Computing Fundamentals ModuleLesson 8 — Changing Settings and

Customizing the Desktop

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Objectives

Understand the settings on the Control Panel.

Apply a predefined theme to the desktop. Change the Windows desktop background. Customize the icons on the desktop. Clean up your desktop.

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Objectives (cont.)

Explain what a shortcut is and how it is used. Create and delete shortcuts. Assign a shortcut key to a shortcut. Add a program to the Quick Launch bar.

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Vocabulary

Background Control Panel Desktop shortcuts Desktop theme Internet Explorer My Computer

My Documents My Network Places Shortcut Shortcut Wizard

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The Control Panel

You open the Control Panel by selecting it on the Start menu.

In Category view (the default view), the Control Panel window has two panes:– The left pane includes a list of tasks you can

choose quickly, plus other places you can look for information about the Control Panel and Windows.

– The right pane has nine categories you can pick to change settings and display options.

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The Control Panel: Category View

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Changing Control Panel Settings

Many settings can be configured using the Control Panel.

You change settings by selecting a category and then a task or Control Panel icon.

You then customize the settings using the Wizard or dialog box that opens.

On a networked computer, you may not be allowed to change all Control Panel settings.

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Control Panel Categories

Appearance and Themes: Change the background, screen saver, or desktop items; customize the Start menu and taskbar; apply a theme to your display; change the screen display resolution or colors

Network and Internet Connections: Create a small office or home network; change network, Internet, and phone settings.

Add or Remove Programs: Install, change, or remove software and Windows components; see a list of installed software; control access to certain programs.

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Control Panel Categories (cont.)

Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices: Change speaker volume and other settings for audio and speech devices; change the sound scheme or individual sounds made by the computer.

Performance and Maintenance: Enable energy-saving features; compress the data on your hard disk drive; schedule routine maintenance tasks, such as disk cleanup and antivirus checking; find system information.

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Control Panel Categories (cont.)

Printers and Other Hardware: Change settings for printers, keyboard, mouse, game controllers, modems, scanners, and cameras; identify the hardware devices on your computer and determine whether they are running properly.

User Accounts: Change user accounts and passwords; change a user’s e-mail profile.

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Control Panel Categories (cont.)

Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options: Change the language your system uses or the date, time, or time zone; change the way numbers, currency, dates, and times are formatted and displayed.

Accessibility Options: Adjust hardware and operating system settings for users with vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities.

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Customizing the Desktop

You can change the appearance of the Windows desktop via the Control Panel.– Click the Start button and then click Control Panel. – Select the Appearance and Themes category and

then click the Display Control Panel icon. The Display Properties dialog box contains

several tabs that can be accessed to change your desktop’s appearance and behavior.

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The Display Properties Dialog Box

Theme name

Example of current theme

Display Properties tabs

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Display Properties Tabs

Themes tab: Lets you assign predefined themes including icons, fonts, colors, and other elements to your desktop.

Desktop tab: Offers pictures and graphics you can use as a background for the desktop.

Screen Saver tab: Selects a screen saver to use. Appearance tab: Controls fonts and colors for

various screen elements. Settings tab: Sets resolution and color settings for

your computer monitor.

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Selecting a Desktop Theme

Click the Themes tab of the Display Properties dialog box.

Open the drop-down menu below the word Theme to see a list of available themes.

Select one and that theme will appear in the example window.

Click Apply to set the new theme.

The Theme drop-down menu on the Themes tab in the Display Properties dialog box lists the available desktop themes.

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Setting a New Background

You can change the background for a theme by clicking the Desktop tab and selecting a new background from the available choices.

You can set various options for the background using the Position drop-down list box.

Windows can use any picture or graphic file as a background. Click the Browse button in the Desktop tab to find the file you want to use.

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The Icons on Your Desktop

Click the Customize Desktop button on the Desktop tab of the Display Properties dialog box to define which icons should appear on your desktop.

Commonly used icons:– My Documents: Personal folder to save files– My Computer: Displays the contents of your

computer– My Network Places: Lists all computers on your

network– Internet Explorer: Fast, personalized Web browser

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The Desktop Items Dialog Box

Click a check box to display an icon on the desktop.

You can change the icon graphic by selecting the element and clicking the Change Icon button.

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Customizing a Toolbar

The Standard toolbar is the row of buttons below the menu bar on most windows.

Other toolbars appear if you select them in the Toolbars submenu of the View menu.

You can change the buttons that appear on any toolbar using the Customize Toolbar dialog box.

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Customizing a Toolbar (cont.)

Click on the View menu and then select the Toolbars option. (The right-pointing arrow tells you a submenu will open.)

Select the Customize option on the Toolbars submenu to open the Customize Toolbar dialog box.