Windows XP

• 1
  
  
  Right-click any blank area of the desktop. Select "Properties" from the desktop menu. The Properties window will appear.
  
  
• 2
  
  
  Go to the "Appearance" tab of the "Desktop Properties" dialog box.
  
  
• 3
  
  
  Select a color from the "Scheme" drop-down menu. The dialog will display how the taskbar and windows will look using the selected color scheme.
  
  
• 4). Select a color scheme and click "Apply." Close the "Properties" dialog box.
  
  

Windows Vista

• 1
  
  
  Right-click any blank area of the desktop. Select "Personalize" from the desktop menu that appears. The Personalization window will appear.
  
  
• 2
  
  
  Select "Window Color and Appearance" under "Personalize Appearance and Sounds." The"Window Color and Appearance" window will open.
  
  
• 3
  
  
  Select a color from the available choices. Clear the "Enable Transparency" checkbox so that the taskbar will take on the selected color.
  
  
• 4
  
  
  Move the "Color Intensity" slide to the right to make the color brighter and more visible.
  
  
• 5
  
  
  Click the arrow next to "Show Color Mixture" for more options, such as "Hue," "Saturation" and "Brightness." Click "OK" to apply changes and then close the dialog.