Questions tagged [desktop]
The part of a graphical user interface upon which other elements like icons, windows, toolbars or widgets are placed. For questions about software that provides this interface (like Gnome or KDE), use the [desktop-environments] tag. For questions about non-portable personal computers, use the [desktop-computer] tag.
145
questions
112
votes
11
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Is there a way to fake a dual (second) monitor
Is there a way to fake a dual monitor for testing.
I have only one monitor and I have to make an application that is suitable for two monitors.
The second monitor screen should appear as a window ...
19
votes
6
answers
41k
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Windows Split Desktop Utility [closed]
Is there such a thing? I don't want multiple separate desktops, what I'd like to be able to do is split my main desktop into two areas so that an application in one when maximized won't take up the "...
19
votes
5
answers
25k
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Organize desktop icons on Windows into categories or sections
I want to organize my Windows desktop icons by categories. Multimedia, system tools, editors, etc. I need to define rectangular areas of the desktop, then place the shortcut icons. They would stay ...
42
votes
2
answers
199k
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Can you change the location of the Desktop folder in Windows?
Right now the files on the desktop are located in C:\Users\Joseph\Desktop. So when I go to that folder in Windows Explorer and create a new text document, it would appear on my desktop.
What I need ...
35
votes
8
answers
190k
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Can a fake second display be enabled in Windows 10?
I just updated to Windows 10 and discovered that Microsoft broke this method of adding a fake second monitor: Is there a way to fake a dual (second) monitor which I rely on for scaling some small ...
83
votes
14
answers
44k
views
slow windows desktop keyboard shortcuts
I've got a couple of shortcuts on my desktop and on some of them I've configured the "Shortcut key" to a keyboard combination. For example I have a shortcut pointing to d:\documents\todo.txt ...
102
votes
4
answers
63k
views
Icon? file on OS X desktop
When I ls my Desktop from terminal (by using ls ~/Desktop), I see a file named Icon?. As far as I can tell, it's empty (nano Icon? shows nothing). It doesn't show up on my actual Desktop, and open ...
52
votes
3
answers
424k
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How do I reduce the desktop icon size in Windows 7?
How can I reduce the size of my desktop icons if the video resolution is already on the highest setting?
39
votes
11
answers
67k
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"Show Desktop" sometimes sets a window to "always on top"
No worries, not another "where is my show desktop button gone" question.
What I found under Windows 7, when you use the "Show Desktop" feature (I prefer the ⊞ Win + D shortcut) and then bring all ...
30
votes
7
answers
65k
views
Why do my shortcut icons get broken on Windows 7?
I have a strange problem. My icons seem to disappear randomly on my Windows 7. They were there a while back, now they ain't.
It happens often and quite randomly. Anyone know a fix?
29
votes
3
answers
64k
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Windows 10: Change shortcut keys to switch between desktops [duplicate]
In Windows 10, the shortcut keys for switching virtual desktop are ctrl + win + right / left arrow. I'd like to simplify it, by changing it to ctrl + right or left arrow key only. How can I do this?
17
votes
5
answers
131k
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How could I find out the path to the current desktop image?
I have Windows 7 displaying random images every minute from all of my photo directories and every so often there is one I really want to see again.
How can I either always display on the screen the ...
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Certain Windows 8.1 desktop apps will not start
I'm using a 64-bit Acer laptop running Windows 8.1.
When I try to start certain desktop apps, I get the error message (translated:)
This application could not be started because the Side-by-Side
...
65
votes
11
answers
166k
views
How can I get to the recycle bin without the desktop icon in windows 7?
I hate having anything on my desktop. I usually remove all the icons from the desktop, even the recycle bin. Occasionally I need to access the recycle bin, but having to re-enable the icon just to ...
54
votes
10
answers
385k
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How do I remove a MyBook's "WD SmartWare" virtual CD from my desktop?
I recently got a Western Digital MyBook external hard drive to enable Time Machine. It has its software installed on a "virtual CD" called "WD SmartWare" which shows up on the desktop any time the ...
40
votes
3
answers
231k
views
What are these green checkmarks on my Desktop icons?
I was playing the solitaire they added back in Windows 10 and when I closed it I noticed there were these green checkmarks on my Desktop icons:
What are these green checkmarks on my desktop? How do I ...
27
votes
5
answers
49k
views
How can I have Windows 8 go to the desktop by default?
I've played around a smidge with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a VirtualBox VM and I think the improvements under the hood may be worth tolerating the Metro UI crap. I don't like that the entire ...
19
votes
5
answers
44k
views
How can I restore a remote desktop session to the local console?
After I am finished with a remote desktop connection, I'd like to be able to restore the remote desktop to the local console so that the user doesn't have to re-enter the password and log back in.
...
5
votes
9
answers
12k
views
How can I make desktop.ini work on network locations?
I've got a simple desktop.ini file that applies a folder icon. It works just fine in a local folder.
I'd like it to work on a network location, as we have an external hard drive connected to our ...
37
votes
8
answers
60k
views
How to vertically split widescreen into two virtual workspaces on Ubuntu/Gnome?
My new laptop has a big 16:9 screen, and I'm finding it hard to fully utilize it during the 95% of the time that I'm not watching HD movies on it.
I'd like to set it up as a kind of virtual dual ...
9
votes
8
answers
22k
views
Looking for an application that scrolls or pans netbook screens running Windows
I'm looking for a Windows 7 and XP compatible Windows desktop panning/scrolling tool.
This is to solve a problem where some applications, for example MSN, have settings/preference Windows that are ...
6
votes
8
answers
20k
views
Is that true that if you keep bulky files on the Desktop then Windows slow down?
A friend of mine keep telling me that if I keep bulky files on
the desktop then Windows try to load them in cache and slow down?
I'm (almost) sure that this is not the case but how can
I demonstrate ...
1
vote
2
answers
14k
views
How to replace the Desktop background image with a solid color, using PowerShell and registry?
I would like to replace the default Desktop background image with a darker solid color, on an unregistered Windows 10 Pro (Insider Preview) edition. I am testing various terminal coloring schemes, and ...
68
votes
8
answers
235k
views
How to force Windows to save desktop icon positions?
Is there a way to force Windows to save desktop icon positions?
34
votes
3
answers
452k
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How do I rotate Windows 8 screen?
Most mobile devices like tablets or smartphones have an orientation sensor that signals the OS to rotate itself when the device is rotated.
But having installed Windows 8 on a desktop (or virtual ...
29
votes
3
answers
17k
views
Why do I have two desktop.ini files on my windows 8 desktop?
When I try to delete one of these two shortcuts, a message appears saying, "If you remove this file, Windows or another program may no longer work correctly."! I don't think that it is possible to ...
25
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Windows 11 desktop switching is slow since latest update
Since a recent Windows Update (2023-09 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030310) probably?), switching desktops is much slower.
I normally use Win+Tab, ...
25
votes
2
answers
54k
views
Displaying wallpaper when desktop is locked in Windows 7
is it possible to lock the desktop in Windows 7 and have it continue to display your desktop wallpaper rather than the default Win7 locked-workstation screen?
18
votes
5
answers
183k
views
Windows 10 Alt+Tab can't switch to desktop
In Windows 8, when Alt+Tab, the desktop would appear as an option to switch to at the end of the list of open programs (thus Alt-Shift-Tab helpfully took you right to the desktop).
In Windows 10 that ...
15
votes
1
answer
34k
views
How do I disable the Microsoft Edge search bar on the Windows desktop? [duplicate]
On Windows 10, recently a Microsoft Edge search bar started appearing on the desktop.
If you click the 3 dots menu there is an option to "Auto-launch search bar" which you can turn off and ...
14
votes
1
answer
62k
views
Whenever I change my desktop background, it changes my laptop's background as well
I recently got a new laptop. They're both Windows, so I used the same Microsoft account to log into both. When I turned my laptop on, it had the same background as my desktop, so I changed it, only to ...
13
votes
7
answers
26k
views
Is there a "save desktop icon arrangement" option in windows?
I normally work on Windows with a 1600x1200 or similar large desktop screen and have my icons laid out just perfectly so.
Every now and then I need to hook up to a projector or do a WebEx at 1024x768 ...
10
votes
2
answers
24k
views
How to use local html page as desktop/background
On a windows 7 computer how might one set the desktop to be a webpage. I want to have a local html file that I can edit as needed. Then windows should show that file as the background for the desktop ...
10
votes
3
answers
7k
views
How to modify / remove the bottom bar in Mac OS X?
How can we remove the "bottom bar" (that has all the icons) in Mac OS X? :
Also, is it possible to move it to the left or right side of the screen like how Windows taskbar does it? :
9
votes
1
answer
38k
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Is there a Windows tool for desktop divider (treating one display as two smaller displays) [duplicate]
I use two large LCD displays. I would like to treat one of the displays as two smaller displays.
It would be the opposite of merging two displays to become one continuous desktop space.
For example,...
9
votes
2
answers
82k
views
Is it possible to remove/hide Windows title bars?
I'm very used to my Linux desktop, but in my new job I'm forced to use Windows. For efficiency, I'm veeery used to minimize/maximize using keyboard shortcuts and move/resize windows using alt+mouse. ...
8
votes
3
answers
57k
views
Active Desktop for Windows 7 (Vista)?
Active Desktop for Windows 7 (Vista) - how do I install it on Windows 7/Vista?
Where is analogs? Is there such thing for Mac and Linux?
Is there a browser which can work under icons of desktop?
8
votes
6
answers
2k
views
How do I get a quick launch bar in Windows 7?
The pin programs to the taskbar is nifty, but I miss my old quicklaunch bar.
How do I get a quick launch bar in Windows 7 like XP had ?
8
votes
4
answers
41k
views
Windows 7 desktop does not automatically refresh
I am using Windows 7.
If I delete something from the desktop, then the icon remains there.
I have to hit F5 or right-click->Refresh to make the desktop refresh. After the refresh, the icon ...
7
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Desktop LCD monitor which allows backlight to be controlled in software
I would like to know if there is any standard or feature which allows desktop LCD monitors backlight control setting in software. I would like to know what I should be searching for. This is a pretty ...
7
votes
8
answers
9k
views
Recover Windows Opening Off Screen?
Background: I have a three monitor setup, but sadly one of my monitors has died (control board is probably bad). I'm using Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with an ATI Radeon HD 5670 card.
The third ...
6
votes
3
answers
16k
views
Hide public shortcuts in desktop without administrative privileges
I've looked on the multitude of questions related to Desktop icons in Windows 7 but I haven't found the answer I'm looking for yet.
The goal is to have Desktop icons on the Public folder such that ...
6
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Automatically show connected mass storage devices on Windows desktop
Is there way to automatically display connected mass storage devices on the Windows desktop, like most Unix-based operating systems are doing?
I didn't find any native ways to do that, but maybe ...
6
votes
6
answers
16k
views
Explorer (Desktop) Stops Refreshing
After using Windows 7 for a while (say, a few hours), Explorer always stops refreshing my desktop, and I have to close it and re-open it. E.g.: When I delete a file, it doesn't seem to go away even ...
5
votes
2
answers
5k
views
How to open a program on particular desktop?
When I start GUI program, it's window appears on the currently active desktop (essentially, on a random desktop).
How to make it appear on a specific desktop? For example, at startup I want certain ...
4
votes
3
answers
7k
views
How can I find the file that is currently used as a wallpaper in Windows 7?
How can I find the name (and path) to the desktop wallpaper file currently used by Windows 7? I followed the registry for the desktop wallpaper, which showed a file called "TranscodedWallpaper.jpg", ...
4
votes
3
answers
20k
views
Laptop as external monitor for desktop via DP/USB-C?
So with Windows 10's "Project to This PC" Miracast stuff, I can use my laptop as a third monitor for my desktop. However, this is laggy, not the highest quality, and requires an active connection. If ...
3
votes
2
answers
846
views
Moving windows on Windows like on Gnome (Alt+DnD)? [duplicate]
Is there a hidden setting or an external utility that would enable moving windows on Windows like on GNOME?
I'm particularly thinking of moving windows using Alt + Drag and drop (which can be changed ...
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a way to get a larger desktop than the screen?
Is there any freeware out there that will allow me to run the desktop that is larger than the resolution of the screen?
My situation:
Win XP, Dell Mini 10, iirc- Intel GMA950
I need to use a netbook ...
3
votes
2
answers
235
views
Does ClassicShell.net truly lets one boot to the desktop on Windows 8?
Many people complain about the start screen of Windows 8, especially people used to desktop PCs, rather than tablets. I have read contradictory comments about ClassicShell letting one boot to the ...