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]

Ronald,

Perhaps you could go into more details on how to "unblock" the default wallpaper image. I did exactly what was in your steps, but only got the black wallpaper afterwards, so something must be amidst somehow.

I tested this on a clean install of Windows 7 Starter on a separate partition with everything default. No changes or modifications.

 

[sita]

THANK YOU!!!

Thanks so much for this - I've been struggling all night to change the background! It worked a treat x thank you ...

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Sita, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[haysonne]

thank you so much

wow this is great!...thanks...i have a new background now...thank you so much

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Haysonne, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Nice wallpaper.

 

[haysonne]

yup..thats my new wallpaper..i just download the oceanis...

 

[haysonne]

this is realy great..i can even make a slideshow for my background wallpaper..nice!

 

[RJS1]

So... what happened on the discussion 2-3 pages back about changing the img0 file...? Did anyone confirm that the process works on a new machine...?

I started to look at this solution, but don't know how to get the permissions required to modify or replace the img0 file.... it says you have to have 'trustedinstaller' permission level to have full access to that file... (required to delete/change/rename it)

Please let me know...
THANKS
R

 

[Brink]

Hello R, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I never could get it to work using that method, and I never heard back from Ronald at post #345 yet to see what may be the problem.

So far the Oceanis program in the tutorial works great for just about everyone though.

 

[haysonne]

yup..the oceanis work......

 

[Vanessa Low]

Thanx very much, its so useful.
But i have 1 question, will this application expired?

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Vanessa, and welcome to Seven Forums.

No, the Oceanis program will never expire. It's 100% free.

 

[newguy007]

Program contains malware.

AVG detected IS-JKAC2.exe in the Windows directory, identified as a malware.gen a type of downloader. Detected after restart after installing.

Removed it and the program still functions.

 

[Brink]

Hello Newguy, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It's a false positive. The Oceanis program was scanned with many other AV programs and came back as clean.

 

[SIW2]

Hi Shawn,

Replacing img0 seemed like it might work - I don't have starter - so can't try it.

From the posts, it seems there is some kind of check to ensure that img0 is the original - hashcheck maybe.

Are you able to track what the oceanis app. is doing?

 

[Brink]

Are you able to track what the oceanis app. is doing?

I don't have anything that would track every move it makes, but it passed several different AV scans by me and others with getting a red flag on it.

I'm sure that since it modifies system files to be able change the background, it could cause a sensitive AV program to flag it by mistake.

 

[SIW2]

Yes, probably.

Would be interesting to find out how it is avoiding that check.

 

[ajmargan]

Windows 7 Starter

I have just bought a new Asus eeePC 1015 with Windows 7 Starter installed and could not believe that they have made it impossible for a user to personalise their desktop background - your solution is quick and simple and, so far, is working! Thank you very much.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome AJ. I'm happy to hear that Oceanis's program is working great for you.

 

[SIW2]

Hi Shawn,

If you are interested -looks like windows checks the img0 hash and if it doesn't match - deletes the desktop background registry entries - so you get a black screen.

Managed to get it working by changing permissions to stop windows doing that - username is ST :





















Once you have done that - logoff and back on to get the new background.

If you want to change it at any time - put another img0 in web\wallpaper\windows, then logoff and back on.


Conclusion - you'll find Oceanis a lot easier. LOL