Use active desktop to save memory used by wallpapers!
When you choose a wallpaper using the standard method (selecting a
background on the desktop tab, in the properties window), Windows converts
this image to a huge .bmp file (even if you selected a .jpg). Then instead
of having a nice 220K wallpaper, you get a 3,15MB wallpaper. To get rid of
this, try using active desktop's web capabilities, like this:
1. Right click on your desktop and select "properties", then select the
"desktop" tab.
2. Click on "Customize Desktop".
3. Select the "Web" tab and click on "New..."
4. Browse for your favorite image and click OK when you are done.
5. Make sure "Lock desktop items" is uncheck.
6. Click OK, and OK again.
7. Now your image is like another window. Drag it to where you want and then
right clik over it.
8. Select "arrange icons by" and the check "Lock Web Items on Desktop".
9. That's it. Now you have a "low memory usage wallpaper".
With this you can make interesting things, like using various small
wallpapers, or even animated ones!! Simply select various images, and when
you click OK, drag all them to its right location, and lock the content
again.
PS: If you want to check the huge wallpaper windows makes, select a
wallpaper the standard way, then browse to "C:\Documents and Settings\USER
PROFILE\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft" (where USER PROFILE, is
the profile you're using, i.e. Administrator). There should be a file called
Wallpaper.bmp, open it and you'll see your curent wallpaper.
Well, one can turn almost anything to desktop background, *.gif, *.swf,
*.html you name it. However, to do this ye have to enable the Active Desktop
functionality in windows, use any of the following methods to enable or
disable Active Desktop.
But what is Active Desktop?
A feature of Windows that began in Windows 98 that allows the user to store
Web content on the desktop. The items that are placed on the active desktop
receive feeds from the Internet that update the information as needed. They
can also be static Web pages with hyperlinks on the desktop instead of in a
browser. For example, a user can add such items as a stock ticker, a news
feed, search buttons or weather reports. Active Desktop can host any HTML
item, Java applets and ActiveX components.
Method 1
To enable the Active Desktop, right-click an empty area on the desktop,
point to Active Desktop, and then click View As Web Page to add a check
mark.
To disable the Active Desktop, right-click an empty area on the desktop,
point to Active Desktop, and then click View As Web Page to clear the check
mark.
Method 2
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click
Display.
To enable the Active Desktop, click the Web tab, click the "View my Active
Desktop as a web page" check box to select it, and then click OK.
To disable the Active Desktop, click the Web tab, click the "View my Active
Desktop as a web page" check box to clear it, and then click OK.
Method 3
Double-click My Computer, and then click Folder Options on the View menu.
To enable the Active Desktop, click Web Style on the General tab, and then
click OK.
To disable the Active Desktop, click Classic Style on the General tab, and
then click OK.