in a slideshow. You can change this folder by clicking Browse and selecting a new folder.
- It's best to make new folder dedicated for your desktop background slideshow that contains the pictures you want as a background. For example, you could create a folder called "Desktop Slideshow" under the "Pictures" section of File Explorer.
- It's best to make new folder dedicated for your desktop background slideshow that contains the pictures you want as a background. For example, you could create a folder called "Desktop Slideshow" under the "Pictures" section of File Explorer.
- Picture - Allows you to select a picture to display on your desktop. A bunch of recent and sample pictures will be listed and can be used by clicking one. You can also click Browse and choose a picture if you don't like the stock photos. Furthermore, you can click the box beneath "Choose a fit" to change the way the picture is displayed (e.g., filling your entire screen).
- Exit the "Personalization" window to see your new background. To do so, click the X in the top-right corner of the page. Your selected wallpaper option will have automatically been applied to the desktop when you changed the settings.
Method 2 of 4:
Using Windows 7 and 8
- Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
- Click Personalize. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click "Desktop Background". This link should be in the bottom-left corner of the window.
- Click a picture. Doing so will select it as your desktop background.
- You can also click the Windows Desktop Backgrounds dropdown menu near the top of the window to pick a different pictures folder (e.g., "Pictures").
- If you want to look for a specific picture, click Browse.
- Clicking the checkbox in the top-left corner of two or more pictures will place them on a slideshow rotation. You can change the default time between photos and transition style from the bottom of the window.
- Click the box beneath the "Picture position" heading. You'll see options for displaying your picture here. A few common options include:
- Fill - Your picture will take up the whole screen.
- Tile - Multiple thumbnails of your picture will display in a grid on your desktop.
- Center - Your picture will be centered in the middle of your screen with a black border.
- Click a picture position option.
- Click Save changes. It's at the bottom of the "Desktop Background" window. Your changes will be applied.
Method 3 of 4:
Using Windows Vista
- Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
- Click Personalize. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click "Desktop Background". It's the second link from the top of this window.
- Click a picture. Doing so will select it as your desktop background.
- You can also click the Windows Wallpapers box near the top of the window to pick a different pictures folder (e.g., "Pictures").
- If you want to look for a specific picture, click Browse.
- Click a picture positioning option. This section is beneath the "How should the picture be positioned?" heading. Your options (from left to right) include a full-screen version of the picture, a grid comprised of your photo, and a centered version of the picture.
- Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will apply your selected picture to the desktop background.
Method 4 of 4:
Using Windows XP
- Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
- Click Properties. It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click the Desktop tab. You'll see this at the top of the "Properties" window.
- Click a desktop image option. You'll see several options below the "Background" heading; clicking one will preview it in the window near the top of the page.
- You can also click Browse to pick a custom picture.
- For a solid color, click None as the background. Then click the box below "Color" in the bottom-right corner of the window, and pick a color.
- Click the box below the "Position" heading. It's at the bottom-right side of the "Properties" window. You'll see three options here:
- Stretch - Your picture will take up the whole screen.
- Tile - Multiple thumbnails of your picture will display in a grid on your desktop.
- Center - Your picture will be centered in the middle of your screen with a black border.
- Click a picture position. Doing so will apply the position to your picture.
- Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your changes.
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