@jdw242b:

rather on my dual monitor machine this program doesn't work. (gah)

jdw242b

I cannot get this to work on my machine; each image is merely black, and applying does nothing to my nVidia set images. I have to say Dual monitor does not work for me.

jdw242b

@kamikaze

I'll check that dual monitor support

jdw242b

anyone know if it works on dual monitors?

kamikaze

Um... looks good. Might have to try this out

ste-knows-best

@kamikaze: I was about to ask that.

Woodwater

Wow, it's about time they did this. But it doesn't work on dual monitors? Why is it microsoft is so lazy about implementing dual monitor support? It's so much more common these days with even the cheapest graphics cards having 2 heads, and LCD monitors being given away free with Happy Meals(tm).

shockwaver

It seems to work quite well on my good, old, simple, single monitor laptop. I like the number of wallpaper options. I'll have to play with some of the program options later.

Before the Microsoft-hating comes out in full force, as it inevitably does, we have a new, free program we didn't have before. Enjoy it. Microsoft didn't have to do it, but they did. And it is still a beta, so who knows what bells & whistles it may eventually have. It may even eventually support multiple monitors.

While Microsoft could do many things better, they do get a number of things right. Take a step back and look at what you're about to say. If this would have been from Google, many of you would be bowing before the G-Altar as we always do when they offer a new app, regardless of it's shortcomings. And you wouldn't complain that Google would be taking statistics about which wallpapers you used most often.

If you don't like the program, that's a personal decision. No one should fault you for your personal preferences. Offer up what you think could be improved or complement it on what you like. But don't berate it simply because of the company that created it and is giving it away.

cbh

can it work with something like displayfusion across two monitors? can't check myself at the moment :/

greyfish7

@shockwaver: Where did you get your LCD monitor free with a Happy Meal? I'm still in the dark ages with an old CRT monitor, not willing to invest in an upgrade since my primary machine is an iMac.

tablespork

@ste-knows-best: They're very nice wallpapers, right?

ext212

[interfacelift.com]
PLUS
[www.johnsadventures.com]

beats all alternatives, imho

emgonzalez

In light of cbh's good advice, here's my 2p worth. And I'm not a great fan of either MS or G, in case you're wondering.

1. Can't find a proper standalone installer. I hate these installers that install as they download. Why? I've never understood it. What if I want to install it on a non-internet enabled machine? (I used to have one until last month). Give me the .exe!

2. Hmm, have you seen the text underneath the Download button that says it will periodically check for updates? I wonder if I'll have the option to turn this off? Well, here I go anyway.

3. Uh oh - 'Set MSN as my homepage' - you've got to be kidding me!
'Use LiveSearch as my default search provider' - sod off.

Honestly, this is a wallpaper app, right? Why do you want to take over my preferences that have nothing to do with wallpapers?!!

4. Hmm, 'Application XSHIM.EXE is trying to access the internet'. Ok.

Ah, it's downloading the wallpapers. Though if it came as a standalone installer they could have bundled them inside.

Crikey, this is taking a while.....

4 minutes to download 45 wallpapers?! Yes, I am on broadband (6Mb).....and no option to cancel download.

This is weird, my mouse pointer disappears when I move it over the app as it's downloading.

I think I'll finish this when it's finished downloading.
Sorry if it's too long already, thought some might want to know.

mcv2

@mcv2: Great walkthrough actually! I just installed it myself and experienced exactly the same problems, haha. I'm getting rid of this app as we speak. But I copied the images first..

Halebale

Here's the folder you're looking for:
"C:\Documents and Settings\%user_name%\Application Data\Wallpapers from MSN\library"

Most of the background images are pretty OK. Just install the app, copy the images, uninstall it, and you have a bunch of images to play with :D

Halebale

Update:
15. Actually, it did warn me, I missed that, apologies.

OK, finished now. Honestly.

mcv2

Final part:
12. I can't be sure but it appears that when you set a new wallpaper, the app communicates over the web. Might just be a coincidence that web traffic appears everytime I choose a new one though.

13. Oh, there is n option to turn off the update checking that I can find.

14. Finally, I cannot find a folder with the preinstalled images so that I can delete the ones I don't like. Though I didn't look for longer than two minutes.

15. I tried the auto switching every minute but it didn't work because I closed the app. I then realised that minimising it sends it to the tray but it would have been clearer if a message had warned me about that. Oh, and it uses about 7.5 MB of memory.

Overall I think it's a good effort to make this a simple process for some but for my liking, it leaves out some important settings, is a bit of a nuisance to install and is too intrusive for a wallpaper switcher. I'm sure there are other apps out there that do much the same but implement it better.

Hope that helps someone, sorry if you found it too long and unnecessary.

mcv2

Part 2:
5. 'There was a problem downloading some of the librabry items. MSN will try updating these later.'
OK, well at least it didn't hang on this process. Thanks.

6. Seems clear and simple to use.

7. There doesn't seem to be an option to permanently remove a wallpaper that I don't like. Will see if I can find them in a folder later.

8. The wallpapers are in widescreen format (cannot tell if 16:9 or 16:10) and the app correctly shows me a preview cropped to my monitor size (5:4). It would have been nice to be able to move the image to choose how to crop it instead of defaulting to the centre but not a big deal.

9. The library includes images that can be overlaid on the wallpaper. Most are silly cartoony 2D and 3D images. Only kids will enjoy these. The text overlay options are simple and could be more useful.

10. LOL! When you try to add your own image to the wallpaper library, you get a popup with an OK button saying 'I confirm that I own all the rights to this image'! And if I don't? What do you care, it's a wallpaper on MY desktop!

Additionally, you can only add one image at a time, which can be a pain if you want to add a large folder of your existing wallpapers.

Also, images which are smaller than your monitor size are rescaled to fill the screen. There is no option to turn this off in the app.

11. Actually, there is no option to turn this off at all because when you have set your wallpaper, the app creates a new bitmap image which is automatically stretched to your monitor size. Changing the settings within the Desktop component of desktop properties has no effect.

mcv2

Additionally, you can only add one image at a time, which can be a pain if you want to add a large folder of your existing wallpapers.

To add a folder or multiple images, drag and drop the images to the program. I dropped my entire Interfacelift folder with 850ish full size files into the program.

Result: froze my laptop for about 15 minutes but after I got mad and restarted the images are there (no idea if 850 are there; there's not a counter I can see but there's lots of pictures in that tab...

Now I wonder if I just copied the pictures manually over if it would make a difference?

I use Wallpaper Master to change my wallpaper cause I can load my wallpaper folder and one click randomly change the pictures. Plus, no online needed; can't add smilies to my wallpaper unless I use Paint.Net though lol

Wildember

Hah! I actually HAVE that desktop...in lower light, and it looks like that one might be HDR, but I have that same shot! Nutty.

phoenix

@mcv2:

Lol. Did you get caught robo-clicking?

jupiterthunder

@emgonzalez:

Did you even try this one or you using the If-I'm-using-it-then-it-is-the-best method of software evaluation?

Can you offer reasons why your suggestion is better?

jupiterthunder

@Halebale: Thanks, after playing with it I lost patience!

I agree some of those were nice but didn't rescue them before uninstalling them. May do so again later.

mcv2

@jupiterthunder: Yup! By then I was looking to get out of it as quick as possible and uninstall it!

mcv2

@emgonzalez: Thanks for those links!

Fzzt

Avoid this tool, the collection of wallpapers downloaded is nice but the tool is really stupid unless you want to add a polar bear on top of your wallpaper.

CadErik

errr python..

bython... must be that new python for bisons... =)

Ezmyrelda

This sounds like an interesting offering from MSN but to be totally honest it isn't a very lifehacking or GTD oriented solution. What I do doesn't have an internet portion or any advanced functionality, but it is as extensible as I need it to be and does just the one thing. I use an adapted bython script that was originally made for use in linux with bsetroot. I use a windows version of bsetroot and the python script populates a list randomizes it and then sets a wallpaper. I have one shortcut in startup and one on my desktop. If I chose to I could set up a downloading solution that put new wallpapers into my wallpaper directory so that upon start up newly dl'd wallpapers would be added into the randomization. This allows me to keep overhead down while at the same time being able to get something different on my desktop without any time wasted.

Ezmyrelda

I tried this on dual monitors from Vista x64 and the program craps itself. Immediately after launching the program it magically disappears.

GilbertHeracles

HATE this program. Maybe if you are a real novice this is nice, but ughhh...

mindindoubt

@mcv2: Thank you! Your review was not too excessive for control-freak-geeks that we LHers are.

@LH editors: It's the details such as the ones in mcv2's comments that we love to read about! (Especially the apparent fact that this software DIALS HOME whenever you change a wallpaper.)

Posco Grubb