How to Make Your Desktop Look Cool

Last Updated: July 20, 2021

Are you tired of a bland, ordinary desktop on your computer? Are you trying to make your desktop look cool, but you don't know how? There are several ways you can make your desktop look cooler, ranging from simple to complex. In just a few minutes, you could have a completely different experience on your computer. See Step 1 below to learn how.

Steps

1
Build a library of cool wallpapers. The one thing you'll be looking at the most on your desktop is the background, or wallpaper. You can use virtually any picture as your wallpaper, and there are hundreds of sites online that hosts thousands upon thousands of wallpaper images. Pick a dozen or so that match your style and add them to your Windows wallpaper slideshow.
- For the best-looking wallpapers, ensure that they are the same size as your desktop resolution. This will keep them from stretching to fit your screen.
- To search for images of a specific resolution on Google Images, perform your search and then click the "Search tools" button. Click the Size menu and then select "Exactly". Enter in the resolution of your desktop.
2
Change your icons. Tired of your icons' outdated look? You can quickly change the icon of any of your desktop shortcuts, and there are countless icon packs available online. Find a pack that matches your aesthetic and color scheme.
- Changing your system icons could potentially mess up your computer, so make sure to create a restore point before making any changes to system files.
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3
Install a custom mouse cursor. Mouse cursors don't have to be boring white pointers! You can change your cursor for every situation, including general use, text entry, processing (hourglass), and more. You can even install animated cursors.
4
Change your Windows theme. You can quickly change the general look of your Windows installation by changing the theme. There are a variety of pre-installed themes available in almost any color combination, as well as many more available on the internet.
5
Add widgets to your desktop. Widgets are essentially mini-programs that are always open on your desktop. They display information such as news headlines, sports scores, weather, or anything else that might be updated online.
6
Give Windows a makeover. If changing the color scheme or adding widgets isn't drastic enough, you can completely change the way your desktop is presented by installing a new skin for Windows. This requires third-party software, but you will have a massive amount of control over the way Windows looks and how you interact with the desktop.
- Rainmeter is one of the most popular desktop-customization programs for Windows Vista - 8.
- Programs like Rainmeter can potentially damage your Windows installation. Make sure to create a restore point before making any changes.
7
Organize your desktop icons. By default, the icons on your desktop will stack up on the left side. This is fine if you only have a few icons, but chances are you have quite a few more than that. You can manually move them around your desktop to accentuate your wallpaper images, or you can use third-party software to create docks and contained areas for your different types of programs and files.
- Fences is one of the most popular desktop-organization programs for Windows.^{[1]
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Community Q&A

Question

What can I do to get an attractive desktop computer?

Olivia Obu

Community Answer

Change your background to a sunset or sunrise and change icons to pictures that you find beautiful or attractive. Change your theme colour to match your background. The possibilities are endless!