Microsoft has always tried to restrict users from customizing Windows. Microsoft have added new Start Screen that live in its own world away from the desktop. It's a good function and looks really nice and Windows have added many beautiful backgrounds that you can use as your Start Screen background wallpaper and you can customize the color scheme too, but what if you want to use your own custom wallpaper as your desktop background ? You can't use your own wallpaper as your start screen desktop background in Windows 8 (Windows 8.1 supports using custom background image). If you really want to use Windows 8 and wanted to use your own custom background as your Start Screen background than their are many third party software that allows to tweak the Start Screen.
In the previous you have many customization options. If you would like to apply background wallpaper to your desktop than simply right click the desktop and choose personalize and change the desktop wallpaper and color scheme. If you are using Windows 8 as your OS than you were knowing that you can't apply Aero effect to the toolbar and ribbons. But their is a way to apply Bug free Aero glass transparency effect to Windows 8. Like the trick to apply Aero effect on Windows 8 their is also many trick to use your own wallpaper and image as your custom Start Screen background image. Now read below to know how to use your own custom wallpaper as your start screen background.
To do this you can use a paid software named Decor8 from stardock, startdock also allows to add start button on Windows 8 just like Windows 7. If you're looking for the free option than you can use Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer.
I will show you step by step to use custom image as start screen background wallpaper by using Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer free software. It's a simple and small software that allows to tweak start screen.
At first download the Start Screen Customizer from here (You will be redirected to softpedia to download this software).
After downloading the software open it. You can see the screenshot of the software on the image shown below.
After opening the software click on Load Picture. Now you will have to choose a image, and after choosing your image you can corp it according to your need. You can see the screenshot below.
Now it's time to apply this image to your Windows 8 Start Screen. To apply this image to your start screen, simply click on Apply & Save.
After clicking Apply & Save, you will be on the Start Screen with your own background image applied to it. See the screenshot below with the custom wallpaper applied to Windows 8 Start Screen.
Custom Background Applied to Windows 8 Start Screen
Now go again to the Star Screen Customizer software and after making your required changes and applying your custom background to Start Screen, don't forget to tick on Run at startup and after that click again on Apply & Save.
Great! You have just applied your own desktop wallpaper to your Start Screen background.
But if you're looking for more advanced functions you can use Decor 8, it will allow you to use custom wallpaper as Start Screen background as well as creating custom colors. Creating custom colors is not supported on the free alternative and if you can pay a little price than I will advice you to use Decor 8 which is of $ 4.99. You can download free trial of Decor 8 from here.
That's all! I hope you're enjoying your custom wallpapers on your Windows 8 Start Screen. For more interesting trick keep visiting.