150
What you need: Windows 10 Creators Update Time required: 30 minutes
Number of new themes available for Windows 10 -
Microsoft has added a category with over 150 new themes to its Windows Store. To access this you first need to update your PC to the Windows 10 Creators Update, then click a link within your PC’S settings. We’ll show you how to update your PC, then access, install and customise these themes to give your Windows operating system a whole new look.
STEP1
The new themes are only available if you are running the Windows 10 Creators Update. To find out which version you’re on, press Ctrl+r to open the Run box, type winver, then press Enter. If you have the Creators Update, you should see Version 1703 (OS Build 15063.0) or greater 1 in the window that pops up.
STEP2
If your version number is lower, you need to update your PC to the Creators Update. Open Settings on your PC, click ‘Update & security’, then ‘Check for updates’ 1 (this can take a few hours). Alternatively, see our Cover Feature in Issue 501 for other ways to get the update. You can also follow Microsoft’s instructions at www.snipca.com/24291.
STEP3
Once your PC is updated, open Settings on your PC, click Personalisation, then click Themes 1 . At the top, you’ll see your current theme 2 , including its background name, colour scheme, sounds and mouse cursor 3 . At the bottom, you’ll see other themes you have installed – you can click any of these to apply them 4 . To access Microsoft’s new themes, click ‘Get more themes in the Store’ 5 .
STEP4
This opens the new Windows Themes section with over 150 free themes 1 . Note, this section is not accessible by going directly via the Windows Store. Once you select your theme 2 you’ll see the images it contains in the order they’ll appear on your desktop. At the bottom, you’ll see any related themes that you can click. For example, if you selected a ‘sunset theme’, you’ll see themes related to beaches, landscapes and nature.
STEP5
After clicking the theme you want, click the Get button to install it, then click Launch. This will take you back to the Themes section in your device’s settings. Here, click your downloaded theme 1 to apply it to your desktop. To install other themes, click the ‘Get more themes in the Store’ link again 2 , then repeat the process.
STEP6
When you’ve finished, return to the Themes section 1 to see all the themes you’ve installed 2 . If you don’t want a theme, right-click it, then click Delete 3 . Each theme includes a default colour for your taskbar, Action Centre, Start menu, and title bars for PC programs. However, it’s easy to change this colour. You can either click the theme’s Colour button 4 , or click the Colours 5 section.
STEP7
Next, tick this box 1 to let Windows choose a colour for the four elements based on your background image. Alternatively, select one of the colours from the ‘Recent colours’ 2 or ‘Windows colours’ 3 palettes. Changes are applied immediately and you can view them in the preview pane 4 . If you’re not happy with the options provided, click the ‘+ Custom colour’ button at the bottom of the ‘Windows colours’ section, select a colour you want to use, then click Done.
STEP8
Below ‘Custom colour’, you’ll see further customisation options. Turn off the ‘Transparency effects’ slider 1 if you want to give your desktop elements a solid colour. The two tick boxes 2 let you remove the theme’s accent colour from the Start menu, taskbar and Action Centre, as well as from the title bars. The accent colour is the most prominent colour in your theme – so orange in our case. At the bottom, you’ll see options to choose a light or dark mode 3 for the Windows Settings section.
STEP9
Finally, click Background 1 to see more customisation options. For example, to see the current image as your desktop background, change the Background dropdown menu to Picture, otherwise leave it on Slideshow 2 . By default, your desktop image changes every 30 minutes 3 , but you can adjust this frequency using the dropdown menu. Options include 1 minute, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours and 1 day.
10
STEP Desktop images within any theme appear in the order shown in the Windows Store (see Step 4). However, you can randomise the order by switching on the Shuffle slider 1 . Slideshows tend to consume more power than static images, so we suggest turning off the ‘Allow slideshow when on battery power’ 2 if you use a laptop. The ‘Choose a fit’ dropdown menu 3 lets you choose how you want your background to appear. Fill (default) usually works best, but you can try the other five options (Fit, Stretch, Tile, Centre and Span) to see if you prefer them. ●