How to Customize Your Desktop Background and Screensaver in Windows 10
Tired of staring at the same old desktop background on your Windows PC? We all want our devices to feel more personal, displaying pictures and images that inspire us or reflect our personality. Windows 10 offers many options for customizing your desktop background, lock screen, and screensaver to give your computer a fresh new look.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to personalize the background on your Windows 10 desktop and lock screen. Whether you want to use your own photos, download beautiful backgrounds, or set up an automatic slideshow, we’ve got you covered. Follow along with these simple step-by-step instructions to makeover the face of your Windows 10 computer.
Change Background via Settings
The quickest and easiest way to change your desktop background is through the Settings app. Here’s how:
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Click the Start menu and select the Settings icon (shaped like a gear).
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Choose Personalization from the Settings menu.
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Select Background from the sidebar.
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Under Background, choose either Picture or Slideshow.
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For a single static image, select Picture. Click Browse to choose an image file from your computer.
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To set up a slideshow, choose Slideshow. Click Add folder and select a folder containing images.
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The background will automatically update with your new selection!
If your original Windows 10 background suddenly changed or disappeared, don’t worry. You may be able to restore it from the local C drive.
Follow these steps:
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Go to
C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaperwhere Windows stores wallpaper images. -
Under Choose your picture, click Browse.
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Navigate to the folder path and open it.
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Select the desired image file and click Choose picture.
The old wallpaper should now be set as your desktop background again!
Download New Wallpapers from Bing
Want fresh new desktop wallpapers? Bing offers a variety of beautiful, high-quality images you can use.
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Open www.bing.com in your favorite web browser.
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Browse through background images using the left and right arrow buttons.
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When you find one you like, select Download this image.
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The image will download to your computer.
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Open Settings > Personalization > Background
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Click Browse, locate the downloaded wallpaper, and select it.
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Click Choose picture. The Bing image now displays as your desktop background!
You can find images to match any taste or aesthetic this way. Download multiple wallpapers and set up a custom slideshow.
Use Third-Party Software to Restore Wallpapers
If your favorite desktop wallpaper went missing or became corrupted, specialized software may be able to recover it.
File recovery apps like Recuva scan your hard drive to rescue lost or deleted files. Follow these steps:
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Download and install Recuva or a similar file recovery program.
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Open the app and select the hard drive to scan.
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It will search for recoverable image files.
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Select the wallpaper file(s) to restore and click Recover.
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Save the wallpaper(s) to your computer again.
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Access the restored file(s) from Settings > Personalization.
With data recovery software, you can salvage treasured wallpapers that may seem lost forever.
Customize Your Screensaver
Personalizing your Windows desktop also includes choosing a screensaver. Follow these steps to customize screensaver settings:
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Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
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Select Screen saver settings.
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Choose a screensaver from the drop-down menu.
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Adjust the amount of time before the screensaver activates under Wait.
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Toggle settings like On resume, display logon screen.
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Click OK to apply your screensaver preferences.
With so many screensaver options, like photos and abstract images, find one that makes you smile each time it appears.
Conclusion
Windows 10 gives you incredible control to tailor your desktop experience. With the Settings app, downloaded wallpapers, recovery software, and screensaver customization, you can make your computer distinctly yours. A personalized background and screensaver boost your creativity and productivity.
Try rotating selections from your favorite photos or art. Contrast serene landscapes with colorful abstract images. Don’t be afraid to experiment until you find your ideal aesthetic. With these tips, you’ll enjoy custom desktop backgrounds that inspire and delight.
