How to Make the Akumal Beach WebCam Your Desktop Image

How to Make the Akumal Beach WebCam
Your Desktop Image
Special thanks to Grump for the original idea
This has only been tested on Microsoft Windows XP
If you have some other version of Windows it may or may not work (you’re on
you own). If you have a MacIntosh it will not work, sorry.
If you are a techie here is the shortcut flow chart.
On your desktop background > right click > Properties > Desktop > Customize
Desktop > Web > New > URL http://www.locogringo.com/upload/akumal-beachcam2.html > OK > Apply
If you don’t understand the above flow chart, read on.
You will need something to write a few notes to complete this. If something
happens that you don’t expect, just click cancel to go back to the previous
screen.
Your screen may look different from mine below but that is OK.
Place your cursor in a clear area of your desktop away from your icons as in the
screen above and Right click your mouse. (most of the remaining clicks will be
left clicks)
A box that looks like the one below should appear on your desktop. If you get any
other kind of box move your cursor to a different place and click again.
Left click on the bottom item that says properties and a screen should appear
that looks like this.
Left click on the tab at the top that says desktop and a screen should appear that
looks like the next one.
Here is where you need your pencil and paper. Notice in the box labeled
Background that one item in the list is highlighted. Please write down the name of
this item because this is your current desktop in case you need to go back to it.
After you have written down the name of your current desktop, Left click the
Customize Desktop button and the following screen should appear.
The only thing you want to do on this screen is Left click the tab at the top
labeled Web. That will bring up the following screen.
On the above screen Left click the button that says New and it will bring up the
following screen.
In the box that is labeled Location type in the following address exactly like it is
here. Make sure all punctuation and spacing is exact. (You can copy and paste it
from this sheet if you are reading this on your screen)
http://www.locogringo.com/upload/akumal-beach-cam2.html
After you have typed in the address, Left click OK. It will bring up the following
box, just click OK again.
If you see a box like the following, it is OK. Just Left click the red X to close it. If
you don’t see it that’s OK too.
I
You will now be back to the box labeled Desktop Items like the following picture.
On the above screen there should be a checkmark in front of the line beginning
with http://www.locogringo.com If there is not, check the box. Also make sure the
box labeled Lock desktop items is not checked. If it is checked, Left click the
check and it will disappear.
Now Left click OK and you will be back at the Display Properties box, like below.
On the box above, just Left click OK. At this point if your desktop looks OK you
are done. If you want to go back to your original desktop, just move your cursor
around near the top of your desktop until you see the box appear around the
image. Just click the X and your original desktop will reappear.
This is as far as most of you will have to go. If it looks right YOU ARE DONE but
if something doesn’t look right read on.
Additional Information
If you have a non standard screen resolution your desktop may look like the one
below.
If so, move your cursor over the beachcam image until you see the box appear
around it. like below. (If your beachcam image is already expanded you can skip
the next steps.)
Now expand the image by Left clicking and holding the mouse button down on
the bottom right corner when you see the two-ended arrow.
Continue to hold the mouse button down and drag the box until you can see the
entire webcam image like in the following image. If you reach the edge of the
screen, you can grab the top bar with the cursor and drag the entire image to the
left till you see it all. Move the image around on your desktop until you have it
where you want it.
It is OK to have the image underneath your Icons if that is where you want it.
When you have the image where you want it, go back to the Display Properties
box as below and Left click Apply.
Your desktop screen should now look similar to this.
If your screen background is two different colors, look below at the Background
color change instructions. If your screen looks OK, there is one last thing to make
sure it stays that way (you can still change it later if you want). Click the following
items in sequence. We are going back to the screen that said Lock desktop
items. (Remember that one)
RIGHT click in a blank area of your screen to get this menu.
Click properties.
I’m not going to show the remaining screens, you’ve seen them all.
Click the Desktop tab at the top.
Click the Customize Desktop button.
Click the Web tab at the top.
Click the Lock desktop items checkbox.
Click OK.
Click OK again.
Background Color Change Instructions
Left click the down arrow in the box labeled Color. This will bring up a box like
this one.
Left click the word Other at the bottom of the Color menu. It will bring up a box
that looks like the following picture. The numbers in the boxes will not be the
same as the ones in the picture, so we are going to change them.
You may need your paper again. If there is a number in the box labeled Red,
write it down, if the box is empty that is OK also (you don’t need to write anything
if it is empty.) Place your cursor in the box labeled Red, delete whatever number
is there (if any) and replace it with 33. Replace whatever is in the Green box with
115, and replace whatever is in the Blue box with 206. Then Left click the Add to
Custom Colors button. You will see your new color appear in one of the Custom
Colors boxes. If it does not have a dotted line around the new color, Left click the
new color under Custom Colors and the dotted line should appear.
Left click the OK button and you will be back at the Display Properties box like
below. Your new Custom Color should appear in the Color box.
Now scroll to the top of the box labeled Background and highlight None. Left
click Apply and you will see your old background disappear and be replaced with
the new solid blue color.
You may have to set your screensaver to None if you have one activated or it
may override the Webcam.
Congratulations and good work. Enjoy your new Webcam Desktop image which
will refresh every 10 seconds.
Whale and Gary
Special thanks to the following LG’s who proofread and or tested this procedure
for me.
Barney 1
Mayajerney
OK
Craig in WI
Travel4sushi
Nipper
Grump
BeachBumpkin
Mama2h2obabes
loconorsk