Desktop Background Wallpaper - Change in Windows 7 Starter

How to Change Desktop Background Wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic Editions​

   Information

By default the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions do not include the Personalization features such as change desktop background, Desktop Slideshow, Screen Saver, and Windows Color and Appearance.


This tutorial will show you how to add these features to the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions.

• For free desktop background wallpapers from Microsoft, see: Desktop backgrounds (wallpaper) - Microsoft Windows
• By default, the Windows 7 Home Basic edition will only allow you to change the desktop background by right clicking on a image and clicking on Set as desktop background.
• If you plan on doing a in-place upgrade to another higher level edition of Windows 7 in the future, then be sure to uninstall this Oceanis Change Background W7 or Personalization Panel program first to avoid incompatibility issues with it in the new edition of Windows 7. It was designed to only work in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.

OPTION ONE

Using the "Oceanis Change Background W7" Program

   Note

This will show you how to download and use the program Oceanis Change Background W7 provided by Oceanis so that you can change the desktop background with a optional desktop slideshow (shuffle) in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.


If the Oceanis program is closed, then the desktop background goes with it. You will need to leave the Oceanis program running to keep the background.

• You must be using the Windows 7 Basic theme.
• If the Oceanis Change Background W7 program no longer works properly after installing some Windows Updates, then uninstall and reinstall the Oceanis Change Background W7 program to have it run properly again.
• If you get the black wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter, then:
  • Double check to make sure that the Remove background images (where available) box is unchecked in the Ease of Access Center.
  • Change the Color Scheme to Windows Classic and click on Apply, then change it to Windows Basic and click on OK.
  • If non of the above helped, then also see if this solution by Foe may be a possible fix.
• Run a sfc /scannow command, and restart the computer afterwards. You may have some corrupted system files causing the background wallpaper to not display.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the Oceanis Change Background W7 ZIP file provided by Oceanis, click on Save, and save it to your Desktop.

Download


2. Open the downloaded ZIP file, extract (drag and drop) the exe file below to your desktop, and run it.
NOTE: You will be prompted to restart the computer to finish installing this program.
Oceanis_Change_Background_W7.exe
3. When your computer restarts, you will see this as your desktop background. Click on the Oceanis Change Background W7 shortcut to change your desktop background. (see screenshot below)

4. Browse to the images that you want to use and check (select) a image, or more than one image to have a desktop slideshow. Select the Picture position for how you want the images displayed, and any desktop slideshow settings if you selected more than one image. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: These options are just like the default ones in the other editions of Windows 7 here that are now being allowed by this program by Oceanis for the Windows 7 Starter edition.



5. When done, click on Save changes. (see screenshots above)

OPTION TWO

Using the "Personalization Panel" Program

NOTE: This will show you how to download and use the Personalization Panel program to add Personalization to the desktop context menu to be able to change the desktop background, Windows Color and Appearance, Sounds, and Screen Saver in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions. This program does not add the desktop slideshow feature though.
1. Download and install the Personalization Panel program using Regular setup option at the Download link below.

Download


2. When finished installing, you can now right click on the desktop and click on Personalization.

3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

4. From here you can select and set the Appearance and Personalization options you like. (see screenshot below)

5. Desktop Background
A) In Windows Starter

B) In Windows Home Basic

6. Windows Color
A) In Windows Starter



B) In Windows Home Basic, you will see this below first then the screenshots above.

7. Sounds
A) This is the same Sounds settings as in the other editions of Windows 7.
8. Screen Saver
A) This is the same Screen Saver settings as in the other editions of Windows 7.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Windows 7 Desktop Background
• How to Create a Desktop Slideshow in Windows 7
• How to Enable Aero in Unsupported Editions of Windows 7
• How to Remove Background Images to have Only Solid Colors in Windows 7
• How to Change the Window Color and Appearance in Windows 7
• How to Change the Screen Saver in Windows 7
• How to Change or Save a Windows 7 Theme
• How to Create a Windows 7 Personalization Shortcut

 

[Brink]

Amanda,

I guess the only options left is to do a system restore using a restore point dated before you installed the program, or if one is not available, a repair install.

 

[maivylam17]

hi I have a mini netbook from Toshiba with window 7 starter and try to do as u says, but after restarts, when it is installing, the computer show error and say access is denied, it try to get me to abort the program, what happens? why it not work for me? I got a pic pin on my desktop though

 

[Brink]

Hello Maivylam, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Are you logged into a administrator account? You might try using "Run as administrator" with the installation file to see if that may help.

 

[amandarae]

The system restore worked. I think one of the windows updates that I installed messed with it.

 

[Brink]

That's great news Amanada. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.

 

[Willaworm]

It Works!

Hi. Im a college student using a netbook as a word proccesor and wifi station. Ive tried multiple ways of changing my background, and this program was the only one that worked. I found i was having the same problem as alot of people seem to have... the dreaded black screen. I found that you just have to right click the bottom access bar and click "Show Desktop". Its worked fine ever since.

 

[Brink]

Hello Willaworm, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Could you specify what area are you referring to when you say to "right click the bottom access bar and click "Show Desktop" to help others know where this is?

Thank you,
Shawn

 

[Yacob ZA]

Dear Brink,

I just bought mini laptop with windows 7 starter, I face same problem with other people that cant change desktop background. After I read this forum, so let me try my laptop. Thank you

Yacob ZA

 

[maivylam17]

Hi Brink, the next morning when I start my netbook at school, it actually WORKS!!!
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH, U R AMAZING

 

[Brink]

Hello Maivylam,

I'm happy to hear that is seemed to sort itself out for you.

 

[Yacob ZA]

Hi Brink,

It work....thanks a lot....

 

[Brink]

Hello Willaworm, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Could you specify what area are you referring to when you say to "right click the bottom access bar and click "Show Desktop" to help others know where this is?

Thank you,
Shawn

Hi Brink,

It work....thanks a lot....

You're welcome Yacob. I'm happy to hear that it is for you.

 

[Snall]

Is there a reason this had made my computer about 3x slower? It only has a gig of ram as it is...I was thinking about getting a 2gig ram stick for it anyway, it's a small laptop, but this is now really slow after using this program (The prog worked though).

 

[Brink]

Hello Snall, and welcome to Seven Forums.

1 GB of RAM is not much for Windows 7 to run decently. I would recommend at least 2 GB to run ok with. Other than this, I'm not sure why it would be 3x slower by just using the program though.

 

[somayaji]

Not working anymore?

Hey,

I was using this program till just now and it worked like a charm and I'm really grateful for it .

Just now when I turned on my netbook, the wallpaper was no longer changed and I tried everything I could but it wouldn't work. Does the program need to be updated because of any updates Microsoft sent out?

 

[Brink]

Hello Somayaji, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I suspect that maybe one of the updates changed a file or setting back to default that the program modified for it work. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the program to see if that may help.

 

[rachelv]

hi,

i tried the oceanis-change backround thing. i read what u told someone else to do because im also having the same problem i go into it pick the picture i want for my backround and i save the changes and it does it for a second then it exits out the program but changes right back to what it originally was? please help....

 

[Brink]

Hello Rachelv, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Has this always been like this, or just after some Windows updates?

If after some updates, then see if uninstalling and reinstalling the program may help.

 

[renoace]

problem with the wallpaper sticking

is it normal to have to re-open oceanis after every re-boot to reset the wallpaper? oceanis lets me change the wallpaper but when I re-boot, the wallpaper reverts back to the default. thanks.

 

[hdmi]

Strange that people are having trouble with it. I'm still enjoying the computer monkeys on my Medion E1218 netbook, even with the Windows Updates installed and everything.