screen background in XP

[Jim Hawkins]

I have a .jpg picture (800 X 632 X 16M - 45kb) which I'd like to use as my screen background. Can it be done ? If so, how ?

[Robin]

yes

you guidance as to how to do it

[Mr Pounder]

Right click on image and if the option to set as background is there select it.

[Phil L]

right click on desktop>properties>desktop>browse to any picture you like and apply

10 seconds max, unless you can't find the picture.

[jgh]

SYS "SystemParametersInfo", SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, filename$, SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE

JGH

[Andy Burns]

SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE

It might be worth mentioning that this method requires installation of BBC BASIC for Windows!

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Robin writes

I've always done it through Control Panel etc. However, a slightly quicker way is to right click on the existing desktop screen, in box click 'Properties' (opens Display Properties), click Desktop tab, browse to and select the required image.

[Cash]

The way I do it in XP SP3 Home is to convert it to a Bitmap image [1], save it, and then copy and paste (or drag and drop it) into Explorer > Windows where it will show up in Display Properties > Desktop where the other Backgrounds are available and you can change between Backgrounds at will without losing it.

If you want to have a check first, navigate to Explorer and click on Windows, have a look in the Right hand pane and you'll the Backgrounds such as Soap Bubbles etc in amongst the files there.

[1] The same method will work on JPEGs

Hope this helps

Cash

[The Natural Philosopher]

cinch really resize it to your computer scereen size, then simply (add it to the directory where these thigs are stored and) select it

I am not even sure the last part is needful: IIRC you can select any jpeg you want.

[The Natural Philosopher]

not sure any need to convert a jpeg, or is that what you meant?

[John Rumm]

There was a time (long ago) where the image needed to be a bmp... however beyond many of the sample wallpaper images still being in that format, there is no actual need even if they might encourage that line of thought.

[John Rumm]

The system can stretch the image for you, but it has limitations. For example a 4:3 image stretched to fit a 16:10 desktop never looks good, and manually cropping to the required aspect ratio first will help greatly.

[Cash]

TNP,

As you say, there is no need to convert a JPEG to Bitmap in XP.

Cash

[Cash]

I convert them to Bitmap John out of habit - I prefer, and still use Windows

98SE whenever I can and you have to convert there.

Cash

[Robin]

Yes - but that does require the user to know what/where is the desktop, and if the user needs to ask in the first place......... ;)

[John Rumm]

If you turn on "active desktop" in 98 then you can use JPEG there as well.

BMP is ok, but having practically* no image compression capability makes for rather large file sizes.

• Apart from RLL which is only of use on images with large slabs of solid colour.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Robin writes

Yes, I too hate it when a description assumes you know more than you actually do. I had naturally assumed that the OP would know what the actual 'desktop' is.

[John Williamson]

The requirement for it to be a .bmp image of the right size went away with the web enabled desktop in Windows 98.

[John Williamson]

A neat trick to get a graduated background in '98 with a very small desktop image is to enable the Active Desktop, and generate a two pixel jpeg file, and use "stretch to fit" as the positioning option. A two way gradient needs four pixels.

Yup, it works in Windows 7, too.

[Graham.]

It doesn't really exist, no part of a GUI does, it's just a concept. You might as well say the desktop is located under a given profile in c:\documents and settings.

Anyway, a desktop perpendicular to the horizontal? All your stuff will roll off.