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Tailor Windows to suit

Some simple customisations will make Windows behave better and work the way you want..

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Topic links:

size matters

a better desktop

efficient folders

 

Windows is malleable. It’s designed to be tinkered with, adjusted, customised.

When you first run Windows, what you see is Microsoft’s idea of how the operating system should work and look. You don’t need to settle for that. In fact, you shouldn’t, because Microsoft makes some pretty poor decisions on your behalf.

Take, for example, the way Microsoft hides file extensions in order not to “confuse” you. That’s a really bad move, as the file extension – the part of a filename following the full stop (period) – not only provides important information, it may also sound a warning if spyware or other mischievous software tries to mess with your computer.

Instead of settling for Microsoft’s default settings, take charge of your computer. You’ll not only end up with a PC that works better, you’ll also create a computing environment that’s more comfortably your own.

Size matters

The first thing to adjust is the screen resolution and text size. The resolution determines how much you can see on your screen. A high resolution, such as 1600 by 1024, lets you fit more icons and more open windows on screen and eliminates the need to scroll around Web pages. It also makes icon labels and text almost impossible to decipher unless you have 20/20 vision. Lower resolutions, such as 800 by 600, make reading the screen easier for those lacking perfect eyesight, but limit screen real estate.

The choice of resolutions depends on your personal preference and your hardware’s capabilities. The range of resolutions your computer can display is a function of your graphics card and monitor. Some monitors, in particular LCD monitors, restrict the resolution to a
single setting; other monitors let you pick and choose.

To adjust the resolution:

1. Right-click in an empty space on the desktop and choose Properties from the pop-up menu to display the Display Properties dialog.
2. Click the Settings tab and drag the Screen Resolution slider to the setting you desire.
3. Click Apply to check how the setting looks. If you’re satisfied, click OK.

When setting the resolution, keep in mind that many Web sites and some programs are designed to run at a resolution of at least 1024 by 768 pixels, so try to keep this your minimum.

If text looks too small or too large in your chosen resolution, adjust the DPI (dots per inch) setting. In the Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog, click the Advanced button, select Large Size (120 DPI) from the DPI Setting box, or select a Custom Size. Your
changes will take effect when you reboot. You can then adjust the font size, if needed: Open the Display Properties dialog, click the Appearance tab, select a Font Size setting and click OK.

This font setting affects all icon labels, dialog boxes and menu settings in Windows. Your applications, including your Web browser, email and word processing program, have their own controls for adjusting the text display. In your browser, for instance, hold down the Ctrl
key while rolling your mouse wheel up or down to change text size, or press Ctrl+ to increase the size, Ctrl- to decrease it.

A better desktop

Now that you can see what’s on your screen, it’s time to reorganise things.

Unless you thrive on chaos and colour, it makes sense to arrange your desktop so it facilitates your work and play, rather than impeding it.

Start by turning Auto Arrange off: right-click an empty spot on the desktop, select Arrange Icons By and, if Auto Arrange is ticked (checked), click it to untick it. This lets you put your icons where you want, instead of having them all shunted together into the left-hand side of the screen.

Once you’ve done this, rearrange your icons into functional groups: stick the Recycle Bin off by itself so you can dump things in it easily; stick like programs together; group drive icons and so on. Drag unused shortcuts into the Recycle Bin.

If you share your computer with someone else, you might want to corral each of your most-used shortcuts in a separate corner of the desktop; although a better customisation option is to set up separate log ons, so each of you has an entirely separate desktop (click Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and create additional users as required).

Your most frequently used programs should sit in the Quick Launch bar, immediately to the right of the Start button, so make sure it’s active: right-click the Start button, select Properties from the pop-up menu, tick the Show Quick Launch option and click OK. To add a
program or document to the Quick Launch bar, drag its icon from the desktop or from an Explorer window onto the bar. If you can’t see all the icons in the bar, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar, select Lock The Taskbar, drag the resizing tab at the right of the Quick Launch bar, then reselect Lock The Taskbar.

To make the Programs menu easier to read, click Start -> All Programs and then right-click anywhere in the list and choose Sort By Name from the pop-up menu.

Finally, select your desired wallpaper and screensaver: right-click in an empty spot on the desktop, click Properties, click the Desktop tab and select a wallpaper, then click the Screen Saver tab and select a screen saver.

Efficient folders

When you open My Documents or any other folder, the files are listed in one of a number of views, such as List view, Icons, Details and so on. If you have a favourite view, set it as the default view for all folders:

1. Open any folder, click the Views button on the toolbar and select your preferred view.
2. Click Tools Menu -> Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab and click Apply To All Folders.

While you have the Folder Options dialog box open, make a couple of changes on the View tab.

First, remove the tick beside Hide Extensions For Known File Types, so you can see file extensions. Next, although you’ve set the default file view for all folders, you can also keep a particular view in a folder by ticking Remember Each Folder’s View Settings.

Check out the other settings and make any changes you’d like, then click OK.

© 2006  Rose Vines

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