Desktop Background - Allow or Prevent Changing

need4steer · 12 Apr 2011

Thanks a lot for this great tutorial.
Will you please combine it with https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/62048-desktop-background-specify-prevent-change.html ?

Brink · 12 Apr 2011

Hello Need4steer,

Thank you. It's already in the warning box at the top of the tutorial.

yogi369 · 26 Oct 2011

Hi Guys, ok did the reg file download and restarted. However still have the same issue, cant change desktop background and the and cant use option 2 as im running Windows 7 Home Premium

any ideas? Thanks in advance

Brink · 26 Oct 2011

Hello Yogi, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Could you post some screenshots of what is wrong when you try to change your desktop background, and give more details on what is or is not happening? For example, any of the options grayed out, or you are only able to change to solid colors, etc......

yogi369 · 26 Oct 2011

Hi Brink, many thanks for the prompt reply, didnt expect to get one so quick:)

Tried to reply with a screenshot of the desktop personalisation options but didnt work.

Anyway doesnt really matter as its the usual issue: can only choose solid colour options, and the writing under 'Desktop Background' is greyed out... Help....???? Feel like im goingcrazy here, found your tutorial and thought i was sorted however the reg file didnt seem to work for me

Sorry, i see my first post came thorugh but the screenshot didnt load properly, maybe you can delete that post? In realtion to my issue, i noticed on another thread that you had changed the reg download for another user and that then worked, maybe if i got the original reg download that may work for me? Perhaps not but just a thought. Thanks

Brink · 26 Oct 2011

Yogi,

In addition, check the turtorial below to make sure you have it set to 'Not specify a desktop background".

Desktop Background - Specify and Prevent Change

Also, check the tutorial below to make sure that you have the Remove background images (where available) box unchecked.

Remove Background Images (where available)

yogi369 · 26 Oct 2011

Hi Brink, many thanks for the follow up, unfortunately no joy though.

I had already tried:
Remove background images (where available) .Remove Background Images (where available)

And i just tried with no success:
Not specify a desktop background.Desktop Background - Specify and Prevent Change

First i tried without step 5, i.e. have a locked wallpaper, this didnt work.
Then tried with step 5, i.e. the default setting allowing users to change their own desktop backgrounds. Still no luck

Starting to get worried now, nothing seems to be working, any other suggestions.
I know not having the exact pic I want is not a major deal in the grand scheme of things, however this is now really annoying me, have spent so ling trying to resolve what should be such a straight forward thing.

Any other ideas or suggestions would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Thanks

Brink · 26 Oct 2011

Yogi,

Well, we tried the usual suspects. You could do a system restore using a restore point (if available) dated before this started happening to hopefully undo and fix it.

randun · 23 Nov 2012

I realize that this thread is old but thought I’d take a chance that someone might still pick it up. As you’ll note below, System Restore is out of the picture, however I do have registry backups that were saved at or before the system tweaks I performed on my system. I have a Sony VAIO Touchscreen PC & have used its VAIO Care module for system tune-ups until now.

Steps Taken Thus Far:

· CP à Ease of Access Center
o Ensured that Remove background images (where available) was unchecked.
· Regedit
o Navigated to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
o Right-clicked on Policies > New > KEY > named it as “ActiveDesktop”.
o Then right-clicked (RHP) > New > DWORD > name it as “NoChangingWallPaper”.
o Since DWORD value 1 would restrict change in desktop wallpaper, set value to 0 to allow change.
o Rebooted
· Corrupted TranscodedWallpaper.jpg?
o Opened Windows Explorer and typed the following in the address bar and hit Enter
§ %USERPROFILE%\Data\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\
o Renamed TranscodedWallpaper.jpg to TranscodedWallpaper.old.
§ (Very important to note that after changing file name to .old, the .jpg file immediately recreated itself)
o Then double-clicked slideshow.ini file to open it with Notepad.
§ Emptied its contents, i.e., selected all the text and deleted it, then saved changes.
o Closed Windows Explorer.

I’ve tried going back & running System Restore but all have failed due to incurring the infamous BSOD during the process. SR error message codes were odd as well.

I’ve attached a screenshot of the current desktop & Personalization Module screen.

Ideas? Thanks.

Desktop Background - Allow or Prevent Changing

Desktop Background - Allow or Prevent Changing

To Allow or Prevent Changing Desktop Background using REG File

To Allow or Prevent Changing Desktop Background using Group Policy

REG File Download didnt work for me