Overview

Replacing your desktop is not a trivial step. This is where we lose a lot of DesktopX users.  People will try out DesktopX, start grabbing a bunch of desktops and find there’s problems with them.  That’s because most desktops are made for power users or at the very least very specific systems. They look great in a screenshot but when you try to use them they can be problematic.

This is something you’ll want to explore very carefully.  Don’t worry though, it’s not replacing any system files and you can always get back to your regular Windows desktop in a few clicks.

By default if you choose load a desktop it will bring up your directory of desktops. However, if you actually load a desktop, the system tray will have the DesktopX settings dialog which will provide you with a desktop browser that is a bit nicer and explains more.

One of the desktop options is to take you back to your regular Windows desktop. So don’t be afraid to experiment here.

If the desktop you load hides your icons and Start bar, fear not, by right-clicking on the desktop you’ll get this menu:

From this menu, you can get back to the DesktopX configuration or even unload the DesktopX environment.

Loading a Desktop

To load a Desktop theme from the DesktopX Welcome menu, click on "Load Desktop" button and an Explorer window will open listing the installed Desktops (.desktop or .dxtheme if an older desktop).  Double-click on the desired Desktop to run it.      After loading a desktop, you may want to you may need to move or minimize the Explorer window to see the icons, as they may be obstructed by it.  When you are finished loading objects, click on close .

Desktop Playground 

Desktop Playground.desktop - removes Taskbar, System Tray & Start menu.
Right-click on desktop to access Program folders.

Each new desktop has its own unique features & appearance.  The Desktop Playground included with DesktopX, removes the familiar Start Menu, Taskbar, System Tray (clock), desktop icons and changes the wallpaper.  Clicking on the smiley face in the lower left corner, opens a menu which allows you to change how objects move on the desktop (i.e. Gravity Mode - fall to bottom of screen, Wall Mode - objects bounce off walls (sides of monitor).  You can also Auto-Arrange and Add Items.

Double-clicking objects runs the associated application, opens a folder, etc..  Right-clicking on objects, offers options to Remove, or Set target (see the section: Objects: Object Properties).

Click smiley face to open/close menu.	Clicking on, dragging down & letting go, releases the handle & chain which returns to the top of the screen.
Right-clicking on open desktop opens this new Start Menu.	Clicking "Add Item" on smiley menu opens this object to create a new object for Media Player or other programs.

If at anytime you want to access DesktopX, right-click on the open desktop (not on an object) and select "DesktopX" from the new Start Menu.  A sub-menu will open, and you can make a selection.

If you want to change desktops, select "DesktopX Welcome..", "Load Desktop", then double-click on the new desktop, classic desktop, etc..  The "Classic Desktop" is a base desktop with no additional objects or widgets included, unless you altered it with DesktopX Builder.

The Guest Desktop

The Guest Desktop included with DesktopX is designed for visiting guests which keeps the desktop simple & limits access.  It only includes icons for your "Web Browser" and "My Program".  Right-clicking on either icon gives related options for editing, or removing those objects.  Right-clicking on the open desktop, like Desktop Playground, gives full access to a Start Menu.  When changing to this desktop, the following message box is displayed.  Click or to continue.

This is what the Guest Desktop looks like.  It can be edited using DesktopX Builder, the development environment.

 
Guest Desktop.desktop - no traditional Start Menu, taskbar, system tray, only two desktop icons.

Classic Desktop

The Classic Desktop is a base desktop without any DesktopX objects or widgets.  Changing to this desktop returns your desktop to normal unless you modified it.  You can always select "Unload DesktopX" (right-click on desktop, select DesktopX, then Unload DesktopX) to return to your original desktop.  When you load this desktop, you will see the following information box.  Click or to continue.

Saving a Desktop 

The option to save your current desktop (i.e. Desktop Playground) is displayed after you already appllied a DesktopX desktop & now you are changing to a different DesktopX desktop.  If you changed or added anything to the current desktop (i.e. Desktop Playground) that you want to save, this is the time to do it.  The next time you load the desktop (i.e. Desktop Playground) the changes will be loaded with the desktop.

Clicking Yes, prompts you for a filename.

Returning to a Saved Desktop 

The next time you load the saves desktop (i.e. Desktop Playground), the changes will be loaded automatically.

Unloading DesktopX

To unload DesktopX after loading a desktop, right-click on the desktop & select "DesktopX".  A sub-menu will open, then select "Unload DesktopX" and your desktop will return to normal for your version of Windows.