On Windows 7 first and Windows 10 then, one of the most accurate and improved features compared to the previous editions Vista and Xp is the graphics of the desktop and the ability to customize it as you want. As I see it, the desktop, that is the screen from which the computer starts, must be, in addition to being beautiful to look at, orderly and well organized, without piles of icons scattered haphazardly, so as to immediately find the programs you use often . In this article then I propose some ways to keep the desktop clean and organized thanks to a selection of wallpapers, wallpapers, menus and tools valid for all Windows versions.
First, if you have a background full of disorganized icons, instead of deleting them one by one, it is better to delete them all and not use them anymore.
Those who have a habit of launching programs from desktop icons may not agree, however, removing all the icons will give Windows a minimalist but very clean and tidy appearance. There are two easy ways to delete all desktop icons (except the trash can):
manually deleting all links and moving files and documents to another folder;
Right click on the desktop, select the " View " item, and deselect " Show desktop icons ".
To hide the recycle bin, only if available (not in the Home versions of Windows) you can go to Start -> Run, write gpedit.msc and open the local Group Policy.
From this window, go to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> remove trash .
After the change, you must restart your computer.
With a special program it is also possible to do a different thing, that is to hide the icons from the desktop and make them reappear automatically when you click.
In case you really don't want to give up icons on the desktop screen, I highly recommend the use of a tool called Nimi Places to put important folders on the desktop as panes in an organized way.
This program is free and is similar to Stardock Fences which allows you to organize icons in groups in a better way, but it is not free.
Another program called MaxMax, a free tool for Windows that simply allows you to define the margins of the windows, when you click the button to maximize (the one in the upper right next to the X). In this way, a part of the desktop is always visible even when opening a thousand programs.
READ ALSO: improve the graphics of the desktop and windows
Not to be maniacs but, if you really wanted everything clean, you must also hide the application bar at the bottom. Hiding the Start bar is very easy and just press the right button on the bar, go to the system tray settings, and select the item hide automatically .
In this way the bar that also has the clock disappears but reappears automatically when you move the mouse cursor to the bottom of the screen.
On Windows 7, you cannot hide the taskbar by dragging it down; the only way to make it disappear completely is through an external tool called ShellWin .
Alternatively, if you want to keep the taskbar, it would be appropriate to consider upgrading it by installing a super program launcher bar (especially recommended for Windows XP)
Now that everything has been hidden, with a nice clean desktop, you can organize a new button panel to launch the programs and files that you use frequently.
To organize links and documents you can install a small tool that creates a new Mac OS-style bar .
They are the so-called Docks, treated in another post on the best programs start menus and Dock bars .
Among them certainly stands out the famous RocketDock which presents, by default, the classic desktop shortcuts but which you can customize as you wish. The dock can be added to both sides of the screen and you can automatically hide it as you did for the classic bar.
Once the links are placed in a quick start panel, everything else that remains a bit hidden can instead be started via a textual program start. These are programs that present themselves as a search bar from which to search for any document, file or program and start it .
Launchy is one of the best and also has an autocompletion which facilitates the memory in searching for anything on the computer. In Windows 10 this type of tools is obsolete because it is already present with a search box on the start menu of the taskbar.
The use of these programs is a recommended proposal but I must point out that software such as Launchy and RocketDock are started in the background so they consume some memory and computer resources.
In the end, after organizing all the start panels, the ordered icons, with all the tools you need in their place, you can customize the desktop and make it more beautiful to see .
The guide to change colors, fonts and buttons of windows and Windows menus is in another post.
I also remember:
- The best sites to download high quality desktop wallpapers and wallpapers for PC, even in high resolution and for 16/9 monitors.
- How to automatically change your desktop wallpaper
- The best animated screensavers to download for free.
- Change Colors in Windows 10, Dark or Light on Menus, Windows and desktops.
Among the best sites where to find and download all possible desktop customizations, themes, icons, backgrounds and various tools for Windows 7, one cannot fail to remember once again Deviant ART, as seen in the article of the best desktop themes by Windows 7 (including the official Microsoft ones).
To find Themes for Windows 10, however, you can use the Microsoft store as seen in the article on the best Windows 10 themes with dynamic backgrounds: Pink, Blue, Animals, Tech and Landscapes
