Having irregularly checked on Vista Ultimate extras only to find BitLocker and EFS Enhancements and Hold'em Poker, I'd concluded that this was a bit like the 'Download more themes ' option in XP's Display settings - a permanent dead-end. But recently I found a newcomer - Windows DreamScene. This lets you animate the Desktop background by using a WMV or MPEG file as the wallpaper.

To experience this excitement you need as the name suggests - to be running the Ultimate version of Vista. If you launch Windows Ultimate Extras or Windows Update from the Start menu, then scroll down through the list of available updates and you should see it. If not, click the 'Check for updates' link on the left to refresh the list. After you've downloaded this it will install itself without further intervention and you can restart your computer.

Don't, as I rather dim-wittedly did, go looking for DreamScene in the Start menu, as it's entirely integrated into the Display settings. Right-click on the Desktop, Personalise and choose Desktop Background. Browse down to C:\Windows\Web \Windows DreamScene and you'll find a sample file. You'll also see more options for positioning on the Desktop.



The sample file, to put it mildly, combines garish colours with unexciting animation, so you may want something better. You can experiment with any WMV or MPEG files you have (including the Vista sample movies in Public\Public Videos \Sample Videos), or, if you're up for it, create your own in Windows Movie Maker.

There are more available for download, though for reasons beyond my comprehension you won't see these in Windows Update until you have first installed DreamScene and then restarted Windows Update and jumped through the 'Check for Updates' hoop again. I'm not sure whether the waterfall on my Desktop is a major contributor to productivity, but it's rather soothing.

And, finally, here's a nicely obscured tip for Vista. With the focus on the Desktop, hold down the Control key and spin the mouse wheel- you'll see all the Desktop
icons grow or shrink. This works in a similar way in folders - depending on the contents you'll grow or shrink thumbnails or switch between the available views.