Home Premium CAN'T CHANGE WALLPAPER!

[CorbinDallas]

ok i'm really pissed off right now.

i got a new toshiba laptop from best buy 3 days ago... has 7 home premium on it. i was able to change my wallpaper and themes just fine until i tried to change my wallpaper tonight. now it won't change. last night windows downloaded and install updates. microsoft sucks.... just like with all other operating systems... they put out all these updates and just screw stuff up. after the update, all my sound settings where all messed up and i had to figure out which one got turned on and off to get them back the way the were before the fabulous update. microsoft really Fn sucks.

when i create a new user account, i can change themes and wallpaper in that just fine. but I DON'T WANT TO START ALL OVER IN ANOTHER USER ACCOUNT. i already have files and stuff transfered from another computer... etc etc. i just want this simple Fn task to work right.... LIKE IT WAS FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS BEFORE THIS STUPID FKKIN UPDATE. thats what you get for leaving auto download and install windows updates turned on.

i've tried the patch fix mentioned in the other thread... it doesn't work for me. i've searched for about 2 Fn hours now and tried several things suggested in this forum.

when i apply a new theme... the color of the windows will change according to the theme... but not the wallpaper.

i've tried changing the name of the picture i have set as the current wallpaper to see if maybe nothing would show. didn't work. i've played with the Aero settings wherever i could find them... no affect.

again.... changing my wallpaper was no problem for the first 2 days i had this new laptop... then after the update last night... today i can't change it.

god this is so annoying. i hate microsoft.

has anyone found a solution for this yet? i don't have windows 7 starter... i have home premium.

 

[noobvious]

Huh. I didn't get any updates last night.
My settings for the updater are to automatically add important and recommended updates, and my wallpaper settings have never been affected, or my sounds.

I suspect you may have inadvertently changed something without realizing it.

 

[Dark Nova Gamer]

Well first off, I suggest taking a moment to calm down. Its harder to fix a problem with that sort of attitude.

Now, does your laptop have a recovery partition on it? If so you could boot up into that and restore it back to factory settings (which would essentially wipe the data and make it the same way you got it). Should fix any problems, I haven't experienced this problem nor do I know anyone that has.

 

[D3ftOn3Z]

Never heard of user having wallpaper problems after installing updates from MS...Weird.

 

[Lee]

Here we go again. . .

It is not Microsoft's fault. Now here is the easy way to fix the problem.

Go into the start menu and navigate to "System Restore", and restore the laptop back to the day or hour before the update was installed. Usually Microsoft updates will set a restore point so you can correct any problems that may have occurred because of the update. This is usually caused by third party crap that has been put on the computer by the manufacture. Good Luck

BTW, Welcome to the Seven Forums.

 

[CorbinDallas]

LOL at the idea that you can't install software from other non-microsoft manufacturers without it affecting the OS. and LOL that someone would call non-microsoft software "crap". yeah manufactures put frivolous stuff on new machines... most of it you want to un-install. but the notion that non-malware software will mess up the OS is probably quite true... and another example of windows ineptness.

see attachment for updates installed on 1/29/2010.

i am 100% certain my sound settings were changed after the reboot from these updates. i can't be 100% sure these updates affected my wallpaper problem because i didn't try to change it until 1/30/2010.

it seems the only way to fix this annoying problem is to create a new user account and switch everything over to that account.

 

[noobvious]

That's the first time I've ever seen "ActiveX Killbits". I guess I have some Googling to do.

 

[samnf]

Fixed!

OK my angry little friend, I've got something for you to try.

Delete this file:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper.jpg

I did this, went back to personalization and picked a wallpaper, and BANG! it worked.

It looks like this file is where windows stores the current background. If you change the background, this file changes. I think the permissions on that file got messed up, stopping Windows from reading/updating it.

It's amazing what you can achieve when you keep a level head

 

[win7clutz]

It's amazing what you can achieve when you keep a level head

Keep a level head? This post is 5 weeks old...
Welcome to SF...

 

[gladson1976]

It could be useful for others who may have the same problem. anyways, its always better to check the last post date before replying.

 

[BroneDalit]

I, too have been having difficulty change my wallpaper. Thank you for letting evryone know what file to delete - it worked a treat!


Sorry for digging up a really old thread - gotta love google searches!

 

[vamtheanomaly]

OK my angry little friend, I've got something for you to try.

Delete this file:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper.jpg

I did this, went back to personalization and picked a wallpaper, and BANG! it worked.

It looks like this file is where windows stores the current background. If you change the background, this file changes. I think the permissions on that file got messed up, stopping Windows from reading/updating it.

It's amazing what you can achieve when you keep a level head

I recently did a system restore and had this same problem. After hours of searching I ended up here and joined this forum JUST to add my 2 cents.

This advice worked for me. Thank you. I would also like to add that, be advised the TranscodedWallpaper.jpg is a HIDDEN file so you will have to show hidden files in order to delete TranscodedWallpaper.jpg.

To show hidden files go to the start menu > control panel > Appearance and Personalization.

You will then see "Folder Options" in the list. Select "Show Hidden Files and Folders"

 

[dallen1331]

Corbin buddy, I hear your pain completely. I unwrapped mine from dell with exactly the same problem. I did not even download an update.

And Samnf

Thank you sooo so much. Your solution was the only one I read that did not involve downloading 3rd party software from companies I have never heard of.

thanks again.

Dave

 

[ballofgas]

worked like a charm!!!

thank you!!!!! i'm using a new toshiba laptop with a builtin windows 7 OS and i couldn't change my desktop background. Thanks to YOU, whoever you are, I was able to troubleshoot the problem!

OK my angry little friend, I've got something for you to try.

Delete this file:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper.jpg

I did this, went back to personalization and picked a wallpaper, and BANG! it worked.

It looks like this file is where windows stores the current background. If you change the background, this file changes. I think the permissions on that file got messed up, stopping Windows from reading/updating it.

It's amazing what you can achieve when you keep a level head

 

[jerryrck]

Replying to-->

ok i'm really pissed off right now.

Hi Dallas, I also transferred files from another computer which was windows 7 starter edition and im facing the same problem with the wallpaper not changing.. The wallpaper stays the same when i try to change it .. I think that the windows 7 starter edition file transfer to my new windows home premium edition brought the file that keeps us from changing our backgrounds.. if anyone can help us on which file to delete to keep us from changing our backgrounds please help:huh:

 

[mappa]

samnf saved my life

OK my angry little friend, I've got something for you to try.

Delete this file:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper.jpg

I did this, went back to personalization and picked a wallpaper, and BANG! it worked.

It looks like this file is where windows stores the current background. If you change the background, this file changes. I think the permissions on that file got messed up, stopping Windows from reading/updating it.

It's amazing what you can achieve when you keep a level head

This thread may be ancient, but i dont care. Samnf saved my brain from total collapse with this piece of advice. The only reason i registered on this forum was to post this thankyou note. Thanks mate!

 

[samnf]

Ha!
I love this thread. Every 6 months or so a stranger pops in just to show some gratitude. Hopefully Windows 8 has the same problem so I can keep the praise train rolling.

 

[bigcroc64]

samnf ok well after reading and trying lots of different solutions to this dam annoying problem,I still have a black back ground.C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper.jpg i used the unhide hiden files and copied and pasted samnf advice in the search but cant find anything.If i just type transcoded wallpaper i get the windows logo wallpaper and thats it .Help please it use to work fine .I have home premium 7 64 bit.

 

[Tews]

This almost sounds like an activation issue ... check your activation status and see what it says ...

 

[bigcroc64]

thanks for the reply tews .sorry for the dumarse question but what is the activation..settings please and were would i find it.i also tried a system restore but no joy.