# Is there a way to make my latptop do this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211 "2008-07-21T01:06:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/1 "2008-07-21T01:06:26Z")
I have a Dell laptop running XP. Can I make it so the entire screen shows a solid color of my choosing? No windows logo or anything else? The XP screen saver allows you to do a black screen but not a screen of a different color. Thanks for your help. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/2 "2008-07-21T01:39:52Z")
Right click on your desktop, click ‘properties’, and in the box that opens, click ‘desktop’, choose ‘no background’, pick your colour in the box on the right, and click ‘apply’. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/3 "2008-07-21T02:49:49Z")
[QUOTE=ivan astikov] Right click on your desktop, click ‘properties’, and in the box that opens, click ‘desktop’, choose ‘no background’, pick your colour in the box on the right, and click ‘apply’. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the reply, but this still leaves all the desktop icons on the screen. I want everything gone, no taskbar, so windows logo, no desktop stuff. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/4 "2008-07-21T02:59:28Z")
Just an idle question: Why? ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/5 "2008-07-21T03:45:42Z")
[QUOTE=BrightNShiny] The XP screen saver allows you to do a black screen but not a screen of a different color. [/QUOTE] Change the screen saver to “My Pictures Slideshow” and move all of the files in the My Pictures folder somewhere else. Use MS Paint to make an image that’s nothing but the color you want (change it via the color bar on the bottom, then use the paint bucket tool, the icon for which is on the left pane near the top of the screen, to fill in the entire image with your color). Save it as a JPG or BMP, then put it in the My Pictures folder by itself. When the screensaver kicks in, you’ll have your solid color laptop screen. To do it without using a screensaver, save your solid color JPG in any folder by itself, open it with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, and click the “Start Slideshow” button (or hit F11). ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/6 "2008-07-21T03:46:42Z")
Check out a free program called Dropcloth. From what I understand, it is a windows clone of the Mac application backdrop (I don’t have a windows machine to test its capabilities, but it allows you to quickly hide all the other programs with a color of your choice). As far as why someone would want to do this, it is definitely useful to hide clutter so you can pay attention to one task at a time. I also use it at parties so that the only thing accessible is iTunes. > **[Lifehacker Code: Dropcloth (Windows)](https://lifehacker.com/lifehacker-code-dropcloth-windows-245774)** > > Windows only: Instantly blank out your desktop and all of your running apps with Dropcloth, a Windows copy of previously mentioned Mac-only app Backdrop. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/7 "2008-07-21T13:12:28Z")
You could remove all icons from the desktop, and then autohide the task bar. That would do pretty much what you’re asking, though I am also curious as to the intent; is it just for esthetics or a particular purpose? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-my-latptop-do-this/457211/8 "2008-07-21T17:31:08Z")
The simplest way to do this is to use PowerPoint to create a show with one slide of whatever color you want, then run that slide in the full-scree slide show. I do this with slides alternating red-blue-green-white-black as a way of getting the occasional stuck pixel freed up.