Maximize windows on the desktop using Snap in Windows 7

While there are many ways to maximize a window, Microsoft had added few to its already existing list. Snap, a new feature in Windows 7 helps you to maximize, minimize, arrange the window to the top or left portion on the desktop. To maximize a window using Snap, click and drag the mouse cursor to the top most part of the screen and release the mouse button when you see a graphic displaying the outline of the expanded window.
You may also perform the same by pressing the Windows Logo key + Up arrow key.

Other ways to maximize a window:
Double-click on the title bar of the window.
Click on the center button from the right part of the title bar in a window.
Press the Shift key and right-click on the program icon from the taskbar and click Maximize.
Press Alt + Spacebar + X keys from the keyboard.

Create a desktop background slide show in Windows 7

For users who change the desktop wallpaper often, Windows 7 introduces a cool feature that performs slide show of the pictures. You have the option of using the pictures that are provided as part of a theme in Windows or you may use your own pictures to create the desktop slide show. To create a desktop background slideshow, perform the following steps:
1. Click Start button , in the Search programs and files box, type desktop background. Click Change desktop background.
Step 1 can also be performed by right-clicking on an empty place on the desktop, clicking Personalize and then clicking Desktop Background.
2. In the Choose your desktop background window, you may choose the pictures that Windows provides or you may choose your own pictures.
To select the pictures that Windows provides, click the Picture location: list
To select your own pictures, click Browse button and select the folder that contains your desktop background pictures.
3. By default all pictures are selected. You may uncheck to remove the pictures from the slide show.
4. You may customize further by:
Changing the picture position - Click the Picture position: list. You have the following options:
Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center
Changing the time for the next picture to appear as the desktop wallpaper - Click the Change picture every: list and choose the time value.
Make random selection of pictures - Click to place a checkmark beside Shuffle to have the pictures appear in a random order.
5. Click Save changes.

Minimize all open windows to view the desktop in Windows 7

It will be tiring to minimize each and every open window to view the desktop. There are few ways (say a mouse click or a few key strokes to hit) to view the desktop.

Minimize all open windows using mouse
Click the Show desktop button from the notification area on the taskbar.

Minimize all open windows using keyboard
Press Windows Logo key + D. Press these key combinations again to restore the minimized windows.
You can also minimize all open windows by pressing Windows Logo key + M except that to restore the minimized windows, you have to press the Windows Logo key + Shift + M keys.

Turn off slideshow in Windows 7

You do not have turn on or turn off option for the slide show in Windows 7. To turn off the slide show, you have to uncheck all the pictures except one. Perform the following steps to do so:
1. Click Start button , in the Search programs and files box, type desktop background. Click Change desktop background.
2. In the Choose your desktop background window, hover your mouse over the picture and uncheck to remove the pictures from the slide show. Repeat this for all the pictures except one.
3. Click Save changes.

Adjust the screen resolution in Windows 7

To adjust the screen resolution, perform the following steps:
1. Right-click on an empty place on the desktop and click Screen resolution.
2. In the Change the appearance of your display page, click Resolution: and move the slider to the resolution that you want.
3. Click Apply and then click OK.

Change the desktop wallpaper in Windows 7

To change the desktop background (wallpaper), perform the following steps:
1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.
2. If the View by: is Category then click on Appearance and Personalization and then click Personalization. If the View by: is Large icons or Small icons then click on Personalization.
3. Click Desktop Background.
4. Choose your desktop background from the Picture Location: list or click Browse to select picture from your computer or from other sources.
You may also click Select all button to select all the pictures that are in Picture location.
5. Click Save changes.

Note:
You may add more than one picture to be as the desktop background. When you do this, Change picture every: list gets enabled and you can choose to change the pictures as specified in the Change picture every: list. You may also shuffle the pictures.

How to remove the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop in Windows 7?

You cannot remove the Recycle Bin icon by pressing the Delete key from the keyboard. To remove the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop, perform the following:
1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize.
2. From the left pane, click on Change desktop icons to open Desktop Icon Settings dialog box.
3. Click to remove the check mark beside Recycle Bin.
4. Click Apply and then click OK.

No icons on the desktop in Windows 7

You may right-click on an empty space on the desktop, point to View and then click to place the check mark beside Show desktop icons to view the desktop icons.

To hide the icons, right-click on an empty space on the desktop, point to View and then click to remove the check mark beside Show desktop icons.

Change the icon of the Recycle Bin in Windows 7

You may change the icon of the Recycle Bin by performing the following steps:

1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize.
2. From the left pane, click Change desktop icons.
3. In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box, click on the Recycle Bin (full) picture and click on Change Icon... button.
4. From the Change Icon dialog box, select the icon and click OK to close the Change Icon dialog box.
2. Click Apply and then click OK.

Add desktop icons in Windows 7

By default, only Recycle Bin icon is present on the desktop. You may add other icons like Computer, User's files, Network, Control Panel icons to the desktop by performing the following steps:

1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize.
2. From the left pane, click Change desktop icons.
3. In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box, under Desktop icons section, click to place a check mark to make the icons appear on the desktop.
4. Click Apply and then click OK.

Add Computer icon to the desktop in Windows 7

By default, Computer icon is not present on the desktop. You may add the Computer icon to the desktop by performing the following steps:

1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize.
2. From the left pane, click Change desktop icons.
3. In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box, under Desktop icons section, click to place a check mark beside Computer.
4. Click Apply and then click OK.

Recycle Bin icon missing from the desktop. How to restore the Recycle Bin icon to the desktop in Windows 7?

Recycle Bin holds the deleted files. For some reasons, if the Recycle Bin icon does not appear on the desktop then you may perform the following steps to restore the Recycle Bin icon back to the desktop:

1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize.
2. From the left pane, click Change desktop icons.
3. In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box, under Desktop icons section, click to place a check mark beside Recycle Bin.
4. Click Apply and then click OK.