I have a video presentation that I need to show my customer next week. The video is only in 400 x 300 but my laptop resolution is 1280 x 800 pixels. Those that has seen my desktop before knows that it is filled with files and icons. Every time I clean up my desktop icons, it’d end up full very soon. I don’t want let my customer see the mess on my desktop, so I need to figure a solution to play the video without the desktop icons.
I dont’ want to force the 400×300 video to play in full screen because it will turn into very bad quality. I could create a new user account so that it’ll have a clean desktop but I don’t want to do that unless it is a last resort because creating a new user account takes more space and also adds more entries to the registry. Then I remembered that in Linux, it has 4 virtual desktops by default and Sysinternals had a tool called Desktops. I tried but it didn’t fulfill what I need because it only shows a new virtual screen with all icons on the desktop. If I delete any files or icons on Desktop, it’d take effect on all virtual screens. After a little searching, I found a small tool which is able blank the whole screen except for the area that I select.
Zorro is a utility to completely blank the screen except for a rectangular area selected by the user. This is especially useful for watching videos on your computer without being distracted by other programs. If you still don’t get what I am trying to explain, please see the animated image below. The first screen shows that a normal Windows XP desktop. Then I can use Zorro to select an area that I want to show and hiding the rest.
Other than that, it is also possible to reverse what Zorro does. Instead of making the whole screen blank and showing only the selected area, it can blank the selected area and show the rest of the screen. You can use it to censor something from the screen. Just click Options from menu and check Blank Selection.
The latest version of Zorro which was updated last month (December 2008) includes new features such as support for multiple monitors, 64 bit versions and portable versions. Zorro is a freeware and works on Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, and 2008 Server. Now I can happily play the video presentation to my customers with professionalism and can avoid the customer in being distracted by my desktop which is filled with icons and files.
I found 2 more similar software that does nearly the same thing as Zorro. Dropcloth by Adam Pash from Lifehacker is a simple application that overlays a solid colored window on top of your desktop. Especially handy for clearing your desktop for screenshots and screencasts, or just getting rid of all the distraction in front of you so that you can focus on just one application without closing out of anything or clearing off your desktop. Another one is Ghoster from DonationCoder that dims all windows except the active one. Out of this 2 I still prefer Zorro but you should try it out yourself to see which suits you better.
[ Download Zorro for 32bit | 64bit ]
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Check out tunnelvision too. It will allow you to view only the area around your mouse pointer to discourage prying eyes. It hasn\\\’t been updated in a long time, but it works great. The only problem is that it won\\\’t follow a text cursor. Here it is:
cockos.com/tunnelvision/
Excellent, thanks !
this can be useful someday!!! i always thank you raymond! :D
I’ve had zorro for at least 3 or more years, though I never really had to use it since many players and video files have options that don’t necessitate it.
Does seem unnecessarily complicated. I was about to say “Arrange Icons by”, then uncheck the “Show Desktop Icons” but I see I’ve been beaten to it by a couple of folk! I use this, with no wallpaper, when I feed my laptop into the public address system at a charity classic car show I’m involved with here in the UK (blatant plug here – darlingbudsclassiccarshow.co.uk), and it leaves everything clear for the mp3 management program (Media Monkey, for those who may be interested) and the DJ program I use which brings up another instance of itself (a complete mixer channel) every time the shortcut is clicked, so it creates a multi-channel mixer up to as many as can be squeezed on the screen. Clearing the icons gives me a nice uncluttered space, with no distractions, for about 6 channels, with tracks being dragged in from Media Monkey, all cued up, ready to go. The applications I need are started from the quick-launch bar.
Nice funny tool!!
if u dnt wanna shw d icons..right click and uncheck the show desktop icons..lol..
nwyz..thx fr d tip!
Looks cool, might be worth a download for those of us that have ADHD ;)
another nice tool from raymond thanks ray :)
Hello. Interesting tool :)
However, if you only want to hide the icons on your desktop, you might have another way out: in Vista (and AFAIK in XP too) you can right click on your desktop, select View and uncheck \”Show Desktop icons\” ;)
Good post.. Thanks Ray.
Why don’t you just right click on the desktop and point to “Arrange Icons by”, then uncheck the “Show Desktop Icons”?
Couldn’t you just open a new Notepad window, maximize it, and play your video on top of it?
Much less complicated.
Could be very useful (or as a very mean joke xD)
Thnx for info Raymond
Thanks for the tips Raymond!
No more free Antiviruses , Raymond ? :o
Excellent post. Great for censoring Desktop. Thanks :)
BTW Iconoid can do it too!
sillysot.com/download.htm
No big deal. Right click on the desktop/ Arrange icons by/ Show desktop icons.
Pretty easy!
Thanx Ray.