Chapter 10: Customizing Your Computer

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings

Adjusting the color depth and screen area are two of the most basic display settings you may need to change. You can also adjust settings such as the screen background and screen saver.

Adjusting the color depth

Color depth is the number of colors your screen displays. Various image types require various color depths for optimum appearance. For example, simple color drawings may appear adequately in 256 colors while color photographs need millions of colors to be displayed with optimum quality.

Windows lets you choose from several color depth settings. We recommend that you use the 32-bit True Color setting at all times.

If the color in your images seems “false” or “jumpy,” especially after you have played a game or run a video-intensive program, check the color depth setting and return it to 32-bit True Color, if necessary.

To change the color depth:

1 In Windows XP, click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If your Control Panel is in Category View, click Appearance and Themes.

- OR -

In Windows 2000, click Start, Settings, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

2 Click/Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

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Gateway 450 manual Adjusting the screen and desktop settings, Adjusting the color depth, To change the color depth, 168