Save disk space with smaller wallpaper


Tip
Save disk space by converting your Windows wallpaper images to JPEG format. JPEG files are dramatically smaller than other graphics files, although they do have the drawback that they are limited to 24-bit colour, which won't display properly on a system with 256 or fewer colours.
To make this trick work, you'll need the following: Microsoft Plus; a utility that can save bit-mapped images in JPEG format; and a video board and driver capable of displaying colours in the thousands (16-bit) or millions (24- or 32-bit).
Here's what you need to do. First, use a graphics utility or application to open your wallpaper files and save them as .jpg files. Any number of low-cost shareware programs, such as PolyView have this capability.
The only way to display a JPEG file on the desktop is by applying a Microsoft Plus theme that uses that file as wallpaper. Therefore, your next step is to create a theme that uses one of your JPEG images, as described in the previous tip. You'll need a different .theme file for each JPEG wallpaper you want to use. (At this stage, don't worry that your new theme doesn't yet include a JPEG wallpaper.)
In Windows Explorer, locate your new desktop theme file in the Themes folder (c:\program files\plus!\themes) and right-click its icon while holding the <Shift> key. Choose Open With and select Notepad in the Open With dialog box. (Do not check 'Always use this program to open this type of file'. If you do, you won't be able to open the theme by double-clicking its file in Explorer.) Then click OK.
When the theme file opens in Notepad, find the line that begins Wallpaper=. Delete the text to the right of the = sign and replace it with the path to your JPEG file (for example, c:\program files\plus!\ themes\mypic.jpg). If you think you might copy this theme to another PC, replace the path information with %ThemeDir% for files in the Themes folder or %WinDir% for files in the Windows folder (for example, %themedir% mypic.jpg). (Capitalization is not important.) This ensures that the theme will work even if the other computer has Windows or Plus installed in an unusual folder.
Now save the theme file.
If you don't want to create a customized theme for each JPEG file, just open an existing theme file in Notepad, edit the Wallpaper= line, and choose File--Save As to save the theme to a new file name with the .theme extension.
When you're done, exit Notepad, and chose Start--Settings--Control Panel. Double-click the Desktop Themes icon and select one of your modified themes from the Theme list.
If you only want to change the wallpaper, uncheck all the boxes on the right side of the dialog box except 'Desktop wallpaper'. Then click OK.
- Scott Dunn

Category: Win95
Issue: Feb 1997
Pages: 164

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