PC Doctor August 29, 2011
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Dear PC Doctor,
Is there a way to make the icons on the desktop of my computer any larger? My mother likes using the computer every day to check her email and go online, but she finds it difficult to find the right icon on the desktop. While I don't have that many icons on the desktop, I think it would be easier for her to have larger icons to click on.
Stewart
Dear Stewart,
Yes, it is possible to make your icons on the desktop larger. One of the easiest ways to make all the icons on the desktop larger at once, is to hold Ctrl on your keyboard while scrolling with your mouse at the same time. Scrolling up makes things larger and scrolling down makes them smaller.
You can also change the size of your icons by going into the Personalization options. Right-click on an empty spot on the desktop and choose Personalize. Click on Windows Color and Appearance then click the blue link at the bottom of the window that says “Open classic appearance properties for more color options”. In the new window, click on Advanced. In the dropdown menu for Item, select Icon. From there, click down on the dropdown menu for Size and change the setting to larger. Click OK or Apply and close all the windows you have open.
Even though you may not have that many icons on your desktop, it is a good idea to keep your desktop organized. Keep icons for programs and files that similar together in the same part of your desktop. Are there some things that you don't use often but want to keep on the desktop? Stick them in a folder named “sort” or something relevant. Folders are a great way to keep things tidy too. To create a new folder right click on the desktop and choose ‘New’ from the drop down list and select ‘Folder’. Then just name it what you want!
PC Doctor
Dear PC Doctor,
I used to have a Recycle Bin icon on my desktop until I accidentally deleted it. Did I delete the Recycle Bin off of my computer? Can I somehow find it another way on my computer?
Sara
Dear Sara,
Don't worry; the Recycle Bin is still on your computer. Deleting a shortcut icon off of your desktop can't ever delete/remove the real location of the Recycle Bin. Be aware that deleting a file (as opposed to an icon) off of your desktop, does delete the actual file. You can tell if an icon is a shortcut or not by the little arrow in the left corner of the icon. The Recycle Bin doesn't have this arrow since it's a default Windows desktop icon.
Go to your desktop and right-click on an empty part of the desktop. Select Personalize. Click on “Change desktop icons”. In the new window that appears, check the box to display the Recycle Bin on your desktop. Click OK or Apply and close out the Personalize windows.
PC Doctor
Until next time... happy computing!
