Think About Your Desktop Theme In Windows XP!

It's also easy to change the look of other desktop elements such as text boxes, title bars, and other selected items. Windows XP contains a range of color-coordinated themes. Or customize each element individually.

Select A Theme:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Appearance and Themes.
3. Under Pick a task, click Change the desktop background to go to the Display Properties dialog box.
4. On the Themes tab, in the Theme list, click the theme you want, and then OK.

To change desktop elements individually, go to the Display Properties dialog box as described above. Then:
1. On the Appearance tab, choose elements to customize from the drop-down menus and modify them by clicking the Effects button to open windows containing further instructions.

When you are satisfied, click OK.

Gary Chambers

Changing Screen Resolution Settings To Suit Your Preferences Is Easy!

Screen resolution settings determine the amount of information your monitor displays. At low settings, screen contents appear as if viewed through a close-up camera lens - you see a relatively small amount of information (only part of a spreadsheet or Web page, for example), but the items themselves (text, pictures, etc.) appear relatively large. High-resolution settings provide a bird's-eye view - more information is visible but the items on the screen appear smaller. In Windows XP, changing screen resolution settings to suit your preferences is easy.

Change screen resolution
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Appearance and Themes.
3. Under Pick a task, click Change the screen resolution.

On the Settings tab, under Screen resolution, drag the slider to the resolution you want, and then click Apply.

Gary Chambers

You Can Also Add Sound Effects When Customizing Features Of Windows XP!

The customizing features of Windows XP offer more than just visual tweaks. You can also add sound effects - silly or sensible - to orchestrate any move, from opening and closing folders to emptying the Recycle Bin. Sound effects are a perfect complement to any customized desktop and a great way to express your personality. Adding them is easy, too. Here's how:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.
3. Under Pick a task, click Change the sound scheme.
4. On the Sounds tab, under Program events, click the event to which you want to apply a sound.
5. In the Sounds list, click the sound you want to link to the event.
6. To hear the sound, click the playbutton to the right of the Sounds list. If you are satisfied with your choice, click OK. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have linked sounds to as many program events as you want.
7. To save your settings into a personalized sound scheme, click Save As. Type a name for the sound scheme, and then click OK.

Click OK to complete the procedure and save your sound scheme.

While Windows XP contains many sound effects to choose from, you can create your own by copying them from other sources, such as CDs or the Internet, and storing them on your hard drive.

Gary Chambers