Desktop Slideshow - Shuffle Images in Multiple Folders

How to Have Desktop Slideshow Shuffle Images in Multiple Folders in Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to have your desktop background wallpaper slideshow shuffle through multiple folders for wallpapers instead of moving all your wallpapers into one folder to do so.

   Warning

If you checked the Turn off all unnecceassary animations box in the Ease of Access Center, or unchecked the fade option in the Visual Effects settings, then this will also remove the fade effect in the desktop slideshow.

Here's How:
First, what we're trying to achieve is to use multiple folders for your desktop slideshow. The easiest way to do this is to use your Public picture folder, because when you go to the wallpaper select options under Personalization - the "Picture Library" actually points to your Public Picture folder.



Public Picture folder is located under

%systemdrive%\Users\Public\

Usually %systemdrive% is your C: drive.
Once you've navigated to your Public Picture folder inside your explorer window, you can copy and paste folders into it OR you can change your Public Picture Folder.

In this case, we're going to move the Public Pictures folder to match your My Picture folder. In a multi-user environment this may not be effective since you will be moving the Public folder for every user. Most users will have their My Picture folder located on the same drive as their Public folder.

Right click the Public Picture folder and select properties, then go to Location and select Move...
Navigate to:

%systemdrive%\Users\(Type your account name)\My Pictures


Hit OK

After that, right-click your Desktop and go to Personalize.


Click Desktop Background then go to the drop down menu Picture Location and select Pictures Library...


If you're anything like me, you will see multiple folders. This will include any folders you had in your My Pictures folder. I find it easiest to right click any folder header and hit "Collapse all groups." After, I go through and right click any folders I would like to use in my slideshow and hit "Expand group"
Once you've expanded all the folders you would like to use, you can begin selecting your wallpapers. Be careful, you can easily de-select all previous images you've selected if you don't make sure you hold CTRL on the keyboard and use the LEFT mouse button. If you want to select an entire folder, CTRL+Left mouse button the folder header. That will select the entire folder.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Create a Desktop Slideshow in Windows 7
• How to Change or Save a Windows 7 Theme
• How to Change the Window Color and Appearance in Windows 7
• How to Change the Windows 7 Desktop Background
• How to Turn Aero Peek On or Off in Windows 7
• Add or Remove "Next desktop background" from Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[biisu]

good one ....

 

[lince1218]

I wonder if I can restore the default folder setting ?

 

[StaggerLee]

Hello,

For some reason it doesn't give me the "Restore Default / Move / Find Target" buttons when I click on the Location tab for the Public Pictures folder. I am logged on with the Administrator account. Could this possibly be because there is another user already set up (but not logged in) on this machine? I have been able to change the location of the My Documents & My Pictures folders - this is the first one I've run across that I can't change.

Thanks,
-StaggerLee

 

[lince1218]

Hello,

For some reason it doesn't give me the "Restore Default / Move / Find Target" buttons when I click on the Location tab for the Public Pictures folder. I am logged on with the Administrator account. Could this possibly be because there is another user already set up (but not logged in) on this machine? I have been able to change the location of the My Documents & My Pictures folders - this is the first one I've run across that I can't change.

Thanks,
-StaggerLee

Hi Stagger,
Unfortunately I can't help you on this, but how I solved my problem may be useful for you. In registry, HKU\Software\Microstof\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folder
There you may see some things like My Music, My Pictures.... and the values should be like "%USERPROFILE%\Music", take my case as example, value of My Pictures is "%Derrick%\Pictures", so I changed the value back to "%USERPROFILE%\Pictures", and I did same thing to some other entries like this, and reboot, then my folder setting changed back to the default location. Thus maybe you can try to edit your registry and see if that works.
Sorry for my poor English, but I hope this helps you with your problem.

 

[k4emic]

I found out something interesting when fiddling with this.

If you don't have any need for the public pictures folder, you can do the following.

[right-click any folder] -> [Include in library] -> [Pictures]

Delete the public pictures folder (Or move it somewhere, just in case)

This should add the folder and all subfolders to the list when selecting [Pictures Library] from the dropdown list when selecting the picture location.

Can someone confirm this?

 

[selflysis]

Hello,

For some reason it doesn't give me the "Restore Default / Move / Find Target" buttons when I click on the Location tab for the Public Pictures folder. I am logged on with the Administrator account. Could this possibly be because there is another user already set up (but not logged in) on this machine? I have been able to change the location of the My Documents & My Pictures folders - this is the first one I've run across that I can't change.

Thanks,
-StaggerLee

You could have possibly changed the folder already and don't remember. Sometimes it keeps the blank folder there after you move it? I'll check the registry, I think it might be the key Linc is refering to. If not, it is similar.

 

[ungers]

I seem to have made my public pictures folder disappear at the stage where I changed location to my pictures.

I got a message saying would I like to move all files to the new location and I clicked OK.

When I now go to personalise the desktop nothing happens when I select the Pictures Library from the drop down menu.

Does anyone have an idea what I have done and how to fix it?

 

[Maeldun]

Same thing happened here. Nothing happens when I select Pictures Library from the drop down menu. Really would appreciate the help, guys.

 

[Sec]

Actually if you edit the following you can get the same (or better) result .
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers\knownfolders\0\Windows Wallpapers\MergeFolders

Then add a folder or change one in "Mergefolders" ,
Actually if you have only 1 folder it also looks in that folder`s subfolders.

Also you can add a folder by adding a folder to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers\knownfolders
folder 1 for example
In that folder add the 2 keys from folder 0
GROUPBY System.ItemFolderNameDisplay
NAME My Travel pictures (name that shows up in "picture location")

 

[selflysis]

Personally, I don't know what causes the error but since then I've had three formats. Two prior to this one had the same issue. Most recently I tried to change the folders by right clicking them inside the explorer library on the left side and change location that way.

 

[vcatwh]

Slideshow vs. Wallpaper?

I have only been using Windows 7 for a few weeks. I don't understand what the difference is between setting the desktop wallpaper to change at a specified interval, versus creating a slideshow that changes the wallpaper at a specified interval? They both change the desktop background using a selected folder(s), right?

 

[gamepoint]

nice one brink..been looking for this..tired of moving all pictures to certain folder

 

[jarzmann]

For anyone who still needs help

1. Create a library. e,g wallpapers
2. Include folders of wallpaper pics example include black walls in wallpaper library
3. Set library properties to pictures i,e right click and change from general to pictures
4. Right click desktop and choose personalize
5. Select library created in step 1. (eg. wallpaper library)

HTH