Recently, a reader named Sheryl sent me an e-mail asking the following question.
"How do I save a .jpg file as my wallpaper? This cute picture was sent as an attachment to an e-mail. I have a Compaq Presario 1200 laptop and run Windows ME. I purchased it new this year."
Even though I don’t have Windows ME (and probably never will), I told her what I knew. She wrote me back to tell me it worked, so this procedure does work in both Windows 98 and Windows ME. Here’s what I said:
You can use pretty much any graphic as your wallpaper (bmp, gif, jpg, etc). To change the background of the desktop
1. Open the Display Properties dialog box by choosing Start|Settings|Control Panel. Then double-click the Display icon. Or you can right-click the desktop and select Properties from the pop-up menu.
2. On the Background tab (usually the one that comes up), you click the background you want to use. If you want to use a file on your hard disk (like a jpg file), click the Browse button. Find the file and click OK.
3. Click Apply to see the changes before you close the dialog box, or click OK to accept the changes and close the dialog box.
Sheryl mentioned that the picture was an e-mail attachment. So if you use an attached file, be sure to save the attachment onto your hard disk FIRST (and remember where you put it), so you can find it when you click the Browse button in the Display Properties dialog box. Those with Internet access who use Internet Explorer also can change their wallpaper by right-clicking on any image on a Web page and selecting "Set as Wallpaper."