Wallpaper & Icons

[Sean]

Doing some personalizing.

Is there a way to ensure that the background is displayed first then the
icons?

Seems there is some colour difference surrounding each of the icons and text.

I never had a background prior and just recently established some wallpaper.

Also, how can I add/remove the items in this background list.

Thanks.

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
Doing some personalizing.
Is there a way to ensure that the background is displayed first then the
icons?

Well that's the plan

Post by Sean
Seems there is some colour difference surrounding each of the icons and text.

between the icons/text and the background? there would be unless the
background is exactly the same colour. (if you mean the icons/text are
different from each other then degauss your monitor and/or move anything
magnetic away from the monitor (speakers, TV, magnets))

Post by Sean
I never had a background prior and just recently established some wallpaper.
Also, how can I add/remove the items in this background list.

The Browse button will add them (and IIRC starts you in the directory
where the rest of them are)


Rick

[Sean]

Rick, good morning.

Icons and text are fine. The text under the icon is boxed in a colour not
similar to the background. Do not have any speakers are magnetics around.


Regarding removing items from the wallpaper; Im afraid I dont understand
your statement on how to removes them.

"and IIRC starts you in the directorywhere the rest of them are"

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
Rick, good morning.
Icons and text are fine. The text under the icon is boxed in a colour not
similar to the background. Do not have any speakers are magnetics around.

what I like about posting here is I have to find things out and
occasionally they're useful things...

You can change the desktop icon background colour at

Display/Appearance/(Item)/Desktop... the little colour-swatch there is it.

I changed it to a bright red to test and then spent 15 minutes trying to
get it back to where I had it... but now it matches my wallpaper
perfectly :)

Post by Sean
Regarding removing items from the wallpaper; Im afraid I dont understand
your statement on how to removes them.
"and IIRC starts you in the directorywhere the rest of them are"

and if you navigate thru WindowsExplorer there you can delete the ones
you don't want. IIRC if you Add them then Windows will copy from
wherever it originally was to that directory.



Rick

[Sean]

Rick, is there a default where there is no option but the background.

The display has numerous colours throughout the desktop.

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
Rick, is there a default where there is no option but the background.
The display has numerous colours throughout the desktop.

DisplayProperties/Appearance, there are 3 lists:

"Scheme" "Item" and "Font".


It will come up with your current Scheme.

Scroll through "Item" until you reach Desktop.

the the little 'Color' box to the right should be your Desktop
background color.



Rick
(I'm on Win2K right now, but I'm pretty sure it's the same on WinME)

[Sean]

Alright, how can I remove colour option.

Just want background.

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
Alright, how can I remove colour option.
Just want background.

what colour option? what are you trying to do and why?

[Sean]

I think whats happening is that I just had the windows blue screen in the
background.

Now, as I change the wallpaper, the same blue screen is showing in behind
the text in the icons.

What I am trying to address is "why the icon is not displaying on the top of
wallpaper" correctly.

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
I think whats happening is that I just had the windows blue screen in the
background.
Now, as I change the wallpaper, the same blue screen is showing in behind
the text in the icons.
What I am trying to address is
"why the icon is not displaying on the top of wallpaper"
correctly.

Is the icon not displaying on top of the wallpaper ?


Rick

[Sean]

The icon is showing above the wallpaper, Yes.

[Mike M]

Remember that Win Me does not have transparent icons so if you are using
wallpaper the desktop colour will always show as a box behind the text
below each icon. Third party add-ons are available to make the icons
transparent and to stop the desktop colour appearing around the text.

[Sean]

Thanks guys.

Any suggestions for third party software that would address this issue.

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
Thanks guys.
Any suggestions for third party software that would address this issue.

nothing free; I checked it out awhile ago; IIRC there's some commercial
stuff though. If you can get a background image with a constantish
colour where the fonts are you can colour match the Desktop colour to it
(like I did... looks cool)


Rick

[Mike M]

There used to be a program called Transparent 42 written by a guy called
Jay Guerette (http://www.pobox.com/~jayguerette/transparent) which was one
of a number of free applets but that site hasn't been around for some
time. Ah, putting Guerette and transparent into Google throws up several
hits including
http://www.geocities.com/mangokun/transparentgui/transparentgui.htm which
appears to be free.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP

Post by Rick T
nothing free; I checked it out awhile ago; IIRC there's some
commercial stuff though. If you can get a background image with a
constantish colour where the fonts are you can colour match the
Desktop colour to it (like I did... looks cool)

[Rick T]

Post by Mike M
There used to be a program called Transparent 42 written by a guy called
Jay Guerette (http://www.pobox.com/~jayguerette/transparent) which was
one of a number of free applets but that site hasn't been around for
some time. Ah, putting Guerette and transparent into Google throws up
several hits including
http://www.geocities.com/mangokun/transparentgui/transparentgui.htm
which appears to be free.

:)
nifty. thanks.

I'll use it next time I change BGs.


Rick

[Sean]

Issue resolved.

Thank you!

[Rick T]

Post by Sean
The icon is showing above the wallpaper, Yes.

and if you change the desktop background color then the icon background
color changes too right?


Rick

[Mike M]

Post by Rick T
and if you change the desktop background color then the icon
background color changes too right?

Yes <vbg>

[Rick T]

Post by Mike M

Post by Rick T
and if you change the desktop background color then the icon
background color changes too right?

Yes <vbg>

<snork>
gonna put in a routine that checks if you've posted in between when I
hit Reply and when I hit Send


Rick

[Mike M]

LOL - sorry to have butted in but I got the impression that Sean was going
round in circles. All that remains now is for him to fire up Google or
Yahoo or whatever and his "issue" will be solved. :-)

[Rick T]

Post by Mike M
LOL - sorry to have butted in but I got the impression that Sean was
going round in circles. All that remains now is for him to fire up
Google or Yahoo or whatever and his "issue" will be solved. :-)

not the "butting in"; I just usually post the same time you do (I
actually erased "Google is your friend" from the last set)


Rick

[pauly]

hi guys
I Just installed Windows XP Pro with SP2
i cannot get the Icon 'TEXT' on my DESKTOP to be transparent

- there is that Colored BOX around the TEXT under the icon..
(the box color can be changed in Display properties i know..)

how to make it so there is NO color around the text...?!
its really bugging me :)

i read some other threads..
i followed these directions: and restarted my pc..
Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:

1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects - check
"use drop shadows for icon labels".

2) Right-click on Desktop ->Arrange Icons by>Lock Web items must be
cleared.

3) If you have any web content on your desktop, transparency won't work.
To check for web content: Display Properties>Desktop>Customize
Desktop>Web - make sure all checkboxes are clear.

4) Wallpaper must be an image file, not html.


on my old WinXP Home edition , i didnt have this problem.

[Mike M]

Post by pauly
I Just installed Windows XP Pro with SP2

And you are posting to a newsgroup supporting those who run Windows
Millennium.

Post by pauly
1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects -
check "use drop shadows for icon labels".

This is all that is required is you use Classic View. (Folder Options |
General) If however you choose to use eye candy mode then you get what you
pay for. <g>
--
Mike Maltby

Post by pauly
hi guys
I Just installed Windows XP Pro with SP2
i cannot get the Icon 'TEXT' on my DESKTOP to be transparent
- there is that Colored BOX around the TEXT under the icon..
(the box color can be changed in Display properties i know..)
how to make it so there is NO color around the text...?!
its really bugging me :)
i read some other threads..
i followed these directions: and restarted my pc..
1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects -
check "use drop shadows for icon labels".
2) Right-click on Desktop ->Arrange Icons by>Lock Web items must be
cleared.
3) If you have any web content on your desktop, transparency won't
work. To check for web content: Display Properties>Desktop>Customize
Desktop>Web - make sure all checkboxes are clear.
4) Wallpaper must be an image file, not html.
on my old WinXP Home edition , i didnt have this problem.

[Panji]

Actually, your "Classic" comment is not true. We have not used the "Classic"
for years and still put our own images on the desktop. We were using the PC
just ten minutes ago, not involved in any settings windows, and the damned
transparent labels disappearred. I have double-checked all of our settings,
to no avail. Unfortunately, I cannot remember how in the world we resolved
this issue in the past (it has happened before).

Post by Mike M

Post by pauly
I Just installed Windows XP Pro with SP2

And you are posting to a newsgroup supporting those who run Windows
Millennium.

Post by pauly
1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects -
check "use drop shadows for icon labels".

This is all that is required is you use Classic View. (Folder Options |
General) If however you choose to use eye candy mode then you get what you
pay for. <g>
--
Mike Maltby

Post by pauly
hi guys
I Just installed Windows XP Pro with SP2
i cannot get the Icon 'TEXT' on my DESKTOP to be transparent
- there is that Colored BOX around the TEXT under the icon..
(the box color can be changed in Display properties i know..)
how to make it so there is NO color around the text...?!
its really bugging me :)
i read some other threads..
i followed these directions: and restarted my pc..
1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects -
check "use drop shadows for icon labels".
2) Right-click on Desktop ->Arrange Icons by>Lock Web items must be
cleared.
3) If you have any web content on your desktop, transparency won't
work. To check for web content: Display Properties>Desktop>Customize
Desktop>Web - make sure all checkboxes are clear.
4) Wallpaper must be an image file, not html.
on my old WinXP Home edition , i didnt have this problem.

[Mike M]

Post by Panji
Actually, your "Classic" comment is not true. We have not used the
"Classic" for years and still put our own images on the desktop. We
were using the PC just ten minutes ago, not involved in any settings
windows, and the damned transparent labels disappearred. I have
double-checked all of our settings, to no avail. Unfortunately, I
cannot remember how in the world we resolved this issue in the past
(it has happened before).

You still appear to have problems in understanding that this newsgroup is
for those running the Win Me operating system rather than for those
running XP. My earlier post still stands as to what is required to enable
transparent labels, that is:

System Properties | Advanced | Performance Settings | VisualEffects and
check the box "use drop shadows for icon labels".

If you use Classic View this is all that is required, however if you use
eyecandy view then play away at the various settings all you want. Oh,
and my Classic View comment IS correct, however since you are running in
eyecandy mode then as I say, you have many other settings to play with as
well but nevertheless ensure that you have "use drop shadows for icon
labels" checked.

[Mart]

Mike, you wrote :-

You still appear to have problems in understanding that this newsgroup ..

Err, actually Mike this poster is Panji - the OP was Pauly <g>

However, although I wholeheartedly concur with your other comments vis.
eye-candy, then if that's what Panji really wants then he seems to have
overlooked the blindingly obvious - System Restore.

Mart
(Still impressed with Freesat)

Post by Panji
Actually, your "Classic" comment is not true. We have not used the
"Classic" for years and still put our own images on the desktop. We
were using the PC just ten minutes ago, not involved in any settings
windows, and the damned transparent labels disappearred. I have
double-checked all of our settings, to no avail. Unfortunately, I
cannot remember how in the world we resolved this issue in the past
(it has happened before).

You still appear to have problems in understanding that this newsgroup is
for those running the Win Me operating system rather than for those
running XP. My earlier post still stands as to what is required to enable
System Properties | Advanced | Performance Settings | VisualEffects and
check the box "use drop shadows for icon labels".
If you use Classic View this is all that is required, however if you use
eyecandy view then play away at the various settings all you want. Oh,
and my Classic View comment IS correct, however since you are running in
eyecandy mode then as I say, you have many other settings to play with as
well but nevertheless ensure that you have "use drop shadows for icon
labels" checked.
--
Mike Maltby

[Mike M]

Thanks Mart.

So which OS is Panji using? If Win Me then you need a third party add-on
to get transparent labels,

Freesat - still need to talk but I need to be more on the ball than I am
at present to make any sense and to understand .what you're up to.
--
Mike Maltby

Post by Mart
Mike, you wrote :-

Post by Mike M
You still appear to have problems in understanding that this
newsgroup ..

Err, actually Mike this poster is Panji - the OP was Pauly <g>
However, although I wholeheartedly concur with your other comments
vis. eye-candy, then if that's what Panji really wants then he seems
to have overlooked the blindingly obvious - System Restore.

[Winston 82]

thx worked 1st time...

Post by pauly
hi guys
I Just installed Windows XP Pro with SP2
i cannot get the Icon 'TEXT' on my DESKTOP to be transparent
- there is that Colored BOX around the TEXT under the icon..
(the box color can be changed in Display properties i know..)
how to make it so there is NO color around the text...?!
its really bugging me :)
i read some other threads..
i followed these directions: and restarted my pc..
1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects - check
"use drop shadows for icon labels".
2) Right-click on Desktop ->Arrange Icons by>Lock Web items must be
cleared.
3) If you have any web content on your desktop, transparency won't work.
To check for web content: Display Properties>Desktop>Customize
Desktop>Web - make sure all checkboxes are clear.
4) Wallpaper must be an image file, not html.
on my old WinXP Home edition , i didnt have this problem.