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

 

[mick823]

Oceanis Change background

Shawn

This program works with Win7 starter just as described. I am a little puzzled about the origin of the software. Can you explain a little about where it came from, who wrote it, etc. and assure me and others that it is not malware.

Mick

 

[Brink]

Hello Mick, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If was offered to us by a friend of ours Oceanis. I ran several scans and checks on the program in a VM before posting it, so that you and everyone else can rest assure that it's malware free.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[sembal]

hi there
i installed and setup the program but i couldn`t achieve to save the background. When I click on save changes background doesn`t change and program is closed. what can be reasin for this

 

[Brink]

Hello Sembal, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I have just a few questions to see if they may be able to help determine what happened.

• Did you restart the computer after installing the program?
• Do you have a modified skin or theme, or other 3rd party theme or skin program installed?
• Do you have UAC turned on?
• Did you do this in a administrator or standard account?

You might see if right clicking on the program's shortcut, and clicking on "Run as administrator" may help.

 

[iTom]

thanks for this, ive now changed it

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Tom, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[livonce]

thanks

I recently purchased a mini laptop with windows 7 started edition ..I discovered the next day that I am unable to change the desktop wallpaper . After reading the forums , I downloaded oceanis to change the background. and viola it worked.Thanks

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Livonce. I'm happy to hear it.

 

[cotita]

hi, my name is natalia, im from chile and i like to thanks u for help me to fix my problem with windows 7, and the way u do it is very easy, wich is the best part because i dont know very much about computer and this kind of stuff

again thanks and good luck
natty

 

[mick823]

Shawn

Thanks for your work in helping the Win7 Starter Edition crowd with the Oceanis software. As we all know, some of the other features such as Aero snap, Aero peek, Aero shake and the transluceny effects are also disabled. I have seen softwares the claim to emulate these funtions for XP and some Vista versions but no mention of Win7 Starter edition. Personally I can't see spending another $80 to upgrade the OS when all I want is the wallpaper change which has been resolved and the transparency effect which I am attempting to resolve. Thoughts or recommendations appreciated. Keep up the good work!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Mick. Windows 7 Starter edition is very limited (non existent) when it comes to Aero features. I have not seen anything to enable them yet, but I shall keep an eye for anything and will post back with a new tutorial on it if found.

 

[J Steel]

Thank you.

Thank you. Your instructions worked perfectly.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome J Steele, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[jeam97]

Not working

1) I installed the program
2) I restarted computer
3) I tried running as Administrator
4) UAC (aka YUCK) is turned on to the lowest setting.
5) Don't have any other 3rd party wallpaper programs... just bought this thing less than 24 hours ago.

When I open the program and select the image I want as the wallpaper, I see it change the wallpaper in the background. When I click on "Save" the program closes and the picture I selected disappears and reverts back to the LAME pre-installed Windows 7 Starter wallpaper.

Help.

 

[jeam97]

re: Not working

I uninstalled & reinstalled and it worked just fine. Plus, a little patience.

Great product. Thanks!

 

[cotita]

hi, my name is natalia, im from chile and i like to thanks u for help me to fix my problem with windows 7, and the way u do it is very easy, wich is the best part because i dont know very much about computer and this kind of stuff

again thanks and good luck
natty

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Jeam and Natty, and welcome to Seven Forums. I'm happy to hear that you found Oceanis's program helpful.

 

[heffabunns]

Desktop background won't change

I still can't get my background to change. (I have windows 7 starter too) I have downloaded Oceanis then did everything on this list:

• Did you restart the computer after installing the program? YES
• Do you have a modified skin or theme, or other 3rd party theme or skin program installed? <--DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS
• Do you have UAC turned on? TURNED IT OFF THEN RESTARTED
• Did you do this in a administrator or standard account? ADMIN

You might see if right clicking on the program's shortcut, and clicking on "Run as administrator" may help. ALSO DID THIS

When restartedthe @nd time after turning off UAC, the pic I chose showed up but went away when completly restarted and all desktop icons were up. How do I know if I have a modified skin or theme or a 3rd party program installed? What else could it be? Just a plain black screen for now.

 

[Brink]

Hello Heffabunns, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Double check to make sure that you have this option unchecked in the Ease of Access Center in the Control Panel.



A third party skinning program would be a program like Stardock's WindowBlinds.

Hope this helps,
Shawn