Find the "Font size" box at the bottom of the window and click the down arrow to view your options. If you are visually challenged, the Appearance tab on the Display Properties tab is where you want to go next. When finished with the Display Properties window, click OK. When you have selected a screen saver, click Apply. And for some screen savers, you can adjust their speed by clicking the Settings button. You can preview the screen saver on your display by clicking the Preview button. Change the time period for the screen saver to become active in the box below the screen saver name. Choose a screen saver and watch it in the preview window. Or, on a blank area of your desktop, right-click and click Properties. To change or activate a screen saver, click Start and click Control Program. Nevertheless, most folks use a screen saver just for fun. This may still be a concern if you use an older CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor, but the flat screen and laptop monitors are not susceptible to this problem. It used to be harmful to monitors to sit idle with the same image on the screen. You may have noticed that when your monitor remains idle for a certain period of time, a screen saver - or moving image - activates. If your photo has the same height-width ratio as your monitor, the photo should fill the display preview area nicely. Click Browse, locate the photograph file (see separate section on locating files if you need help), and click Open. Go to the Display Properties window as instructed above and click the Desktop tab. garden12.jpg) and what folder it is in (e.g. Write down the filename of the photograph (e.g. If you use a photograph of your own, it should have approximately the same height-width ratio as your monitor. Then use the down arrow key on your keyboard to view each background. Then, using the up arrow in the Background box, go to the top of the list, and click on the first background. To preview all of the backgrounds provided by Windows, first make sure that Position is set to Stretch. On the Display Properties window, click the Desktop tab and find the section labeled Background. Alternately, on a blank area of the desktop, right-click and click Properties. To get to this window, click Start and click Control Panel. These changes are made on the Display Properties window. You can choose from a variety of backgrounds built into Windows, or you can use a photograph of your own. The picture on your desktop behind the icons is called the background, or wallpaper. Change the Font Size, Icon Size, and ColorsĬhange the Desktop Background (Wallpaper).○Ĭlick on one of the menu items below to skip to a particular topic. Read our disclosure policy to learn more. ○ This tutorial contains affiliate links.