YOU’LL NEED THIS
RAINMETER
Download this free tool from www.rainmeter.net.
CAIRO
Visit https://cairoshell.com to download this handy app.
WINDYNAMIC DESKTOP
Grab this gratis tool from https://github.com/t1m0thyj/WinDynamicDesktop.
ARE YOU BORED with your Windows desktop? Perhaps the new Windows 11 refresh doesn’t quite grab you, or maybe you’ve decided to cut loose after years of making do with various shades of gray. The good news is that your desktop doesn’t have to remain staid and stale, and we’ve got all the tips and techniques you need to not only make it more attractive but more functional, too.
We open with a simple facelift using Windows’ own tools—a wallpaper change, a color scheme update, and a look at combining all your customizations into a single theme. Not radical enough? Check out the box on page 60 for a tool that can transform your desktop into something more dynamic, with a background image that magically updates as the sun rises, sets, and finally disappears behind the horizon.
If aesthetics aren’t your thing, we also introduce you to a desktop “skinning” tool called Rainmeter, which enables you to place a series of useful information tools—from clocks and to-do lists to system resource meters—on your desktop. And last, but by no means least, we introduce you to an even more radical tool, Cairo, which helps you change the way you use your desktop, transforming it into a tool that’s as practical as it’s pretty. –NICK PEERS
1 SIMPLE TWEAKS
If you’re just starting out in the world of desktop customization, you’ll find Windows offers many options within its own Settings app—right-click the desktop and choose “Personalize” to see what’s available. You’re shown a list of
