How to Make Your Windows Desktop Look Cool: 8 Tips & Tricks

Are you tired of a bland, ordinary desktop on your computer? Are you trying to make your desktop look cool, but you're unsure how? There are several ways you can make your desktop look cooler, ranging from simple to complex. In just a few minutes, you could have a completely different experience on your computer. See Step 1 below to learn how.

Make Your Desktop Look Better

To quickly make your desktop look cool, use customization apps such as Rainmeter or Windhawk to add skins and widgets. Add animated wallpapers using the Lively Wallpaper app or Wallpaper Engine on Steam. Use ExplorerPatcher or Start11 for full control over your Windows Start menu.

Section 1 of 8:

Rainmeter

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Use Rainmeter for full desktop customization. With Rainmeter, you can browse through an entire library of plug-ins and themes created by the community. You can download skins that serve as presets for your desktop, or you can mix and match different features, UI styles, and more.^{[1]
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- You can download Rainmeter on the official website.

Section 2 of 8:

Lively Wallpaper

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Lively Wallpaper is a free app that lets you have animated wallpapers. Choose from a wide variety of live wallpapers in the gallery, or upload and customize your own. You can even customize the background to react to your mouse movements for an even more interactive experience.
- You can find and download the Lively Wallpaper app from the Microsoft Store.

Section 3 of 8:

Wallpaper Engine

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You can select from a large selection of wallpapers created by the community. You can even upload and create your own animated wallpaper, whether for your own use or to share with the community. To use Wallpaper Engine, you'll need to download Steam and then purchase and download Wallpaper Engine from the Steam store.

Section 4 of 8:

TranslucentTB

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Make your taskbar translucent or transparent with TranslucentTB. This free app is available for download from the Microsoft Store. While it's a simple app, if you're looking for a more immersive or refined look, a translucent taskbar can be exactly what your desktop needs.
- Download TranslucentTB from the Microsoft Store.

Section 5 of 8:

ExplorerPatcher

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For example, if you're using Windows 11 and prefer some Windows 10 aspects, ExplorerPatcher allows you to revert it back. You can change the typical horizontal taskbar to a vertical one if you'd like. You can even change the ribbon in File Explorer if you don't like the look of the new one.

Section 6 of 8:

Start11

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Customize your start menu with Start11. One of the limitations of Windows 11 is that you can't fully customize the Start menu to your liking. For example, you're unable to take off the "Recommended" section or organize your Start apps into groups. With Start11, you can organize your apps any way you'd like, and you can even customize the color and transparency of the Start menu.
- Start11 is available through a free trial, but you must purchase it to continue using it after the trial period.

Section 7 of 8:

Windhawk

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Windhawk is a full customization app for Windows. This app essentially functions as a mod manager for various Windows mods; you'll need to search for and download specific mod customizations that you want. Once Windhawk is downloaded and installed, you can install a mod that completely customizes the Start menu, add a function that closes the taskbar with a middle click, and more.
- Download Windhawk from the official website.

Section 8 of 8:

Built-In Windows Tools

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Right-click anywhere on your background, select View, and then select Show desktop icons to uncheck it. This will completely hide all items on your desktop (including the Recycling Bin) without requiring you to delete or move anything.
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Build a library of cool wallpapers. The one thing you'll be looking at the most on your desktop is the background, or wallpaper. You can use virtually any picture as your wallpaper, and there are hundreds of sites online that host thousands upon thousands of wallpaper images. Pick a dozen or so that match your style and add them to your Windows wallpaper slideshow.
- For the best-looking wallpapers, ensure that they are the same size as your desktop resolution. This will keep them from stretching to fit your screen.
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Change your icons. Tired of your icons' outdated look? You can quickly change the icon of any desktop shortcut, and numerous icon packs are available online. Find a pack that matches your aesthetic and color scheme.
- Changing your system icons could potentially cause issues with your computer, so be sure to create a restore point before making any changes to system files.
Mouse cursors don't have to be boring white pointers! You can change your cursor for every situation, including general use, text entry, processing (hourglass), and more. You can even install animated cursors.
You can quickly change the general look of your Windows installation by changing the theme. A variety of pre-installed themes are available in almost any color combination, with many more options available online.
By default, the icons on your desktop will stack up on the left side. This is fine if you only have a few icons, but chances are you have many more. You can manually move them around your desktop to accentuate your wallpaper images.

Community Q&A

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Question

What can I do to get an attractive desktop computer?

Olivia Obu

Community Answer

Change your background to a sunset or sunrise and change icons to pictures that you find beautiful or attractive. Change your theme colour to match your background. The possibilities are endless!

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How do I enlarge the cursor?

Community Answer

If you're using a Wiindows PC, you simply click on Settings, then Accessibility, and finally Mouse Pointer. This will lead you to a page with the option to enlarge your cursor. On a Linux system, click on Settings, then Universal Access, and finally click on Cursor Size.

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