The Best Desktop Ever.

Welcome to Bleeping Computer, a free community where people like yourself come together to discuss and learn how to use their computers. Using the site is easy and fun. As a guest, you can browse and view the various discussions in the forums, but can not create a new topic or reply to an existing one unless you are logged in. Other benefits of registering an account are subscribing to topics and forums, creating a blog, and having no ads shown anywhere on the site.
Click here to Register a free account now! or read our Welcome Guide to learn how to use this site.

BleepingComputer.com > Software > Tips and Tricks

3 Pages

1 2 3 >

The Best Desktop Ever., Customize your Desktop for beauty and practicality

Options

1101doc View Member Profile	Dec 5 2006, 11:18 PM Post #1
Member Group: Members Posts: 92 Joined: 27-November 06 From: Mackinac Island,MI Summer-SA/TX winter Member No.: 97,995	I have my Desktop set this way in XP Home Don't know about other XP variations Rt. click your taskbar. Hover over "toolbars." Choose "new toolbar. In the "New Toolbar dialog box left click "Desktop," to highlight. Choose "Make New Folder" button at lower left. OK You now have a "New Folder" on you desktop. BUT. This is a Toolbar Folder! Drag the folder to any open margin of your screen(left,right,or top) and drop it there. You now have a new toolbar! Go to the little bumpy line at the top of the new toolbar and Rt. click. Choose "Always on top." Do it again and choose "Auto-hide." Now the toolbar will pop out when you bump that Desktop margin with your cursor. Other Rt. click context choices are "Show text" (gives title of icons) and "Show title." (Displays name of toolbar) " View" offers large or small icons. But wait! The "New Folder" is still on the Desktop. Rename it as you wish, but leave it there. Any shortcut icon you drag and drop into that folder appears in your new toolbar AND disappears from your Desktop! Shortcuts in the toolbar are one-click launch shortcuts, just like "Quick Launch." All normal Rt. click shortcut icon context functions are available inside the toolbar. Drag and drop inside the toolbar to arrange icons. If you move the toolbar folder off the Desktop, you will lose all your icons. Ditto if you put it in a containing folder. Just leave it there. YES! You can do the same for the other empty margins of your Desktop and have four Quick Launch toolbars that autohide, but are always on top even when you have the screen full of something else. (I leave the Taskbar up and autohide the other three, but that's up to you. Now when you get a new shortcut on your Desktop you can just drop it in whichever toobar you want. To customize the covers of your three remaining desktop items (I added a fourth-work folder-for balance) Rt. click,choose "Properties">Customize>Change Icon. Here you can select one of Windows' lovely preinstalled icons, or "Browse" your computer for your own images. Photos work. You now have a Desktop with only three or four customized icons and nothing else but your beautiful wallpaper AND all your regularly used Shortcuts are always avaliable in one click. Merry Christmas to all. 1101doc -------------------- Neurons that fire together, wire together. posted with Opera

stevealmighty View Member Profile	Dec 6 2006, 01:52 PM Post #2
Bleepin' WormBreath Group: Moderator Posts: 2,350 Joined: 28-January 06 From: Upstate NY Member No.: 52,789	Hmmm....I just might have to give this a try! Nice post too! Love the energy! -------------------- War produces veterans, wounded both physically and mentally. They have sacrificed for us.....and it is now our job to help these veterans, as they have already helped us in ways we will never know, in ways that we cannot fathom, and in ways that we take granted every day. Wanna chat about something besides computers????? THOUGHTVENT.....click the link, you know you wanna!

rowal5555 View Member Profile	Dec 6 2006, 05:42 PM Post #3
Just enough info to be armed & dangerous... Group: Members Posts: 1,714 Joined: 18-March 06 From: St Kilda, Dunedin. South Island. NZ Member No.: 59,805	Nice tip, 1101doc. Merry Christmas to you too. I was going to make a new post yesterday but when I saw yours, decided to add my ideas here. I don't like any icons cluttering my desktop. It is very easy to clear these but still have them all handy by: Right clicking on an empty part of the desktop>go to Arrange Icons By> and untick Show Desktop Icons. The desktop will now be pristine. Go down to the Taskbar>right click on an empty portion>go to Toolbars>place a tick against Desktop, and you are done. You will now have little double arrows which will popup all your desktop items when required. There you are folks - two options for your desktop. Cheers -------------------- rowal5555 (Rob)

stevealmighty View Member Profile	Dec 7 2006, 07:25 AM Post #4
Bleepin' WormBreath Group: Moderator Posts: 2,350 Joined: 28-January 06 From: Upstate NY Member No.: 52,789	QUOTE(rowal5555 @ Dec 6 2006, 05:42 PM) Nice tip, 1101doc. Merry Christmas to you too. I was going to make a new post yesterday but when I saw yours, decided to add my ideas here. I don't like any icons cluttering my desktop. It is very easy to clear these but still have them all handy by: Right clicking on an empty part of the desktop>go to Arrange Icons By> and untick Show Desktop Icons. The desktop will now be pristine. Go down to the Taskbar>right click on an empty portion>go to Toolbars>place a tick against Desktop, and you are done. You will now have little double arrows which will popup all your desktop items when required. There you are folks - two options for your desktop. Cheers Nice one! Although, at the risk of embarassing myself (ya, like I haven't done that before!), I must say the the "little double arrows" will appear on the right side of the taskbar, just to the left of the systray(where the clock is)....that only took me a minute (or three) to find, as I was looking for an icon in the quick launch area..... Oops, my fault! This post has been edited by stevealmighty: Dec 7 2006, 07:25 AM -------------------- War produces veterans, wounded both physically and mentally. They have sacrificed for us.....and it is now our job to help these veterans, as they have already helped us in ways we will never know, in ways that we cannot fathom, and in ways that we take granted every day. Wanna chat about something besides computers????? THOUGHTVENT.....click the link, you know you wanna!

arcxotek View Member Profile	Dec 16 2006, 03:21 AM Post #5
New Member Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: 21-June 06 Member No.: 72,971	Thank you very much for this tip. In my opinion it's one of the most useful tips I've seen in a very long time. In the past I messed around with replacing the explorer shell to receive added functionality similar to this when all along I could have followed your simple tips. Once again thank you. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year.

keyteem View Member Profile	Feb 8 2007, 06:25 PM Post #6
New Member Group: Members Posts: 13 Joined: 25-June 06 Member No.: 73,443	just found this very useful tip , thank you .

ØÇë¦òT View Member Profile	Feb 18 2007, 07:17 PM Post #7
Forum Regular Group: Members Posts: 304 Joined: 29-January 07 Member No.: 109,004	Another way to pretty much eliminate your desktop: http://www.candylabs.com/approcket/ The free version is fine, and as long as you hide the main gui, and make a custom search for programs in C:\program files\, you dont even need your start menu! Make sure not to delete folders on your desktop though, that would be bad This post has been edited by ØÇë¦òT: Feb 18 2007, 07:17 PM --------------------

lokkent View Member Profile	Mar 27 2007, 02:55 PM Post #8
New Member Group: Members Posts: 3 Joined: 23-March 07 From: Akron, NY Member No.: 119,438	Great tip. Works like a charm, and really cleans things up. Thx -------------------- Dell XPS410, Intel Core 2 2.13 GHz, 2 GB SDRAM, 256 MB nVidia GeForce, 250 GB Serial ATA HDD, Vista Home Premium, Sound Blaster Audigy LS, 16x CD/DVD Burner, McAfee Security Center, Ad-Aware SE, Boston Digital BA735 Speakers

ComputerWhizz7 View Member Profile	Mar 27 2007, 03:19 PM Post #9
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 350 Joined: 29-April 05 From: New Zealand Member No.: 18,496	Good work guys. Members seem to be really happy including me . -------------------- I came, I saw, I conquered. - Julius Caeser

tekchallenged View Member Profile	Mar 28 2007, 07:21 AM Post #10
Forum Regular Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 28-February 07 From: Western Australia Member No.: 114,445	This is fabulous. I may have no idea how to use my computer, but it sure looks good.... thanks. -------------------- Feel free to assume that I won't know what you are talking about...

Joe_Brett View Member Profile	Mar 28 2007, 11:38 AM Post #11
Member Group: Members Posts: 138 Joined: 13-February 06 From: Bradford, England Member No.: 54,936	Great Tip mate... Thanks, Really cleared up my clustered desktop Wish i could think of a good tip for everyone -------------------- B R A D F O R D C I T Y A F C

wildchild2 View Member Profile	Apr 28 2007, 08:53 PM Post #12
Forum Regular Group: Members Posts: 162 Joined: 22-April 07 From: Queensland, Australia Member No.: 126,261	Thanks for this tip. It is just the best idea. I was running 2 dock programs (Rocketdock and Objectdock) so I could keep my shortcut icons off the desktop but this is a much better solution. Good work! -------------------- JIM My Website HP Pavilion Desktop, P4, WinXP Sp2, 512Mb ram, Now 3 Monitors 22", 19"and 15", Belkin cordless keyboard and mouse, AVG Free, Compaq Laptop, Firefox browser, Thunderbird email, Epson Stylus CX3100 Printer/Scanner,Speedtouch Modem,Netgear Router, ADSL Broadband, Fugi Digital Camera.

Commander Gman View Member Profile	Apr 28 2007, 09:02 PM Post #13
-In Training- Group: Members Posts: 1,196 Joined: 26-February 07 From: Vladivostok Member No.: 114,097	Great tip! -------------------- ^{_{It's cold in here...}}

Globe Roamer Jef... Globe Roamer Jeff View Member Profile	May 3 2007, 03:39 AM Post #14
Member Group: Members Posts: 86 Joined: 10-March 07 From: Australia Member No.: 116,663	All Right !! I like foolin' around so this should keep me entertained for quite some time. Probably end up in the HJT forum looking for someone to sort me out, but I'm gonna give it a go too.

Betrock View Member Profile	Jun 4 2007, 04:54 PM Post #15
New Member Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 3-June 07 Member No.: 134,501	QUOTE(rowal5555 @ Dec 6 2006, 06:42 PM) Nice tip, 1101doc. Merry Christmas to you too. I was going to make a new post yesterday but when I saw yours, decided to add my ideas here. I don't like any icons cluttering my desktop. It is very easy to clear these but still have them all handy by: Right clicking on an empty part of the desktop>go to Arrange Icons By> and untick Show Desktop Icons. The desktop will now be pristine. Go down to the Taskbar>right click on an empty portion>go to Toolbars>place a tick against Desktop, and you are done. You will now have little double arrows which will popup all your desktop items when required. There you are folks - two options for your desktop. Cheers That is sooo cool! Thanks! Best to all, Betrock

« Next Oldest · Tips and Tricks · Next Newest »

3 Pages

1 2 3 >

1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)

0 Members:

Display Mode: Standard · Switch to: Linear+ · Switch to: Outline

Track this topic · Email this topic · Print this topic · Subscribe to this forum

Lo-Fi Version

Time is now: 6th July 2008 - 04:39 PM

Advertise \| About Us \| Terms of Use \| Privacy Policy \| Contact Us \| Site Map \| Chat \| Tutorials \| Uninstall List
Discussion Forums \| The Computer Glossary \| Resources \| RSS Feeds \| Startups \| The File Database \| Malware Removal Guides