Desktop (Windows)

On your keyboard, press the Windows and D keys. You should be staring at your desktop (this command just minimizes all windows, by the way. Press it again to return to the way things were).

The Windows desktop is an area for shortcuts to frequently used programs, temporary storage of files, and something pretty to look at. Windows actually uses your desktop as the basic gateway to pretty much anything on your computer, but for the end user the desktop is typically just a handy place to store things (and, like my dorm room, they tend to fill up with junk that has to be periodically cleaned up).

How do I change the background picture?

This is known as your wallpaper, which can be changed by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting Properties from the menu that appears. Click on the Desktop tab in the window that appears and choose a new image (note that you can add your own images by clicking Browse and navigating to wherever it was that you stored them).

Where can I find cool wallpapers?

To the internet we go! There are hundreds of wallpaper repository sites out there. Here are a few:

• Deviant Art - A huge art site. Search specifically for wallpapers to see their (extensive and varied) collection).
• Caedes - lots of cool abstract and nature wallpapers.
• Wincustomize - another general wallpaper (and other stuff) repository
• Depthcore - abstract and CG images
• Digital Blasphemy - CG images (abstract and landscape)
• Astronomy Picture of the Day - space!
• Art of Greg Martin - general cool wallpapers