# Desktop software



## DuxCro (Dec 3, 2020)

Can someone please recommend some programs that can make desktop look better? Programs that arrange icons, performance monitors etc.


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## ThrashZone (Dec 3, 2020)

Hi,
No idea of icon managers lol 
But monitoring hwinfo64
HWiNFO - Download 

Some more extravagant is rainmeter I believe it's called.


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## Toothless (Dec 3, 2020)

Should probably explain what specifically you're looking for. Monitoring programs are pretty easy to find, but customization is a bit more exotic.


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## Jetster (Dec 3, 2020)

I use to use this program years ago that was insane. I'll see if i can remember it

It was WindowsBlinds
There is also Rainmeter

There was another one too I just can't remember


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## ThrashZone (Dec 3, 2020)

Jetster said:


> I use to use this program years ago that was insane. I'll see if i can remember it


Hi,
Probably rainmeter it was pretty popular.


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 3, 2020)

"Look better"? That's very subjective. What you think looks better I might think looks hideous. My "flame blue" F150 is obviously gorgeous and yet my neighbor's plain Jane red F150 is downright ugly ugly ugly. 

I personally don't like the appearance of the W10's desktop and start menu. So I use and recommend Start10 to bring back the familiar W7 Start menu and desktop and for just a one-time cost of $5 for a lifetime license, it is well worth it.

And of course Windows itself lets you personalize your desktop with your own background images.


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## Rei (Dec 3, 2020)

I second this thread. Have used about a dozen software to make Win10 *look, FEEL & perform* very much like WinXP, even down to the control panel, directory structure, curvature of windows, etc. Initially, the weak performance of my Win10 doesn't affect me. But really... Two seconds to navigate each folder on a SSD versus less than one second on WinXP on the same PC as well as another much weaker laptop with PATA HDD. It's wearing my patience down. Pretty much gave up after I couldn't get them to suit my taste. The search bar/box next to the start menu is pretty useful though. Basically replaces the start menu for me as it allows to look for programs faster than looking through the start menu just by short typing.


Bill_Bright said:


> My "flame blue" F150 is obviously gorgeous and yet my neighbor's plain Jane red F150 is downright ugly ugly ugly.


Both looks awesome to me. The blue one (your vehicle?) has the better rear view mirror (subjective), though... And the vehicle is shinier too (factual... unless blind )...


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## P4-630 (Dec 3, 2020)

I use this:








						Wallpaper Engine on Steam
					

Use stunning live wallpapers on your desktop. Animate your own images to create new wallpapers or import videos/websites and share them on the Steam Workshop!




					store.steampowered.com
				




If you liked windows dreamscene on vista ultimate.


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 3, 2020)

I used to be fussy about my desktop. But then I came to my senses. I mean how much time do you spend staring at your desktop? Once I fire up my browser, Word, or whatever app I'm using, the desktop is just something in the background. If anything, I want it to act like my computer case - that is, to just sit quietly and discreetly out of the way and NOT bring attention to itself. As long as I can easily find what I am looking for, then fine. And like every OS and OS version I have used before, once I get past the short learning curve, finding what I want is easy - even with W10.


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## Rei (Dec 3, 2020)

Bill_Bright said:


> I used to be fussy about my desktop. But then I came to my senses. I mean how much time do you spend staring at your desktop? Once I fire up my browser, Word, or whatever app I'm using, the desktop is just something in the background. If anything, I want it to act like my computer case - that is, to just sit quietly and discreetly out of the way and NOT bring attention to itself. As long as I can easily find what I am looking for, then fine. And like every OS and OS version I have used before, once I get past the short learning curve, finding what I want is easy - even with W10.


That's true, though my case is rather different. Every new file I downloaded or created would need to be placed in it's proper directory folder. I also move files around a lot, so I'm looking at Windows & folders more often than I would like to. And this sluggish (& rather ugly too) OS will one day break my spirit. Do I need more RAM? Is 4 GB not enough? Is my CPU not enough? *sigh*


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 3, 2020)

Rei said:


> so I'm looking at Windows & folders more often than I would like to.


Now wait. If you are looking at folders and and moving files about, then you are using File Explorer or some other file manager. That is, NOT the desktop and has nothing to do with the desktop, except, perhaps with how you start File Explorer. So again, once you fire up the app (in this case, File Explorer), the desktop moves into the background and even takes on a much lower priority in terms of system resources.  And while the amount of RAM certainly affects file manipulation performance, it has nothing to do with the desktop's appearance - the topic here.


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## Khonjel (Dec 3, 2020)

www.stardock.com/products/fences


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## SenditMakine (Dec 3, 2020)

I love display fusion and 7 taskbar tweaker, they manage your desktop and windows, as well as your taskbar and windows functions, pretty neat (display fusion is paid)


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## Vayra86 (Dec 9, 2020)

Just installed PowerToys because I run an ultrawide and its glorious!

When I hit shift and drag windows now, I can allocate them to a zone, and they get sized for it immediately

And that is just the tip of the iceberg, this app has tons of useful desktop functionality.
Bonus points for being supported by MS

This is not for cosmetics though, its purely functional.


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## newtekie1 (Jan 8, 2021)

Stardock Fences 4: Automatically organize your desktop apps, files, and folders on Windows 10 and 11
					

Automatically organize your desktop apps, files, and folders on Windows 10 and 11 with Fences!



					www.stardock.com
				




Fences is a nice program if you are the type of person that tends to have a lot of icons on their desktop.


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## xrobwx71 (Jan 8, 2021)

newtekie1 said:


> Stardock Fences 4: Automatically organize your desktop apps, files, and folders on Windows 10 and 11
> 
> 
> Automatically organize your desktop apps, files, and folders on Windows 10 and 11 with Fences!
> ...


I use it at work and it's awesome.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 8, 2021)

Do remember if you have lots of things on your desktop, it can impact boot and desktop refresh speeds. There are some who claim it impacts performance, but that is not true. Still, if you value fast boot times (especially if you have a hard drive as your boot drive), you may want to minimize the number of desktop items you have. 

Frankly, for me, I find having too many shortcuts on my desktop presents a cluttered appearance and even makes finding what I want harder. So I try to keep those numbers at a minimum. I do that by enabling and using the Quicklaunch toolbar (hidden by Microsoft since w7 ), and using a couple folders on my desktop to keep related items in instead of several individual shortcuts.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 8, 2021)

For your favorite app 
place it in the upper right hand corner (where the close X is)
That's where I place my goto search and media player app.. Quick to stop it and to restart... again and again.


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## jboydgolfer (Jan 8, 2021)

rainmeter

but it is a bit of work to get it set to the way you want. i had updates, live info, etc, moving graphics. but it gets old quick

i use open hardware monitor for its gadget.
you can have as little or as much info displayed, with soem customization of appearance, but not much


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 8, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> For your favorite app
> place it in the upper right hand corner (where the close X is)


And for those who have 100 favorite apps?

Pretty sure the problem is dealing with 10s or dozens of favorites apps and shortcuts, not 1 or 2.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 9, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> And for those who have 100 favorite apps?
> 
> Pretty sure the problem is dealing with 10s or dozens of favorites apps and shortcuts, not 1 or 2.


My app has way more useful features than any of your 100's of favorites.. Is my guess.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 9, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> My app has way more useful features than any of your 100's of favorites.. Is my guess.


LOL Yeah, right.


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## Rei (Jan 9, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> My app has way more useful features than any of your 100's of favorites.. Is my guess.


That's just it. It's YOUR GUESS! What you believe to be more useful might not be for others and vice-versa.


SpectateSwamp said:


> For your favorite app
> place it in the upper right hand corner (where the close X is)
> That's where I place my goto search and media player app.. Quick to stop it and to restart... again and again.


And then BOOM! You accidentally exit the app... again and again...
Also, "Quick to stop it and to restart" just means that you're just fooling around with the app. Not a "useful feature" to be found there.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 9, 2021)

Rei said:


> That's just it. It's YOUR GUESS! What you believe to be more useful might not be for others and vice-versa.
> 
> And then BOOM! You accidentally exit the app... again and again...
> Also, "Quick to stop it and to restart" just means that you're just fooling around with the app. Not a "useful feature".


It's called jamming it.. 
When randomly watching my videos... It may select one that I have seen recently... Soooo I kill it and restart it immediately with the defaults set to random and away it goes with the next one. 

Random eliminates boredom PERIOD


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## Rei (Jan 9, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> It's called jamming it..
> When randomly watching my videos... It may select one that I have seen recently... Soooo I kill it and restart it immediately with the defaults set to random and away it goes with the next one.
> 
> Random eliminates boredom PERIOD


Makes sense... 
If it works to kill your boredom, then all the more power to you.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 9, 2021)

Rei said:


> Makes sense...
> If it works to kill your boredom, then all the more power to you.


That along with shooting lots of video AND smoking Pot makes a big difference.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 9, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> It's called jamming it..
> When randomly watching my videos... It may select one that I have seen recently... Soooo I kill it and restart it immediately with the defaults set to random and away it goes with the next one.
> 
> Random eliminates boredom PERIOD


Wow! Clearly that demonstrates "_way more_" useful features than "_any_" of my favorite apps!


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## laykon (Jan 10, 2021)

DuxCro said:


> Can someone please recommend some programs that can make desktop look better? Programs that arrange icons, performance monitors etc.


100% TranslucentTB and also if you right click you can turn off desktop icons, this is if you want your desktop to be clean


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## Vayra86 (Jan 11, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> That along with shooting lots of video AND smoking Pot makes a big difference.



I think the pot smoking got to your head a long time ago.

Signed, a fellow smoker. But really man, try to keep fact away from fiction. Don't bring your app knowledge outside of that fantastic topic you've got. It won't end well


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 11, 2021)

Using long filenames like I do is quite simple.
Not much programming is required. 
First do a complete scan of the device, putting the details in a text file.
(the code exists in my source) if you don't know how.
Then create a simple search that will find the desired photo or video and Play / Display. 
A junior programmer could use my existing code and have a GOOD enough version running in no time. 
Even without my app the long filenames are too good to be overlooked.


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## Vayra86 (Jan 11, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> Using long filenames like I do is quite simple.
> Not much programming is required.
> First do a complete scan of the device, putting the details in a text file.
> (the code exists in my source) if you don't know how.
> ...



ROFL

"what did you do last weekend?"
"oh man, I had a blast looking at long filenames!"


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## cornemuse (Jan 11, 2021)

I have "Iconoid" makes all icons disappear after <7±> seconds, then mouse pointer. A few other settings, remember icon locations, etc. Theres a 64 bit version.

https://www.sillysot.com/


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 25, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> And for those who have 100 favorite apps?
> 
> Pretty sure the problem is dealing with 10s or dozens of favorites apps and shortcuts, not 1 or 2.


But you aren't the norm... 
I place my favorite in the upper right and the few others I like close by.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 25, 2021)

Define norm.

You say "favorite" as though you only have one. That clearly is not normal. Most folks have several to dozens and even more favorites. I was exaggerating with 100 but I definitely have a dozen+ favorite forums I visit almost daily. I have a dozen or so favorite utilities/apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, CCleaner, Control Panel, Cmd Prompt, Calculator, browsers, Snipping tool and a few others) that I have shortcuts to. I have shortcuts to my favorite games. 

The Taskbar is there so people can pin their "favorite*s*" there. Quicklaunch and other toolbars are there so folks can put multiple favorite*s* there. People create and put multiple shortcut*s* on their desktop and in their Start menu. 

I do NOT like a cluttered desktop. But I still have shortcuts of my favorites in all 8 corners (two monitors), organized by function so I can easily and quickly find them. 

If you only have one favorite and just a few others, you are not the norm.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 25, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> Define norm.
> 
> You say "favorite" as though you only have one. That clearly is not normal. Most folks have several to dozens and even more favorites. I was exaggerating with 100 but I definitely have a dozen+ favorite forums I visit almost daily. I have a dozen or so favorite utilities/apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, CCleaner, Control Panel, Cmd Prompt, Calculator, browsers, Snipping tool and a few others) that I have shortcuts to. I have shortcuts to my favorite games.
> 
> ...


You will never find a cure. 
When you have that many favs then you will always have a mess. 
My app can return the URL  for your internet sites..


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 25, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> You will never find a cure.
> When you have that many favs then you will always have a mess.


Huh? What do you mean by "that many". I have quite a few, but it is not a mess. Mine are organized and laid out in a logical manner. Simple and quick to find. 


SpectateSwamp said:


> My app can return the URL for your internet sites..


Huh? So? Right-click > Properties will return the URL too. No big deal. 

And what do you mean your app? I just read through this thread again and you have never mentioned what your app is.


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## Toothless (Jan 25, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> You will never find a cure.
> When you have that many favs then you will always have a mess.
> My app can return the URL  for your internet sites..


I thought you already had a thread for your single-person-use application and your kink for long file names.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 25, 2021)

I don't understand that long file name point anyway. W10 already supports long file names. Ever since W95, files names could be up to 255 characters long.


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## Toothless (Jan 25, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> I don't understand that long file name point anyway. W10 already supports long file names. Ever since W95, files names could be up to 255 characters long.


Hes got a thread where he made this software to search files with long names with his reasoning being "easier to find and organize" everything. It's somewhere in the forums.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 25, 2021)

Yup I can catalog and find any file types...
I haven't done .exe's yet. but it should be easy.
Instead of a load picture or run video.. I'd fire up the exe
Thanks that will solve my problem with the few that I use.
Paint.exe being the main one.

Others can find and use the special routines and your memory can be slipping and no worry.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 26, 2021)

SpectateSwamp said:


> Yup I can catalog and find any file types...


Okay. 

I don't see what that has to do with anything here. But I will say opening a command prompt from the root directory, and entering *dir *.exe /s* will find every .exe file, for example, on the drive. Easy.


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## qubit (Jan 26, 2021)

Toothless said:


> but customization is a bit more exotic.


I think XP's Luna theme for Windows 10 would be epic.


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## Jose Jeswin (Jan 26, 2021)

the ones i have used for desktop customisation
1.Fences
2.RocketDock

Performance Monitoring
1. Libre hardware monitor (at present)
2.Open hardware Monitor


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (Jan 26, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> I don't understand that long file name point anyway. W10 already supports long file names. Ever since W95, files names could be up to 255 characters long.
> 
> 
> Bill_Bright said:
> ...


With long filenames the Spectate app can not only find every .exe file. 
But fire it up. Immediately 
Finding is the last step before execution.. Just finding and not firing 'em up is weak.


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## Toothless (Jan 26, 2021)

qubit said:


> I think XP's Luna theme for Windows 10 would be epic.


I saw a full My Little Pony themed Windows 8.1 and still have mental scars from it.


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## qubit (Jan 26, 2021)

Toothless said:


> I saw a full My Little Pony themed Windows 8.1 and still have mental scars from it.


omg I gotta see that and share in the scars!


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## Toothless (Jan 26, 2021)

qubit said:


> omg I gotta see that and share in the scars!


I didn't have a phone back then but I'm sure a quick Google will shrink your bits from cringe.


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## Solaris17 (Jan 31, 2021)

This is NOT a second thread for discussion of your app. Recommend it if you wish and move on. Feel free to civilly discuss its pros and cons in your existing thread.


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## SpectateSwampBANNED (May 23, 2021)

it's not my app anymore 
The peoples program for evermore


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## Naki (May 24, 2021)

* Stardock Fences, as suggested above.

* OldNewExplorer to get rid of horrible jumbling of external drives with internal ones Windows 10 does:








						Download OldNewExplorer  - MajorGeeks
					

OldNewExplorer is a shell extension and tweaker which can undo "improvements" to file browsing that was added in Windows 10, 8.1 and 8.



					m.majorgeeks.com
				




* 8GadgetPack for Windows-7 style gadgets. 


			8GadgetPack - Gadgets for Windows 11 / 10 / 8.1 / 7


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## micropage7 (May 24, 2021)

Download RocketDock 1.3.5 for Windows - Filehippo.com
					

Download RocketDock 1.3.5 for Windows. Fast downloads of the latest free software! Click now




					filehippo.com


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## xrobwx71 (May 25, 2021)

micropage7 said:


> Download RocketDock 1.3.5 for Windows - Filehippo.com
> 
> 
> Download RocketDock 1.3.5 for Windows. Fast downloads of the latest free software! Click now
> ...


I still use RocketDock on most of my computers, even at work.


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## HK-1 (May 29, 2021)

same here but with auto hide


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## mclaren85 (May 29, 2021)

Has someone told "rainmeter" ?


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## Atomic77 (Jun 13, 2021)

Why not use a theme or windows wallpaper you can have just about what ever you want on it.


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