Getting to Know Windows XP

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Lesson 10: Changing the screensaver

Clicking a shortcut icon opens the program or folder immediately. You can place as many shortcuts on your desktop as you find useful.

HINT: The Character Map is a useful tool when you want to add a special character to a document.

Lesson 10: Changing the screensaver

You can personalize the background area of your desktop with pictures, patterns, or colors. The background is considered a “property” of your desktop. This lesson will not only teach you how to personalize the background, but will also introduce you to properties.

The Windows® XP operating system treats all windows, icons, programs, drives, etc. as self-contained objects, each with its own set of properties (such as size, position on-screen, and color). Many of these properties can be customized to meet your particular needs and tastes.

DEFINITION: An object is an independent block of data, text, or graphics that was created by an individual application.

This lesson introduces object properties by showing you how to change one of the properties of the desktop—the screen saver. This is a continuously changing pattern that appears on the screen during pauses in your work.

1Move the pointer to an empty area of the desktop, then click the secondary button.

The desktop shortcut menu appears.