Change the Background Image of Windows 8 Start Screen

Change the Background Image of Windows 8 Start Screen

Are you annoyed with the limitations of the Windows 8 start screen? I’m probably one of the few people who actually like the start screen, but it annoys me that there are only a handful of background images to choose from.

Personally, I’m not very fond of the Windows 8 start screen background images that are included. Although there are twenty backgrounds, in my opinion they’re all pretty unimaginative. I’d prefer either a custom background or at least an image that I like.

So today I’m going to share with you a free tool that will help you change the background image of the Windows 8 start screen. This tool is called Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer, and it will help to liven up your start screen in a matter of minutes.

1. The tool can be downloaded for free from deviantART.

2. Once installed and launched, the app will open and you can begin to immediately customize your start screen.

3. You can use one of the included backgrounds or click on “Load Picture” to upload an image from your computer.

4. Once you upload an image, you can select the area to be shown as the background picture; just use your mouse to select the area, which is represented by a thin blue outline.

5. Alternately, you can choose to use your desktop wallpaper for your start screen or select multiple pictures (from your computer) and display them as a slideshow on your start screen.

6. There’s a Gaussian Blur effect that you can add to your background. You can also change the opacity of the background image, which can create some really cool effects on your start screen (with a little tweaking).

7. Once you’re done, be sure to check the “Run at startup” option, so that you see your custom background whenever you start your computer.

8. Click on “Apply & Save” to save your background. Your start screen will pop up automatically and you should now see your background image along with the effects chosen.

Note: I had a few issues getting my custom background image to display. After clicking on “Apply & Save” about five to six times, it finally showed up. So if you have issues as well, don’t give up.

As you can see, Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer is really easy to use and can entirely change your start screen. It’s definitely a must-have for Windows 8 users.