3 Ways to Personalize a Windows Computer Using Pictures

Windows 7, the latest client version in the Mi... 

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You can make your computer user experience unique by adding your family pictures or images from the Internet. Here are three simple ways to personalize your computer using pictures.

1. Change Desktop Background

You can add a personal touch to your computer desktop using your own pictures. To perform this task, you would go to control panel, select personalization and then desktop backgrounds. On the desktop background window, click on the browse tab to select the location on your computer where your picture is stored. You can customize the picture appearance such as making it centered or fill the desktop screen.

2. Add Screen Saver

To setup a screen saver, you would first have to create a picture folder in the “My Pictures” section on your computer. The picture folder can contain one image or multiple images. Next, go to control panel, select personalization and then select screen saver. In the drop down list select photo, then click on the settings tab to select the location of the picture folder. You can select the slideshow speed, shuffle the pictures and customize how many minutes of computer inactivity the screen saver should display on your screen.

3. Add/Change Account Picture

If you’ve created an administrator or alternate user accounts on your computer, you can select an image for each account. In the user account setup screen, you can choose an image provided by Windows or click on browse more pictures to select your own image. If you want to later change your image, go to the personalization settings, select change account picture, then select a Windows image or choose your own image.

3 Quick Ways to Boost Speed on Your Computer

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If a slow computer is getting in your way of quickly surfing the web or using certain programs, you don’t have to be frustrated any longer. Here are three quick fixes that can boost performance on your computer.

1. Free up Disk Space

Whenever you visit websites, temporary Internet files are stored on your computer’s hard drive. These files are snippets of every website you’ve visited which allows the webpage to load faster. Over time, temporary Internet files can take up large amounts of space on your hard drive and slow your computer down. Some other ways to free up disk space on your hard drive is to remove programs you don’t use and empty your trash bin. You can utilize the link to free up disk space on your Windows computer.

2. Defragment Hard Drive

When files are fragmented, they are scattered in pieces on your hard disk which can significantly reduce the speed of your computer. Running a disk defragmenter will piece files back together in one location which makes it quicker for your computer to search for files. Microsoft recommends doing a disk defragmentation on a weekly basis.

3. Install Spyware Removal Software

Spyware is malicious software that gets installed on your computer without your permission in order to retrieve sensitive data like usernames and passwords. Spyware installation can occur by visiting unsafe websites or by downloading a corrupted file. Spyware can infect your computer causing speed and overall performance to deteriorate. Microsoft offers a free antivirus/antispyware program that’s part of its Security Essentials software.