Windows 7 - Desktop Background selection problem

Ok, so, now I need a bit of help.
Maybe this is easy, maybe not.
I have spent a limited amount of time to try and fix this issue.

It could be several things,,,,

Issue: Right Click Desktop / Personalize / Backgrounds
Browse for a folder of pictures
Click on that folder
Nothing Populates,, including the Path box to the left of the Browse Button
Nothing happens at all.

I might have made a change in Group Policy that I can't find now
Or some reg setting that I can't remember

System Restore is not an option
sfc is not an option

I am thinking I need to reinstall 7 anyway, but if you have a solution, it would be helpful.

Additional Info: UAC is disabled, I am admin, Have not messed with any rights on files/folders

Hello Tepid,

Since a System Restore is not an option, then you might give a repair install a try to see if it may help before doing a complete clean reinstall.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks Shawn. I may give that a shot, it hadn't escaped me. Was hoping for a more ..... different solution.

After some more thoughts,, I forgot about some things that I have done to the system....
ie. Logon Screen Rotator ,,,, probably Group Policy Settings that I thought I set back before walking away and forgot and now can't find them. Plus a lot more i have forgotten completely, who knows.

So,, probably best at this point to just try the System repair and go from there.

I had this same issue on Vista, and now I have it again on Windows 7... It's not that big of an idea, cause I can still just browse to the pic in explorer, and then right-click -> set as desktop background, but it does get irritating some times...

Well,, I just relaoded,, needed it anyway. Will try to keep an eye on it to find out what causes it and find a fix.

I'm a tinkerer with my PC and it pisses off the wife cause I reload often. hehehe

Thanks for the help.

You're welcome Tepid. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.

Since you reload often, you might do what I do and create a system image backup of a clean install with just your drivers and needed programs installed. This way it will not take long at all to do a system image recovery to be back right like you were when the system image was created.

Already did that,, Have Acronis 9 inside BartPE on a USB with Grub4DOS loader and misc other tools,, created a base image with some software, basic drivers
Then all I need to do is backup Desktop, My Docs, Favs etc. reload
Install latest vid drivers, install latest Anti-Virus, run latest updates
do a couple tweaks maybe, and I am running fresh.

When I get a new external 1T HDD, I will probably setup a daily (maybe) or weekly backup with the newest version of Acronis. Just haven't gotten around to it.

I had an image,, but it was for a 450G Stripe, and I split my 2 x 250's so couldn't use that image.