Make backgrounds in a folder for Windows XP

I decided to give myself a headache.
I decided to add interest to my folders.
I decided that I couldn't remember the name of every drama or anime we have on file.
I decided that I could remember images of the drama or anime though.

So a quick tutorial on how make a .jpg image into a folder background.



Step 1 - Find a picture to use as a background.
Step 2 - Open the folder that you want to add a background to.

NOTE
To make sure this all works you will need to select "Tools" from the top menu of the folder. Select "Folder Options" from the list. Click the "View" tab and make sure there is a dot beside "Show hidden files and folders". Press "OK"

Step 3 - Somewhere in the folder right click with the mouse.
Step 3 - In the menu that pops up, click on "New".
Step 4 - Select "Text Document".
Step 5 - A text document will now be in the folder called "New Text Document.txt".

Step 6 - BUT it will need to be renamed:
- the name of the file may already be highlighted - so type in "Desktop.ini" (without the quotation marks).
- or right click on the text document and select "rename" to highlight the name of the file and then you type in "Desktop.ini" (without the quotation marks).

Step 7 - Windows will pop up a warning after you change the name - just press "Yes".
Step 8 - Double click "Desktop.ini" to open it up.
Step 9 - Copy the following confusing code stuff and paste it into the opened file.


[{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}]
Attributes=1
IconArea_Image=background.jpg
IconArea_Text=0x00000000


NOTE
- to copy you need to highlight the above text and press the keys "Ctrl" and "C" on your keyboard at the same time.
- to paste you need click in the opened file and press the keys "Ctrl" and "V" on your keyboard at the same time.

Step 8 - Close the "desktop.ini" file and say "Yes" at the warning.
Step 9 - You will now need to put the image into the folder.

NOTE
- drag the image icon over from the folder you already have it in or
- select the image icon and copy and paste it into the folder - see above NOTE
- if it is still on the Internet, right click on it to pop up a menu and select "Save Image As" and save it into the folder.

Step 10 - You will need to rename the image to "background.jpg" - use the same method as above.

Step 11 - Right click somewhere in the folder, and click on "Customize this folder".

Step 12 - Click on the "Change Icon..." button, and just select the closed folder picture that it normally is. Press "OK". And press "OK" again!

Step 13 - You might need to shut the folder and open it up again before the image will appear.


NOTE
If you are doing more then one folder you can just copy and past the Desktop.ini file into each of the folders, copy in the background.jpg image and do step 13.


Now - what if your image is on the small side and tiles? What I have done is in some sort of image software, create a new image to the size 600 height and 800 wide - white background. Then paste the image you want to use into the white space. I also fiddled with the transparency!!! Then save that image as background.jpg to use.

Done - hope that wasn't too confusing!