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Can't change background??

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irishguy730

Technical User
Dec 28, 2005
15
US
I'm working on a few older machines that were surplused to a local school district(PII, 450mhz, 224meg, WinXP). There is a logo as the background that I want to change. However, when I try thru Control Panel/Display....the only option at the top is "Settings". And if I try to right-click an image....the "set as background" option isn't available. How can this be? Help?
 
Probably a policy or logon script has been set (we have a similar thing on our workstations)to load the image, and disable the control panel.
 
I have the admin password. Where would I look to see how to change it back?
 
Go to Start-Run and type in gpedit.msc, when the window opens go to User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Desktop->Active Desktop, and set Active Desktop Wallpaper to Enabled or not configured. This should give you back the ability to change the wallpaper.

You must have Admin privileges to run the Group Policy editor.



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
 
Use your mouse to highlight the below, and then right-click, Copy:
Microsoft Registry Editor 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"NoDispAppearancePage"=dword:00000000
"NoDispBackgroundPage"=dword:00000000
"NoDispScrSavPage"=dword:00000000
"NoDispSettingsPage"=dword:00000000
Now right click a blank area of the desktp, New, Text Document. Double click that document to open Notepad. Right click in Notepad, Paste.

File, Save as, C:\fix_desktop.reg

Then:
Start, Run, regedit /s C:\fix_desktop.reg

That reverses any wayward registry settings, including Group Policy settings if they have been made.

The next step is again requires creating a new Text Document. Into that new doument copy/paste the below:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?> <assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0"> <assemblyIdentity processorArchitecture="*" version="5.1.0.0" type="win32" name="Microsoft.Windows.Shell.shell32"/> <description>Windows Shell</description> <dependency> <dependentAssembly> <assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls" version="6.0.0.0" publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df" language="*" processorArchitecture="*" /> </dependentAssembly> </dependency> </assembly>
Do a File, Save as, C:\Windows\WindowsShell.Manifest
Agree to an ovewrite of an existing file if asked.

Reboot and test.


____________________________
Users Helping Users
 
vacunita (Programmer) 14 Nov 06 11:52
Go to Start-Run and type in gpedit.msc, when the window opens go to User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Desktop->Active Desktop, and set Active Desktop Wallpaper to Enabled or not configured. This should give you back the ability to change the wallpaper.

You must have Admin privileges to run the Group Policy editor."

That worked, thank you
 
Glad I could help.

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
 
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