- Click the START button, then choose SETTINGS -> CONTROL PANEL. Click on the DISPLAY icon. You should see the following: (NOTE: The tabs and setup may appear a little differently depending on your version of Windows. This particular screen shot is from NT 4.0 Server with Internet Explorer 4.01 installed.)
On the BACKGROUND tab, you can select which background you'd like to display. Click on BROWSE to choose a non-standard Windows background. (i.e. one that you've created or downloaded). TILE allows you to have your background tiled over the entire surface of the desktop, CENTER will display the background exactly in the middle of the desktop. PATTERN (if you have it) allows you to texture the background surface, provided you don't have an image displayed.
On the SCREEN SAVER tab, you can change which screen saver is displayed after a specified time period. This used to be critical for the old monitors, but is now either "eye-candy" or can serve as a way to password-protect your PC when you step away. Select a screen saver from the drop-down menu. SETTINGS will allow you to configure the screen saver for different options -- each screen saver will have different settings. PREVIEW allows you to see how the screen saver will look. The WAIT parameter is how many minutes Windows will wait for user input (i.e. mouse movement or hitting keys) before the screen saver will start. Check PASSWORD PROTECTED if you want the screen saver to require a password before letting you back into the system. Depending on your monitor you may also have settings for Energy Saving settings. STANDBY refers to the "sleep mode" that monitors can go into; this mode uses less power and is readily available for usage when the user returns. SHUT OFF will turn the monitor off.
On the APPEARANCE tab, you can modify the color, font and size of your windows. Each program and utility will take on this look, so use a setting that is pleasing to the eye. Click on the individual objects in the large window and modify the FONT, SIZE or COLOR as desired. You can then save this configuration as a Scheme by using the SAVE AS... button. Windows also comes with a host of other schemes you can try out.
On the WEB tab (for those of you who installed the Active Desktop from Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.x), you can modify the "web-like" design of your desktop. VIEW MY ACTIVE DESKTOP AS A WEB PAGE, allows you to install other IE 4.x features such as the Channel Bar and other Web enhancements. FOLDER OPTIONS is a quick way to change the properties of how directories and files show up in Windows. You can also reach this option from Windows Explorer->VIEW->FOLDER OPTIONS.
On the PLUS! tab (for those of you who installed the Active Desktop from Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.x or Microsoft's Plus! pack), you can change the default desktop icons and perform other eye-catching functions. Click on a particular Desktop icon in the Window and choose CHANGE ICON to replace it with a host of icons supplied with Windows or some of your own. USE LARGE ICONS enlarges the appearance of icons on the desktop, in Windows Explorer, on the Start Menu and on the TaskBar. SHOW WINDOW CONTENTS WHILE DRAGGING allow you to see the entire window while dragging in to a different place on the screen instead of the standard outline of the window. SMOOTH EDGES OF SCREEN FONTS softens the appearance of certain fonts. SHOW ICONS USING ALL POSSIBLE COLORS displays your icons with more colors and thus more detail. STRETCH DESKTOP WALLPAPER TO FIT SCREEN will allow you to choose an image on the BACKGROUND tab which is centered and have the image enlarged to fit the entire screen instead of only a portion. NOTE: These effects are nice and eye-catching, but do take up extra resources in the long run. If you notice a little slow-down on your machine, uncheck these options.
The SETTINGS tab is the most important in the DISPLAY configuration. This is where you can modify screen resolution, colors and other properties for your video card and monitor. Adjusting your video settings can dramatically affect your PC's performance. For example, high resolutions have the ability to show more screen area, thus having more windows open and seeing more active objects. But, a larger resolution, on slower systems, can be a drag on overall performance, plus it reduces the number of colors your video card can display. The number of colors can also be a drawback. More colors increase image quality, but can take up more system resources and decreases available screen resolutions. So experiment with the settings to see which is best for you. These settings are also dependent on which type of Video card you have installed. Want more colors or a bigger screen and don't see those settings? Try upgrading your video drivers or upgrade your video card. COLOR PALETTE adjust the number of colors your screen will display. More colors = more detail and better viewing. FONT SIZE allows you to increase the fonts that your Windows environment will use. Increase the size of the fonts if you have trouble reading the tiny Windows titles or icon titles. DESKTOP AREA increases the screen resolution. Higher resolution = more desktop space = more objects and windows viewable. DISPLAY TYPE will allow you to view the version of your video driver and allow you to change it if needed. TEST (if you have it -- NT and IE 4.x only) allows you to test the video configuration without rebooting. LIST ALL MODES (if you have it -- NT and IE 4.x only) allows you to view all possible configurations for your video. REFRESH FREQUENCY changes how fast the screen redraws itself. Don't mess with this setting unless you know what you're doing.
**TROUBLESHOOTING TIP: If you are having problems with your display or a particular application seems to constantly lock up on you, you may have incorrect video settings or driver. Change your video settings to 640x480 and 16 color to check your video settings. If you still experience problems, change your Video driver to VGA. (On the SETTINGS tab, choose DISPLAY TYPE and click CHANGE. You may need to select SHOW ALL DEVICES. Select STANDARD DISPLAY TYPES in the left pane and VGA in the right pane. Reboot.) If you still have problems, you may need to upgrade your video drivers.
Clicking APPLY causes your new settings to take effect. Clicking OK both applies your choices, and closes the dialog box.
