How to Change Your Desktop Background in Windows

This wikiHow teaches you how to alter the image displayed on your PC's desktop background (also known as wallpaper). Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.

Method 1 of 4:

Using Windows 10

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    Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
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    Click Personalize. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
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    Click the box beneath the "Background" heading. You can click one of the following options:
    1. 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).
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    2. Solid color - Allows you to select a solid color (e.g., gray) to fill your Windows desktop.
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    3. 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.
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      1. 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.
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    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

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    Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
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    Click Personalize. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
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    Click "Desktop Background". This link should be in the bottom-left corner of the window.
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    Click a picture. Doing so will select it as your desktop background.
    1. 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").
    2. If you want to look for a specific picture, click Browse.
    3. 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.
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    Click the box beneath the "Picture position" heading. You'll see options for displaying your picture here. A few common options include:
    1. Fill - Your picture will take up the whole screen.
    2. Tile - Multiple thumbnails of your picture will display in a grid on your desktop.
    3. Center - Your picture will be centered in the middle of your screen with a black border.
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    Click a picture position option.
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    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

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    Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
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    Click Personalize. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
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    Click "Desktop Background". It's the second link from the top of this window.
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    Click a picture. Doing so will select it as your desktop background.
    1. You can also click the Windows Wallpapers box near the top of the window to pick a different pictures folder (e.g., "Pictures").
    2. If you want to look for a specific picture, click Browse.
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    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.
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    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

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    Right-click an empty space on the desktop. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
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    Click Properties. It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
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    Click the Desktop tab. You'll see this at the top of the "Properties" window.
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    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.
    1. You can also click Browse to pick a custom picture.
    2. 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.
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    Click the box below the "Position" heading. It's at the bottom-right side of the "Properties" window. You'll see three options here:
    1. Stretch - Your picture will take up the whole screen.
    2. Tile - Multiple thumbnails of your picture will display in a grid on your desktop.
    3. Center - Your picture will be centered in the middle of your screen with a black border.
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    Click a picture position. Doing so will apply the position to your picture.
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    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your changes.
Update 04 March 2020
clickpicturedesktopwindow

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