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Customize Windows with your very own vacation

Fun freebie: Customize Windows 7 and Messenger

If you're like me, itching for a vacation but with a piggy bank that is running low, here's a fun way to escape to a relaxing beach, the majestic mountains, an exciting city, or even on a fun safari. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps to create a customized avatar in the destination of your choice for a truly personalized Windows 7 and Windows Live Messenger theme.

Before you begin, you'll need:

A flattering mug shot, Internet connection, Windows 7 (recommended, but Vista and XP will work too), and Windows Live Messenger installed on your PC.

Internet connection

Windows 7
(recommended)

Windows Live Messenger

Time to hit the slopes...

Step1

Visit the Experience Windows site and click Start now.

Experience Windows site

Step2

Choose one of four destinations (I'm a sucker for the mountains). Then click Next.

Destinations

Step3

Pick a desktop background (snow anyone?). Click Next.

Desktop backgrounds

Step4

Select Male or Female, and click Next again.

Male/Female

Step5

You can either upload a photo from your PC or you can take a fresh glam shot from your webcam, if you have one, for your alter-ego. The photo needs to be in JPG format and less than 1 MB – to resize using Windows Live Photo Gallery, right click on the image, click Resize and choose a size (smaller, small, medium, large, or custom), and click Resize and Save. Photo Gallery will automatically save your photo in JPG format. To check the size of the image, right click on the photo, click on Properties, scroll to the bottom and the file size will be shown.

Image resize screen

Step6

Then, using the oval cropping tool, you'll want to select your face from the photo. Friendly tip – I found I needed to go a little high on the top of my head so that my hair didn't cover my eyes. Or maybe it's just me and my squished head? Then click Next.

Image crop screen

Step7

Now it's time to pick a stylish outfit, accessories, oh and some hair would be nice – don't hold back! Just click and mix and match until you're satisfied with your new look in the preview image on the left. Then, click Next.

Outfits

Step8

You're all done! Just click Download and Install to get your customized theme pack. If you're running Internet Explorer 8, you'll need to click Run on some security screens to confirm the file download. And then, click Accept on the Service Agreement and your theme packs will automatically be applied to your desktop and Messenger. (This took a minute or two for me, so be patient with it).

Note: If you aren't logged in to Messenger, you will be prompted to do so otherwise you will only get the desktop background and screensavers.

Download and install screen

Let's review the goods:

For Windows 7, you should see your new desktop background in effect and a screensaver featuring multiple photos from your destination.

To view or change your preferences at any time, right click on your desktop and choose Personalize. You'll see your new theme listed under My Themes and at the bottom of the window you'll find ways you can customize that theme, including Windows Color, Sounds, and the Screen Saver.

Windows 7 desktop

For Windows Live Messenger, you'll find a new display picture showing your avatar, up to four dynamic display pictures, a wink, and seven new emoticons.

Your dynamic display pictures should come up when you start a conversation with someone. To change the backgrounds, right click on your display picture and choose one of the options (in my case Bee, Skiers, Seasons or my favorite, Snow) or the backgrounds will change when you use some of the emoticons.
To find your customized emoticons, click on Emoticons and then, Show All to view the new emoticons that were added.
To use your custom wink, click Winks (the winking smiley face on the bottom of your chat window) and then click Show All. From here, you should see your very own wink. You can click on it and then click Preview to see it in action before sending it off to all your friends.

Windows Live Messenger

For more personalization fun with Windows 7, check out the free extras at the Windows Personalization gallery.

About the author:
Erika Takeuchi is the editor for Explore Windows and has worked at Microsoft for nearly four years. While a self-proclaimed technology jinx, she loves discovering and sharing tips and tricks that make her life and hopefully yours a little bit easier. When not clicking away at the keyboard, she can be found snapping photos, hunting for new restaurants, and running around Seattle with her “career-changed” guide dog, Hoya.