Post your laptop wallpaper and setup. - Page 4

Hi, this would be my second time showing my desktop in forums, but I need some help please.



^ This is the picture of what my desktop looks like.

You see that start menu, it in classic mode, i like classic mode, but i was wondering how i can chagne the looks of it, possibly turn it black or various difference colours.

So that my first problem.

The second problem is this.


Each time i take a screenshot of my stuff, i have to edit it, the only exceptions is in games.

So you can see what happens when i take a screen shot.

Another thing is when you look at that 2nd pic, that black streak acts like a wall, if my mouse touches that area it won't go any further.
BUT is my mouse is up there and i move it over, it gets lost!, then i have drag my mouse back to the desktop.
You know what i mean?

So I really need that to be fixed too!

Here are my computer specs.
17" Flat Screen CRT 1280x1024 @60mhz, max res = 1600x1200
Intel P4 2.53Ghz (no HT, no OC)
Nvidia Geforce 4 ti 4200 128mb (no OC)
512mb DDR
WD 120GB @7200 rpm
WD 160GB @7200 rpm

Aside notes, about 2 years ago i was playing with my S-video cable and my TV, and it worked, then i formatted my computer. About 3 months ago i tried to run S-video but i messed up!, and it took my several hours to get my desktop back to normal, but the side effect is that picture 2!.

I think my GPU or something still thinks I'm using 2 screens or something, i don't know, im really just confused!! LOL Plz help.

I have the Latest Nforce drivers, i also have Nview options disabled, i enabled them one day to look at it and it was boring, and it was not able to give me my temps for my GPU .

I do want my GPU temp, but i wanna get my Desktop problem solved aswell.

Well, i hope you can help.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

I can only advise you on your first issue, since I don't know much about screen capturing. If you want to change your taskbar and theme.. go here:

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showforum=36

download the theme multi-patcher and browse through the completed visual styles. you can find a lot more themes at www.deviantart.com ..I know there's a black classic windows theme somewhere there.. I believe it's by the artists named "dobee".

specifically, the uxtheme patch can be directly downloaded here. Although Deviant Art does have themes to choose from, I've found a much wider selection at www.belchfire.net, and that is where I typically get mine from.

For a black taskbar theme example, here's my present desktop. The theme's called "Arysta" if you're interested.


It sounds to me like you may have some skewed second monitor settings. If you go into display properties under the Settings tab, you can select the position of your second monitor in relation to your primary one, or disable it entirely. I'm guessing that you have "extend Windows desktop onto this monitor" checked for your second monitor option. If you uncheck that box for the second monitor, (but make sure to keep it for your primary monitor) I think your problem should go away.

OMG!!! thanks djembe!! you did, your right, it was extending to the 2nd monitor (Tv), now my SS function works perfectly .

Hmm, i looked at VS and WB, bah its ok.... sure you can do some nice stuff with it, ohwell not for me thanks for the links

Thanks,

MysticGolem

oh yah, i do like ur theme Arysta, but it's not classic, lol, i like classic, maybe in the future if i want to go that modern style, i would definately like Arysta, are you using VS or WB for thaT?

Thanks,

MysticGolem

hmm, kool i dint even notice that, but thanks , its not quite what i'm looking for but, don't worry about it, Windows Blind and Visual Styles was what i was looking at, but it seems a little weird to change things that much.

So i'm gonna stay with my basic setup , i like it like that.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

Windows Vista will hopefull introduce some new looks too.

Nothing much that cant be done to XP using themes....

where did you get this theme? i like it

The theme is called RV Executive V4, and you can get it here

The background doesn't come with it. Here's the image I used:

What utility program do you guys use to display the CPU temperature in the taskbar tray? I'm assuming they are cpu temps... or are they hard drive temperatures?

Oh, here's a newbie question... what are the difference between StyleXP, WindowsBlind, DesktopX and.. uxtheme?

I installed StyleXP and liked it... but what's the difference between thems and visual styles?


Thanks,

Phil.

Motherboard Monitor can put temperatures voltages and clock speeds etc down there I think.

I'm using Notebook Hardware Control to display the CPU temps.

StyleXP, WindowBlinds, and Desktop X are programs that allow you to use different themes. The uxtheme patch allows you to do that without running a program.

Visual Styles are just aspects of a theme.

Thanks Dejmbe! =) Notebook Hardware Control is nice! I'll have to read the documentations a bit more indepth to figure out the dynamic switching functions and CPU control... I have a core duo T2300 and the graph is showing me it's switching between 1ghz and 1.67ghz continuously even if I have the AC plugged in and set to "max performance." :?

Regarding the themes... sounds like the advantage of uxtheme is that it take up no system resources? and the themes.. are they pretty much "universal"? or do certain themes work only with stylexp, desktopx, uxtheme..etc?

Thanks,

Phil.

Yup, the uxtheme just patches windows, so more themes can be used in addition to the 3 default win xp ones... no additional resources are being used. Style XP and Windowblinds are programs that do use additional resources. And yes, some themes are designed for either one, so you won't be able to use a WB theme without the program. But personally, I prefer the uxtheme patch.. there are a lot of themes already available for it, and some are even better than WB themes. Search around the Deviantart, Neowin, and Belchfire sites.

Wait a minute.... so you bought a mac so that you could install XP on it, and make it _look like_ a mac. Couldn't you have just kept the mac install?

Or if you are going for the XP stability, why pay the extra for mac hardware?