If your screen resolution makes data too small to view comfortably, you can increase the dpi to compensate. You can also change the properties of the default icons and apply color schemes.
Introduction
From the Display Properties dialog box in Windows XP, and from the Personalization window in Vista, you can change a number of viewing-related items. You can change the icons used for default Desktop icons like My Computer or the Recycle Bin, make tweaks to the Windows color schemes or create your own, and even change the DPI settings for the monitor. Dpi stands for dots per inch, which means how many dots appear per inch on your computer monitor.
Change your DPI
To change the screen’s dpi, follow these steps:
Note: These steps are written for Windows XP, but can be slightly modified to work for Windows Vista.
1. Right-click on an empty area of the Desktop and choose Properties.
2. In the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab.
3. Click Advanced.
4. In the monitor’s dialog box that appears, under DPI Setting, select Large Size. Click OK to verify that you’ll need to restart the computer. Click OK again to close this dialog box. Close the Display Properties dialog box by selecting Close.
Once your PC has rebooted, open Internet Explorer to see the difference. You’ll notice that the toolbars are larger and the words and icons are larger but the data on the Web page is not. Next, right-click on the Desktop to see how much larger the menus are.
Tip: Again, making a change to the dpi settings is a good choice for those with media centers that are positioned farther away from the user than regular monitors, for the elderly who have trouble with their eyesight, or for anyone who’d just like everything to be a tad bigger.
Change Default Desktop Icons
To change the default icons on the Desktop, follow these steps:
1. Right-click on an empty area of the Desktop and choose Properties.
1. In the Display Properties dialog box, select the Desktop tab.
2. Click the Customize Desktop button.
3. In the Desktop Items dialog box, select an icon to change. (Notice that you can also add or remove Desktop icons in the first section, Desktop Icons). We’ll choose My Computer, the first choice. Click the Change Icon button.
4. In the Change Icon dialog box, select a new icon to represent My Computer.
5. Click OK three times to close all open dialog boxes.
Tip: If you know how to create your own icons or download icons others have created, you certainly can. The Browse button is available in the Change Icon dialog box for just this reason.
Change Windows Color Scheme
To make changes to the Windows color scheme, follow these steps:
1. Right-click on an empty area of the Desktop and choose Properties.
1. In the Display Properties dialog box, select the Appearance tab.
2. Under Windows and Buttons and Color Scheme, note the choices. To see any theme or color, select it and click Apply.
3. To make your own specific and personalized changes to the color scheme, click the Advanced button.
4. The Advanced Appearance dialog box allows you to select a specific part of the Windows theme you’re using and make changes to it. Click the down arrow under Item to see what is available. Choose Active Title Bar. In this example, we’ll change how the title bars appear.
5. Use the up and down arrows to change the active title bar’s size and color(s) and the type, size, color, and other attributes of the font. Notice that you can preview the changes without clicking OK.
6. Once you’ve decided on any change, continue selecting items from the Item list and making additional changes as desired. Click OK when finished and OK again to close the Display Properties dialog box.
Tip: Making a change to the color scheme and/or fonts used is a good choice for those who are color-blind or have other visual impairments. It’s also for anyone who just wants to add a little spice to the old and tired Windows colors.
You can make additional changes to the display properties by working through all of the available options. For instance, from the Appearance tab and the Effects button, you can choose Large Icons, perfect for media centers since they’re usually farther away than other monitors are, and you can apply effects to menus (or remove them). Now that you’re aware of the options, take a few minutes to browse through them.
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