Windows 7: possibly a fix for windows 7 start black wallpaper...

I dont remember reading this, so i'll share my experience. The starter version has a nasty 'feature' of not featuring an option to change your background image. Many people have tried and the only reliable ways to do this turned out to be 'drawing' one on top of the other using 3rd party software, or to patch system files. Now i wasnt really happy about those options, becouse I run windows 7 starter with only 1 G ram (at the time there was crapware running in backgroud, had a look into that so now I CAN miss it). However I was so stupid to replace the img0.jpg file in the windows web subfolder to try something less ram expensive. Yes, now I now, I should have searched about it and read for my self this was not an option becouse part of the image was hardcoded... well I was stuck with a black background and no way to change it back...

But after some research I found that the key: HKCU/Control Panel\Desktop had a Value called 'Wallpaper'. In windows starter it s data can only be nothing or '%windir%\web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg' (without quotes). Windows 7 Starter saw the wrong img0.jpg and changed it into an empty value turning black the background image.

Solution: The only one I know of:
changing the data of the value back into '%windir%\web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg' (without quotes), press ok and logg off. When you logg back on you'll see the background image the way it has to be .

P.S. I thought I dit not have to mention you need to replace the img0.jpg with the original first...

He man, 14 pages of tutorial rubbish didn't work, but your suggestion did!!!

With kind regards,

Mayanda

Bedankt dus!

It is good to hear that, meaby i'll make a small tutorial from this one day...

By the way, I don't think they appreciate communication in Dutch... Let's just stick to English shall we?

thanks so much! i've spent 2 days googling for solution & i found this solution that solved my problem.

1) run regedit > HKCU/Control Panel\Desktop > wallpaper value: %windir%\web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg

** restart my netbook & walla, i got my hp pre-installed wallpaper.

2) download 3rd party software: Oceanis. i'm not sure if i can post link so myabe u can google it & download it and you can use it to change your wallpaper!!!

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...7-starter.html

Black wallpaper? Cannot change wallpaper?
Its very very very easy to fix, actually.

Remove Background Images (where available)

===>>>
Open Control Panel. Make sure the top right says "View by: Category". Now follow this path; Control Panel > Ease of Access > Ease of Access Center > Make the computer easier to see.
Scroll down to the bottom and uncheck the box for "Remove all Background Images". Then click "Apply", then click "OK", and you are done!

ps: Change your background using Oceanis like those seniors up there said earlier~
(^^,)v

I know I'm bumping a really old topic, but changing the background to black was an incredible improvement. It really does make it a lot easier to see the netbook's small screen. And I have to think it also helps battery life.

None of the above solutions worked for me, but the following one did. In my case, the desktop went black right after rebooting following some required MS Updates that were automatically applied. Attempting to change desktop image following that update stopped working, and I got a black background. Examining the registry key HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper showed an empty value (hence the black background).

I finally discovered that I had a corrupted TranscodedWallpaper.jpg. The fix for this, is to find that file, rename it to .old (or whatever you like), retry the set background image, and reboot. The corrupt image is probably here: C:\Users\your username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper.jpg.

Full details at microsoft support article 2504610 (excerpt recopied below, in case they bring down that page):

1. Copy the following text, and then click Start and past the text into the search box and click the Enter key on the keyboard:
   
   %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\
   
2. Right-click the file that is named TranscodedWallpaper.jpg and then click Rename
3. Rename the file to TranscodedWallpaper.old, (change .jpg to .old) and then click Yes when prompted
4. Double-click slideshow.ini. Slideshow.ini should open with Notepad. Select all the text in slideshow.ini if any exists and press Delete on the keyboard, and then click File and Save to save the changes.
5. Close Notepad and close the Windows Explorer window and browse to the picture that will be set as the background image
6. Try to apply a background picture again

Hi mathglot,
I tired the above steps but no use when i rename transcodewallpaper.jpg to transcodewallpaper.old, set my background image its not working, recheck the path it show another transcodewallpaper with a extension of jpg, and slideshow.ini is already empty.
pls help on this.....

Hi Friends...!

I'm Facing the same Problem in my Desktop. I can't able to fix that black background. I tried whatever u all said here. Is any other procedure is there without formation...???

If your wallpaper bmp file is original and not corrupted, then this means you need to figure out if any systemfiles have been corrupted. Try sfc /scannow in an elevated commandprompt.

However it might be better for everyone with a problem to start their own treat and stop bumping this old one.

Perhaps someone (a mod) could lock this tread?