How can I refresh the Desktop (like I used to in Win7)?

Hi,

I read about the DWM always being on and can not be terminated in Win 8.

In Win 7, I had a couple of Task Bar apps that I would use to set various Desktop settings (color, screen saver, etc.) and the apps would simply finish with a "net stop/start uxsms".

How can I accomplish the same thing now in Win 8, now that DWM is always on?

Thanks!