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

 

[Sope]

To bad it includes a nagware ad at the bottom of it when using the program. Link removed.

I think you must have got the wrong program somehow, unless I posted the wrong link
I never touch anything with nagware ads!
There is a program with the same name that does contain ads though (from a French developer)

I'll PM you with the link to the one I got if you want to take another look. The downloaded zip file also contains the source code.

 

[grundy32]

Oceanis

for some reason I can not access the "samples" for a choice of background--it does not show--uninstalled & reinstalled & the only ones that are there are the default ones. Thanks, Bob B.

 

[Brink]

Hello Grundy, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you mean from the default C:\Users\Public\Pictures\Sample Pictures folder in Windows 7, then did you click on the Browse button in the program and manually navigate to this location?

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[grundy32]

sample pictures

thanks Shawn--did that and now I do have the sample pictures back--also by reinstalling Oceanis I again have it there after rebooting & do not have to manually open it every time which happened after one of the W7 updates. bob

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Bob.

 

[ice87234]

thanx fr the software shawn! im using windows 7 starter fr my netbook n feel very sad since cnt chnge the bckground..but now,im happy coz i cud put my fvrte pic as desktop bckground!!

 

[clp]

I need help what the warning said not to do I did. I have a black screen without a wallpaper and I can not put it on. I changed for windows 7 starter to windows 7 home premium edition.

Warning
If you ever do a in-place upgrade to another higher level edition of Windows 7 in the future, then be sure to uninstall this Oceanis Change Background Windows 7 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.

 

[Brink]

Hello Ice and Clp, and welcome to Seven Forums.

&Clp,

Have you already tried uninstalling the program to see if you may be able to change the background afterwards?

If you did, then you may need to do a clean install of your Windows 7 Home Premium.

 

[clp]

I don't know how to do this windows 7 home premium was an upgrade.

 

[Brink]

No problem Clp. This may be able to help with that. Be sure to backup anything that you do not want to lose first though.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

 

[clp]

Thank you Brink i will try
​

 

[Brink]

You're most welcom Clp. Please let us know how it went.

 

[Lesleyuk]

Thanks so much for this. I have windows 7 on my laptop and love it so when I bought the boys netbooks for christmas made sure they had windows 7 not realising how basic their version would be. Being kids some of the fun is personalising their screens. I downloaded this today on both machines and it work perfectly. Now at least they can have their own desktop pictures. Two happy boys

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that. Welcome to Seven Forums Lesley.

 

[x127]

Shuffle

Hello,
Thanks for the program. It's really easy to use. The only problem I have is that when I select it to change the bg every minute, it does not, however, when I open the program and exit out, it switches to the bg it is supposed to be at within the given time frame. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello x127, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Double check to see if you also have the Shuffle option checked, and have the "when on battery....." option unchecked.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[x127]

Hey,

thanks for the welcome I did everything you said, and still it does not shuffle.
It's no big deal though, thanks for your help.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. I'm just not sure why it's not changing for you.

 

[lenaaaapr]

desktop background flashes then goes to black screen..the tips tell me to try to change the theme to Windows Classic but how is this possible with Windows 7 Starter when it doesnt have a 'Personalize' option?

 

[Brink]

Hello Lenaaaapr, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might see if one of the other options may work for you instead.