Stretching wallpaper across dual monitors with Windows 7

The Windows 10 upgrade is in full swing and seems to be working well for most users. However, if like me you need to run specialist software that will only work on Windows 7, then you’re stuck for the time being.

Stretching wallpaper across dual monitors with Windows 7

Stretching wallpaper across dual monitors with Windows 7

It doesn’t matter, 7 is still a great OS and stands head an shoulders above its successor Windows 8.

What Windows 7 can’t do though is stretch a wallpaper across dual monitors.

Is this a big issue?

Not really, but having two identical pictures next to each other just looks a bit clunky, and with days of Christmas boredom on the horizon this is a great way to waste half an hour.

You’ll need a photo editor and some high res images.

Here’s how you Stretch wallpaper across dual monitors with Windows 7

  1. Create a canvas in your chosen image or photo editor. The size will need to be slightly larger than twice the width of your screen resolution. So if like me your resolution is 1920 x 1080 your canvas should be something like 3845 x 1085. So that’s twice the width of your resolution plus 5px and the height of your resolution plus 5px.
  2. Add your image to the canvas and manipulate so the image fills it up. Use a layering system if you have it and want more than one image, otherwise just create additional files with your editor.
  3. Save your image or images in your preferred format to the directory from which your Windows Live Photo Gallery is served. Mine is here: C:\Users\Alan Coleman\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows Live Photo Gallery
  4. Right click on your desktop click Personalize and  then Desktop Background.
  5. You should see the images you saved in your Windows Live Photo Gallery, select the images you’d like to appear as a slideshow.
  6. Lastly, select Tile for your Picture position. This is important and may seem a bit last century but you won’t notice any tiling because the image we created was bigger than the size of both of your screens.

 

That’s it. Half an hour wasted!

Here’s some Microsoft high res images to get you started with two 1920 x 1080 monitors:

  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_1.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_2.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_3.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_4.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_5.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_6.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_7.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_8.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_9.png
  • http://www.alancoleman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mountains_11.png