Photo Window

The computer desktop is a personal space, so it can look just the way you want it to. Windows alone comes with a variety of customization options, but there are also tons of third-party alternatives at your disposal. For instance, Photo Window places a movable, adjustable photo frame on the desktop to display a custom slideshow.

Before you can see what the application is all about, and even go through with the installer, it’s a good idea to make sure your computer is fitted with .NET Framework. When launched, a new icon is added to the tray area, as well as a desktop object, which is empty until you configure the first slideshow.

This is done through the selection window, which allows you to create custom galleries, either from online locations, or files on your own computer. An impressive variety of formats can be used, such as BMP, EMF, EXIF, GIF, ICO, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and WMF for pictures, but also videos like WMV, AVI, MPEG, AIF, MOV, MP4, and several more.

Only one desktop photo frame can be active at a time, so you can’t simultaneously run multiple galleries. The photo frame is adjustable, with the possibility to drag it across the desktop. More settings are found in the properties panel, such as size, transparency, picture and window border, anchor corner, interaction with mouse, whether or not to run with Windows, as well as a Screensaver counterpart.

Images rotate at a regular interval you can specify. Right-clicking the frame stretches the view. It’s possible to have the current slide edited in the default program. Although you can load video files, these don’t play in the photo frame, but expanding the view does trigger playback while also offering dedicated controls.

All things considered, we can state that Photo Window is a cool desktop enhancement which can sit on your workspace and display your favorite pictures. The frame is customizable, and you can even include videos in your galleries.