This solution WILL fix your problem, but don’t run away afterwards and forget about us.
HelpMeRick.com contains hundreds of tips (and video tips) that YOU can use as a reference for yourself and
especially as a reference to send links to your friends/family so you don’t have to write out or explain the steps yourself!
I ran into this problem earlier this week and found the solution. The customer could not change his desktop background to any of the stock photos in Windows or his own photos…something that any Windows user should be able to do. Turns out that the root cause of the problem is spyware. Even after removing the spyware a registry (skeleton of Windows) entry gets left behind disabling the users ability to change the background. Deleting this entry restores the ability for the user to again have a normal functioning desktop.
WARNING: THIS SOLUTION IS ONLY FOR COMPUTERS THAT HAVE THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. AND IT IS INTENDED TO ONLY BE CARRIED OUT BY AN EXPERIENCED TECHNICIAN OR COMPUTER USER WITH REGISTRY EXPERIENCE.
- Click Start
- Click Run
- Type: regedit
- Navigate to the following registry entry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
“Wallpaper”=SZ:C:\WINDOWS\desktop.html (yours might be slightly different)
- Click one time on the entry
- Push Delete on the keyboard
- Click Yes
- Close the Registry editor
HOW TO MAKE YOUR ICON TEXT TRANSPARENT:
1. Open the Control Panel
2. Click System
3. Click the Advanced tab
4. Click Settings in the Performance section
5. Check the “Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop” check box
6. Click OK until you close the windows
Please consider donating any amount to our cause by clicking the donate link on the right. Thanks.
Related articles:
- Solution for computer users who can’t print from Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7)
- Learning a new computer
- Spyblocker: My first nasty Vista spyware and repair success story
- Be careful using multiple accounts
- Windows XP User Picture
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Hi i have the same problem of not being able to change my wallpaper from solid colours since a malware infection. Im on Vista, did anyone manage to find a solution to the problem on this operating system, cheers guys
Try downloading and running the Combofix utility from my right hand column under the Security section.
Hi Rick, it says I should only do this if I am an experienced computer user which I am not. My computer allows me to set pictures as desktop backgrounds but will not let me do anything beyond (like change it from tile to center etc). Should I attempt to do what you mentioned or is there something else i should do?
Try the ComboFix and Malware Bytes programs I have linked on my “Links” page .
Just GREAT! I finnaly fix it! THANKS!!!
I struggled with this issue for more than 6 months.
I used ComboFix Spyware Removal Tool and in 5 minutes…there you go: i have a background picture instead the boring solid color.
Thanks again man!
Hey I have this problem. it happened after I unplugged my computer in a thunderstorm while it was shutting down, I know stupid me, but it’s not only not able to change the background to a picture but also a lot of settings were deleated and the restore does not work.
oh and in reg edit there is no “wallpaper” thing
Unfortunately, this did not work for me. Once I get to the System folder, I only have:
defult
disableregistrytools
Also, tried to install ComboFix but because I have AVG, it won’t install. I’ve been dealing with this issue for MONTHS and have tried so many different things. I’m not open to uninstalling AVG just to install ComboFix, just because I doubt it would work anyway.
If there is anything else someone can recommend at this point, I’d love to hear it. I’m desperate. PLEASE HELP!
FYI: I’m using Windows 7 with a Dell Inspiron. I can change the background to solid colors only, but no other images. Thanks!
Worked very well. Thanks for a great tip, especially after dealing with all the spyware
wow after about 6 hours trying to fix. I did what you said and it was fixed in a minute thank you
I had this problem several months ago after uninstalling an automatic wallpaper changer program. If I had known about this solution, maybe I wouldn’t have had to do the Windows reinstallation that I did!
Thanks so much, had to deal with this for ages.
I have spent 3 weeks fighting this issue. Apparently, the guys who come up with this spyware try really hard to confuse even the more computer educated. They didn’t have a class in college that spelled out how to handle this one. Thanks man, this took care of the problem in about 3 seconds.
Thank you so much. I was inches away from suicide.
lol same here! thank god its fixed
Wow, I was lucky and found this page about 30 minutes into this problem.
Thanks so much for the tip.
the shortcuts still have this problem. how do you make them transparent again?
I tried the method that works for everyone but not me…any idea?(windows XP,professional,service pack 2)
Although it didn’t work for me but i can’t stand the situation so i try edit the value of registry that you stated,somehow it works and it came back to normal…Thanks for your help,apreciate it!
I had a picture of me with my exboyfriend that I couldn’t get off the screen. I thought he made it that way right before we broke up! I’m soooo glad I found this page!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!
at last a cure cheers yipeeeeee
hallelujah!
I just removed a combination of trojans and spywares on a friend’S PC after a grueling 3 hour battle but found no way to bring desktop back. Thanks to your advice, IT WORKED LIKE CHARM.
I have this problem and I went to go delete this entry, but I dont have a Policies/System folder.
Blah! Now I’m stuck with this crappy background.
I have this problem and I went to go delete this entry, but I dont have a Policies/System folder.
Blah! Now I’m stuck with this crappy background.
It was a lot of help
After searching the internet for nearly an hour, I finally found this link, which actually worked… THANK YOU!
ty so much hurray now i have background finaly!
I got this one to work… I was 30 minutes away from formatting my hard drive before I found this link.
Thank You!
Your the man!!!! I spent half a day trying to get rid of the “blue Screen” I fould this link and it worked like magic.
that solved that problem, but now all my wallpapers are in realy low quality like there are in low res. but my comp. is on 1280×1024
OMG* dude i hope you get blessed for this man!!!!!!!My wallpaper is working again…=….THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
Did the fix, rebooted, voila!! Changing wallpapers again.
I tried the solution but when I got to the area to delete the items. I had nothing to delete. Actually nothing where policies/system wallpaper should be.
That was amazing!!! I though I would never find anything to fix it! Thank you soooooo much!!!
I brought my computer in to get it fixed after a virus. I also mentioned this problem to the tech, but I got it back home and I still couldn’t change the picture. This worked. Thank you!
Thank you so much! I have tried to work out this problem for months now and i thought it was helpless…nobody knew what to do….now i am so happy!!!!
It really works!! That was really amazing..You are great..Really thank you so much..I have been with this problem for about weeks and i asked for help but nobody knows the answer or they dont really know what to do…Thank you for your help
worked great thanks
Wooohooo thank-you!
All the reviews were right! You truly are the man!
Damn Man Your Good!!! I’ve been trying to fix this for a long time, and now after 2 minutes of your help it fixes it. Thanks
I have been waitin for this for so freakin long
hey I work with a tech support service…and I founded the solution at your site and it worked within seconds…thx thx thx…my customer is very happy wiht this…
Problem: Not able to view any desktop wallpaper
I did not find any key under HKCU\SW\MS\Win\CV\Policies\System
But I DID find an entry under Policies\ActiveDesktop
which showed NoHTMLWallpaper and it was set to “1″
I changed this to “0″ and it fixed the problem
I also had a long battle with spyware which originally caused the problem, specifically SpySheriff
Thanks loads for your indirect, but accurate, help!!
Thanks for the fix. I lost my Desktop Background and could not see what was wrong.
THANKS AGAIN
Thank you SOOOOOO much…. I finally found something that works!!!!!
amazing. thanks so much.
thank you it worked
Thanks a bunch!! After searching and searching for solutions to my problem yours was the one that worked. Thanks again!!!
i love you it worked
Hey thats great advice. Thank u
I have a problem similar to the above,except different.I was using apple’s safari browser to save a picture,and i messed it up.anyway,I can change all the background pictures etc,but the entire lower section of my desktop is constantly covered by the picture i tried to save with the safari browser.i have tried everything to get rid of it,from anti spyware to the methods mentioned above.nothing works.any suggestions please.
Sweet Jesus!
A spyware called SpyShredder2.1 caused this but you fixed it. Thanks
After days of searching for a solution to this problem finally!!!! Thank you so much!!!
after months of having this problem its gone
THANK YOU!
I want to hug you Rick. This probelm was driving me nuts for days and you managed to solve it in like 30 seconds. I salute you.
wow ive been on every website…two seconds and it was gone
OMG dat easy thanx soooo much mayn was thinkin wats up wiv d laptop like…but ye thanx mayn
thx a lot awesome
Dude you are a GOD!!!
Thanks
That was amazing..every other website didnt work but two seconds with you and POOF..its fixed.
oh my god, I want to bear your children. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
this software has infected my computer,,, hours tring to remove.
You = God. Thank you so much!!
I had been dealing with this problem for a while and nothing I tryed worked, I visited other sites and nothing worked, untill THIS…….thank you so much
just had this problem and found you. heaven sent.
I uninstalled spyshreeder but the icon is still on the all program site. There is a uninstall optin but itdoes nthing and my spyware says spyshreeder is trying to access my computer. How do I remove al traces.
Search our site for “sypware”…specifically our article on “Extrication Spyware” and follow the advice there for a path to computer cleanliness.
It worked!!! I can’t believe it. I tried desperately to fix it after I installed anti spyware. It worked very well and it also reactivated my selection of backgrounds in my control panel which had also been disabled.
I find, however that my desktop icons have a blue shadow/hallo around them, which was the colour of the Windows default background. Any suggestions for clearing that up?
Again, thanks for that great tip!
ur work was awesome. thnx a lot 4 helping. none knew how to solve ma problem. thnx a lot
Dude Look at all these people you have helped , including myself. I was about to reinstall windows because i thought my problem was just hidden, turns out it was just the skeleton of windows entry left over you mentioned, i deleted and BAM …problem solved I MUST AGREE YOU ABSOLUTELY ROCK! THANKS AGAIN!
it worked perfectly. right after i deleted it i went to personalize desktop, and as soon as i clicked on change background, my image popped up and it stayed and is now perfect. thanks again man.
oh and another thing..it would be wonderful if u could post this some more places or something. cuz like i google searched my problem 5 different ways and it took me about 30mins to finally find this one.
but thanks very much all the same
thank you that worked great no one else could help me with it!!
Thank you very much Mr Computer Dude!!! You are DA MAN!! You have a gift and it is helping people with computer headaches. You are the Tylenol I don’t have to take or the shot of Patron I don’t have to drink. Thank you so much!! I now can enjoy my beautiful kids pic on my desktop!! God Bless You Sir!!!!
I have spent nearly a year with this problem and nearly gave up, you are the beacon of hope to all computer users. Thankyou.
i’ve been trying to get my background back for over a year!!!!! thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!
that was so simple yet i would never have thought of that!!!
Does it work on vista the same way? because I have vista and your advise didn’t help me please tell me what to do, thanks
1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type: regedit
N4. avigate to the following registry entry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Right after that, I lost you… What entry am I supposed to be clicking on? Thanks…
Dell Software Support was going to charge me a one time fee of about $100 to fix this problem. Your solution saved me money Thanks. Now my desktop backgrounds are not grayed out anymore and they work fine. Thanks again!
OMG i’ve been trying for over a month to get this and this did it!! Woohoo!!! thank you!
i’ve tired EVERYTHING but NOTHING works till i came across your advice. YOU ROCK!
Never had a problem on my own computer, as I’m a total ass about who goes on it, or even what goes on it, but my brother in law isn’t such a freak about things, and when he gave me his old laptop, I was going to change the photo, found that this was exactly the problem. Thank you!
I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD NOT WORK, BUT IT DID. I THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING WAS EXTREMELY WRONG WITH MY COMPUTER. BUT THANKS TO YOU, IT’S WORKING CORRECTLY AGAIN.
im 15 didnt no wtf happened and u helped me out so much thank you
thank you that work on my computer also I am glad
i cannot find that url link in my computer i have the exact same problem but i cannot find the poblem code
yes!!!!! thanks an absaloute bunch m8 i had been deperatley trying to sort this out and you were the only one who managed to sort it out
cheers mate your the best
I’m really glad I found this page, it WORKED!!
After out network person upgraded all our systems to Office 2007 and my desktop images were “lost” in the transition – I tried many things, including suggestions here which unfortunately didn’t work. But what worked for me was this:
1. Ensuring that all desktop and wallpaper .BMP images were in the correct folder/directory. For me, that folder was C:\Documents and Settings\MYNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft
2. If I wanted to created my own images, it was necessary to save them in 24 bit format. THIS WAS VERY IMPORTANT, because my images would not show up when I attempted saving them from original .jpg to .bmp in the Photoshop default 16 bit format.
3. A user tip: if you have ANY pictures you want to use as your background/wallpaper, then make sure they are in your “My Pictures” folder/directory, right-click and then choose “Set as Desktop Background” – and presto.
than-you for the answer – i cannot believe i found the answer ! my cousin tears apart and rebuilds computers and knows a ton about windows . He had no idea how to fix my problem – but i found the answer here ! THANK-YOU so very much again – i almost rebooted my whole system to new.
this is amazing this crazy thanks
Ctrl+D add to favorites!! thanks so much!!!
Thank You so much – Easy Solution to foolow – It’s been driving me mad not having a background – I give you a big thank you with kisses all over!!
I’ve had this problem for so long!
This really fixed it. Thank you! THANK YOU!
This has been driving me crazy, not a genius when it comes to computers, but your instructions made it easy. Thank you very much
OMG!!!!!THANK YOU SOOOO SOOO MUCH!!! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR DAYS!!! I THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO SEND IT INTO THE COMPANY TO GET IT FIX! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!
You guys are the best!! The repair works awesome! Thank you very much!!! I was only getting a solid color for my background, now it’s back to normal. I can pick anything I want. Hurray!!
I WAS GETTING FRUSTRATED BUT AFTER FOLLOWING YOUR INSTRUCTION I WAS DONE IN LESS THAN 2 MINUTES. PROBLEM FIXED. THANKS
I had tried everything to get my wallpaper to come back!! Took me 30 seconds to follow your instructions and it fixed the problem!
you guys are awesome! i am so grateful! definitely going under my favourites list =)
there’s sooo many positive comments. are they all real?
i just had to go through so much getting firefox to rework on my laptop then my display picture didnt work.. your walkthrough help so much thank you
I am so happy, this problem lasted for almost six months. I had given up trying to fix it, when I found this site I was very relieved. Thank you again!!
I am so glad I found this! I was baffled at why I could not change my background, even though the virus that caused it was long gone!
OMG that was so easy the amount of time I have been trying to fix the problem and your post helped me do it in 1 min
Thank you ever so much, I can have fun changing my desktop now
Your the best
Hugs
?Cally?
Super easy instructions to follow and it fixed the problem right away. Now my wife will stop bugging me about the problem and I will look like a computer genius to her. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for posting a possible solution, but I’m still having a problem.
On a brand-new Dell laptop running Vista (literally just started today for the first time), my parent’s new machine won’t let you change the desktop wallpaper to anything but a solid colored background. Of course, Dell’s tech support was no help!
I’ve remotely connected to the machine & checked the registry, but there is no existing value for anything under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
This is the second machine they’ve gotten where you can’t change the wallpaper (the other one is an HP laptop running XP). They had this problem from day one with that machine too. Is it really a virus or is this something stupid the manufacturers are doing to the machines? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Great Thanks for the step by step procedure Extremely helpful.
Thanks
I also had the desktop wallpaper problem. But I went into the system using your instructions and hey it worked first time and I done it in seconds.
Cheers guys
We have the same problem whereby we can’t change the desktop background of our laptop. We found these instructions in this blog, we tried and it works. Thanks a lot for the great help, God bless you.
Fixed like magic!! Easy instructions!! Thanks a million!!!!
Thanks 1,000,000.
I’ve been having the same problem with my desktop, I can select the picture, but it flashes for a brief second and the dreaded plain blue screen returns again. I’ve tried running the regedit on run, but can’t find the “System
“Wallpaper”=SZ:C:\WINDOWS\desktop.html
chunck after policies, all I have after polices is an “explorer” folder so I’m pretty much still stuck with my plain blue screen, can someone please help??? I’m running on XP with service pack 2
Thank you sooooo much!!!!
I seriously had this problem for 2 years.
I couldn’t find it in the registry (never would’ve guessed where it was), and I couldn’t find ANY answer on the internet.
You made me so happy.
Wish I had $$$ to donate, cause I would in a second.
THANK YOU!!
Something got in my computer while I was searching the web and I couldn’t get it out. When I finally did I couldn’t change my background anymore. But when I did what you listed to do I can change it again. Thanks so much.
After searching the internet and finding things that had nothing to do with backgrounds, wallpapers, or the like, I somehow (thank god) found this site. After quickly skiming (something I’ve become quite good at trying to fix this problem) I found what I was looking for.
‘No, I must have read it wrong.’ Nope. Read it through and miracle of miracles, it stated /exactly/ what was happening with my computer.
I went through the steps and ‘tada!’ I have my old background back! Of corse, the first thing I did was change it, but really, I was so happy that I’d finally found this that I was dancing where I sat.
Thank you so, so, much for having this. Your website is /so/ going into favorites!
i been months looking for help all over the internet since i couldn’t change my background. i instalized some programs which were useless and today i wasn’t expecting to find the ”cure” but this page just came on and it was easy. i’m so happy now!!!!
..thanks a lot, you made my day and many more
-emily
I really had doubts that this would work! I just knew that in my case, I would still have the same problem, even after I followed your directions, but I didn’t!! It worked like MAGIC! Thank you for being a genius! I will be donating to the cause!
Thank you so much! I let a friend of my brother’s house-sit for me and when I came back, my background was gone. You’ve saved me from having to stare at the blue screen of death all day!
Thank you so much, I tried and tried but it doesn’t work until I found this answer on helpmerick.com. Thank you, thank you thank you , have a good thanks giving.:-)
I tried deleting that but got the message “Unable to delete all specified values”. What does that mean? It says “value not set” under data…
I can’t find information on any other site to explain how to fix my display on Vista (I can only change solid colors for background)…I guess I’ll have to wait. I’m glad that you guys are looking into it.
I have a brand new computer with Vista on it that has never been hooked up tot the internet. I changed the background settings to have a solid color instead of a wallpaper. Now I can’t get it to go back….
Thank you soooooo much! I’ve had this problem for months now and your solution worked!
i cant change my background
for awhile, I had a white background that couldnt be changed. I searched and searched on the internet and nothing. That is until I found this website. I had the problem solved in two minutes! Thanx, you guys rock!
thank you sooo much! that solution it is very helpfull God bless you
I fixed it now… thanks…
Can you tell me how did you fix it? I have the same problem I don’t know what to do after SYSTEM thanks
Tried for 2 hours looking at simalar solutions. Only your site listed the error in the registry in the way my computer displayed it. By the way, I was too chicken to delete it, so I renamed it. Worked just fine!!! Thanks a heep!!
u guys are awesome
i was able to fix my “desktop wallpaper not changing” problem
Submitted by Smart Computer User on September 1, 2007 – 10:30pm.
Does it work on vista the same way? because I have vista and your advise didn’t help me please tell me what to do, thanks
Hey people please answer to me how does it work on VISTA? Please Please Please Please Please Please …. What should I write after “System”. I hope you’ll help me
thanks
We will try to find an answer for you and post it if we find it, but we weren’t aware that this particular virus/spyware also affected Vista.
Please people, PROTECT YOUR SYSTEMS so this doesn’t happen in the first place.
Ok I’ll wait for your advise. thanks
Wallpaper went to white screen last night and yours was the first tip I read today. Fixed the problem right away!!! Thanks. What spyware do you recommend running to prevent this from happening? I have Norton Corperate Antivirus running and reinstalled MS Defender last night. rd
Just thought you should know that this problem is caused by the Win32.Zotob worm. Here is the removal tool:
http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2005-081514-1503-99
Then http://www.helpmerick.com has the registry repair for the white wallpaper display problem.
For those still stuck with the white wallpaper display problem, I worked around that by creating a New User.
This has been the easiest guide thanks for all the help for who ever made this =)
This was easy and worked flawlessly! Thank you.
You are a true Blessing!!! I had removed the spyware on my Computer but still had that problem with my desktop, Wow less than 2minutes problem Fixed!!! Your going on my Favorites Tab!!
I was surprised how many people commented on this issue, THANKS FOR THE ADVICE! IT WORKED!
And glad it worked for everyone.
Microsoft needs to really patch that up..
yea so i tried to do what you said but under policies there was no system folder, therefore i was not able to derlete the registry….i just tried searching for it but i could not find it…any help for this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much, good job!
thank you so much man i missed my island background so bad T^T
Oh my GOD…that was so helpful…thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!! i love you for this……..
im using vista.. but i cant seem to delete it
help please.
I followed your directions to repair my wallpaper background problem and it worked very, very well; its all fixed and finally works again. The problem started from a “Molron Limited” download several months ago.
Again, THANX.
I have to post a comment like everyone else, to say thank you so much for such easy-to-follow and -understand instructions to fix my desktop background! I have bookmarked your site and am forwarding it to my friends and family.
Hurrah!
Julie
Portland OR USA
I had the same problem, but no file named Wallpaper in that part of the registry.
I really don’t want to create a new user – I guess I will focus on locating the virus.
If anyone has any further info on this problem, I’d appreciate it.
Thanks
Somehow we got ‘malware alarm’ on our computer. The solution proposed in this post didn’t work to fix the white background problem – there was no wallpaper component in the suggested registry location.
What did work was simply restoring the system settings to 2 days ago before the malware showed up (this shouldn’t delete changes made to documents – only changes to system settings).
To do this on XP sp2:
Start – Help and Support – Undo changes to your computer with System Restore
The dialogs will walk you through the process. This solution often works if you can determine when you got the virus (and can remove it prior to system restoration).
Hope this helps.
i managed to get my picture back on the display…thanks alot that really helped!!!
but im worried now should i delete malware? is it a kind of virus in disguise??
I got the Malware Alarm spyware removed it using Norton in Safe Mode, and deleted the corresponded registry entrys according to Secruityresponse.symantec.com.
I deleted all the policies as mentioned here and still my background options were still grayed out. I got creative reading through the posts and started searching the registry for “polices” I found policies at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies including activedesktop. I compared the policies on another machine and found only one entry in the folder and that was the explorer folder I deleted the other folders and boom my background came back to life.
Knowing a bit about policies I knew what to look for backup your registry however any policies found in this hive can be deleted without destroying your computer these are just policies.
MALWARE ALARM BYE BYE
It worked for me ! ! !
Thanks alot ! ! ! !
thanks for the help it worked on windows vista for me and I had been without using it since I got my new laptop.
Thank you very much!
Hi Rick,
I was wondering how to get rid of that blue halo around the icons at the desk top after performing that miraculous instruction of yours? You definitely rock. Thank you so much.
I would never have figured this out. THANXXXX!
I have been trying to figure this out for months…THanks ALOT!
Sorry Rick, it didn’t wwork for me. but this site had it.
Method 1
http://www.the-pc-guru.com/Cannot_change_desktop_wallpa.php
I’ve been trying for 2 days to fix this and you help me do it in 2 minutes…..thanks so much
lynne
I’ve been trying for 2 days to fix this and you help me do it in 2 minutes…..thanks so much
lynne
I just did the spyware delete for the wallpaper issue and everything is B ACK to normal i so appreciate this help ……..thankyou soooooooooooooooo much!!!
that was so easy. THANK YOU . after i deleted spyware from my computer I was unable to change my desktop background to a picture. Until now. thanks alot .
I wasn’t able to select any backgrounds, they were all grayed out. But I followed these simple steps, now I can display my Santa Claus wallpaper!!
I had this same problem. I could not change my background picture. In addition to this my taskbar and desktop icons would not work either. They would appear momentarily and then disappear. This same thing occured in safe mode also. I had to work super quick before everything disappeare so I could do a system restore from a few days ago. It worked but my background was still gone. Further I could not open task manager as it kept saying it was locked out by my administrator. I knew it was spyware because I was running Accuradio and while streaming i saw a bunch of windows install boxes come up and start installing. Ran spybot and now this registry change and my computer is back to normal. Thanks for the super quick and easy fix.
thank you thank you thank you that was so easy i will be returning to you for all my questions
worked like a charm — I was sweatin’ it as I pushed “Delete” and “yes” at the very end there, but it worked — thank you guys so much! I think computer must have got it from Malware alarm which installed itself on 12/13 and the background pictures were gone the next daaaay.
I had malware on my computer and it changed my browser, then erased my desktop and I was unable to do anything about it. I followed the steps you posted and it worked! Thank you and God bless you.
We just had to replace the screen on our laptop, and once we were up and running, we must have gotten that malware. Well, my husband couldn’t change the background wallpaper – even when we had a photo up in PhotoEditor, and right-clicked and chose “Set as Background”. Your solution worked PERFECTLY! Thank you!
Thanks so much, this is a hotel computer and people are constantly downloading junk and messing everything up. Cant thank you enough for helping out. We tried everything, very happy we found your site. Have a great Christmas!!!
Thanks so much!
At first, I didn’t think it would work like your trying to mess my computer up but it worked!!
Thanks again.
God Bless =D
I was so frustrated because my destop tab disappeared from the display properties menu. After I searched the internet and found a way to get it back, I couldn’t change my destop. This advice helped me to fix my problem. THANKS!!
Thank u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did exactly what you said to and it worked!! Again thank you soo much!!!! You made my day!!
as i fllowed the setps
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
after this i don’t see any of this. on the wallpaper it’s blank. any other steps should i take?
“Wallpaper”=SZ:C:\WINDOWS\desktop.html (yours might be slightly different
Been wondering how to get back my wallpaper, dont know how it disappeared in the first place, but I’ve now run my internet security etc and followed your instructions, hey presto, back came my wallpaper, have to say I was a little worried as I hovered over the “delete” but all is well.. Thanks heaps
you are amazing i have been trying to fix it for monthes
THANK YOU FOR THE EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!!!!
In 1 minute You fixed my problem.Thanks
I am kinda slow with computers but I followed those steps and it worked! Thank you very much!!
So simple! Thanks.
desktop dont change after spyware detecting
Delete the Wallpaper entry all together and it should work. There is no need to set a policy for wallpaper.
Did not work
Submitted by Smart Computer User on December 27, 2007 – 5:37pm.
as i fllowed the setps
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
after this i don’t see any of this. on the wallpaper it’s blank. any other steps should i take?
“Wallpaper”=SZ:C:\WINDOWS\desktop.html (yours might be slightly different
i also did every thing through step 4. after system, there is no walpaper anywhere. and still no background picture. anythoughts? gary
Thank you so much!
I followed your easy instructions and although my Wallpaper file (in the registry) did not look exactly as you described (as you cautioned it might not), the fix still worked perfectly well and my wallpaper is restored. I will highly recommend your site! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Can’t find wallpaper in my current user
Gracias Amigos it worked!!!
I downloaded weatherbug and got spyware on my laptop and I couldn’t change my background. I downloaded spybot and it cleaned it up but it didn’t fix the background issue. I’ve looked around and tried different sites and they took me to the registry keys as well but this is the ONLY one that worked. I followed the steps exactly and I can now change my background. I am not a professional computer tech at all and never knew before this issue how to even get to my registry key area. Thanks so much for making this easy to fix!!
THanks for helping me out dude your a legend!!!!!!!
Thankyou very much spent months trying to figure this out if only i had done a google search first
me the thicko
thanx again
Happy New Year!! Thank you for helping me to resolve my problem!!!!!
I have been trying for months to change my background and I could not figure it out but thanks to you this worked…..I am so thankful for this….thank you so much.
goose
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I HAVE BEEN GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH THIS PROBLEM OF BEING UNABLE TO CHANGE MY DESKTOP PIC. EVEN AFTER I UPDATED MY VIRUS PROTECTION AND DID I SCAN….ZIP! NOTHING! THANKS AGAIN AND GOD BLESS!!!
SHIRMEL
You are simply gr8 mate. Thanks a ton I can keep the wallpaper back.
Cheers
Arun
i bless you man!!
thank you soo much
ive been with this problem for a year now!!
it feels so good to have a desktop again
i did it in like 50 seconds too
god bless
\thanks mate!
You guys are the best, I was pulling whats left of my hair out to change my background pictures it was driving me crazy. THX AGAIN!!!!
Thank you so much, man! i checked everywhere on the windows help center and surprise surprise! it didn’t help!
I tried to navigate through “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System” but when I clicked on the “policies” there was no option for “system” … any ideas on what to do now? Thanks!
OMGOMGOMG, THANKS ALOT
D
OMG
FINALLY WORK
THANKS~~
This works awesome. But when he says click entry once he means click on the word wallpaper and delete it. BUt ya this was just what i needed!!
i did everything else but couldnt find wallpaper.someone help!!!
Thank you i love you, you are a genius!!!!!!!
Help please. I already used ctrl+f to find it..
I want my desktop to be back in its normal condition..
I have been ignoring this problem for 6 months…
I Wanna throw this computer already T_T
Follow the steps outlined exactly as described. You can’t use Ctrl+F to find the entry. you must manually dig down to that registry location. However, I implore you to read my warning about whether or not you should be using the registry at all. If you are unsure of yourself or the methods, you should not do it at all and instead find someone who can help you.
hi .. I also have the same problem. all of these registry fixes but non of the entries that they are talking about.
did you ever find a solution?
i’m pretty good at finding my way around a computer and following direction.
i’ve gone through the registry path mentioned below and like another user i don’t have the “system” folder under “policies”. Nor do I have an “active desktop” folder, which I found mentioned in another post (on geekstogo).
i ran trend micro’s anti-spy and anti-virus. came up with 890 files infected with spyware (that’s all cleaned now). and one virus infection “adware_agent” (which is also now cleaned)
deleted the user that had the most issues.
but now no other current user or new user is given the option to change wallpaper. it’s stuck on this world map image showing GMT.
HELP
I’ve been trying for the last couple of weeks to regain control of my wallpaper with no luck, following your instructions I was able to FINALLY remove it.
Thanks again!
I did everything completely correct but the wallpaper file isnt their… i did this same process a while back, deleted wallpaper and it worked for a while but it went blank again…
At first I was scared and afraid to follow the steps…but I closed my eyes and forged ahead…to my disbelief it worked!!! YEA!! I can now put up a picture of my newborn grandson and display him… I am so grateful for your help.
Michelle
YOU’RE THE MAN!!! Lots of friendly complicated suggestions i read finding the best solution for this problem. Yours the most easiest and safest way to follow. Keep it up! thanks..eric
I did everything until the wallpaper part I just can’t find it! What do I do now? Please help all that I can do is put on colors on my background! I can’t even click on anything else.
If following the above steps don’t work for you, then your problem might be different. Sorry.
Hi,
I tried to do all the step wrote to solve the wallpaper problem like many other.
But for me, I don’t have the ‘CurrentVersion’ file in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
.
Help me I have this problem since 1 year, and I’m tired to tried, tried and tried.
Sorry for my English, I’m French.
Regards,
Chantal
I appreciate the good computer advice. Quick and easy ^^, Minako-chan’s back on the desktop
!
No promises, but try the forum here.
http://www.annoyances.org/
Thanks
i cant change my desktop picture. it hasnt got the sheet “desktop”
At first the desktop was gray and my real picture in the centre but when i deleted some troyans then my wallpaper was at full size but i still couldnt change it
PLEASE help me!
I mentioned this in an earlier reply to someone regarding this article. The steps apply to a specific problem only. If it doesn’t work for you, then you have bigger fish to fry and will need to either follow some of our advice about spyware on the site or bite the bullet and reformat your system and start over. Good luck.
how to resolve this
faisal@techkraftsoftware.com
thanks very much with registry key for desktop background picture problem, will keep your site on ffavourites.
I had trouble suddenly and couldn’t change my desktop pic. I searched for days for a solution and just gave up. Then today, months later, I decided to try one more time and that’s when I found this. It only took a moment to do and worked beautifully. I can now change my desktop pic and am very happy again. Thank you so much for the solution to my problem. I have bookmarked this site and will be checking the site for solutions to other problems I am having.
Lee
Thank you…I have been trying to figure this out for months! You rock!
so……..spyware caused this? (refering to the wallpaer current version issue of course)
thanks it worked for me!
WOW … YOU’VE MADE MY DAY. I LIKE MY COMPUTER AGAIN. YOUR REMEDY WORKED REALLY WELL. THANKYOU.
woohoo i love you
You are the best! I have racked my brain trying to fix this problem! Followed your steps and wa-la!!! Thank you
Oh my god i’ve been trying to fix this problem for over a year! Thank you sooo much!
This actually worked!!! Thank you sooooo much. I am definitely bookmarking this page!
WOOOOOO! IT WORKED! that problem was bugging me 4 AGES!
I luv u!
lol
i tried everything b4 and had just about given up!
now i can have my fave band on my desktop again!!
thank you sooo much. xxx
you are a legend!
i couldnt find the Wallpaper”=SZ:C:\WINDOWS\desktop.html (yours might be slightly different) i found the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
i need help asap!!!please!!
Unfortunately, this method only works for certain kinds of wallpaper problems. All of them, however, start with a spyware infection. You need to clean your system of viruses and spyware before worrying about the wallpaper. Search our site for the word extricating to get more information on how to do that.
Yay!!! I have control over my desktop again! I’m adding this page to my favorites for sure!
OMG thank you so much, this has been bugging me for months!!
I had a user try this at home…unfortunately, she ignored the part about “don’t try this if you don’t know what you’re doing in the registry”. In fairness, if she knew what she was doing in the registry, she may not have come to this page anyway. :/
Anyway, she deleted the whole “desktop” key, bad news.
NOT your fault, of course, But I do have a suggestion. Either find a machine with this problem, or create the value yourself (and delete it when done), and grab a screencap of it. Post that. #4 above does not make it clear that what they want to delete is a value, i.e. on the right side.
Or use this:
http://members.cox.net/briandunkle/uh-oh.jpg
- Brian
briandunkle at cox.net
I got a virus today and I thought that was the end for my computer. I called……..nothing. I downloaded a antivirus and it worked took the virus off! But then i got the BLUE SCREEN!!! I looked and looked for about 3 hours! And I came across this! I deleted them first time i thought I made another stupid thing! But I restored the registery settings and I did what you told me Thank YOU! Finally I can sleep know that my computer is safe!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Thank you soo much…. It worked! At first I wanted to do it but then I read the warning and was a bit hesitant… but then I decided that it was a good thing to try.. so i tried it and for the longest time ever I now have background pictures!! thank you it actually works!
Hi, I don’t see Policies under current version on my pc. what’s going on? please help…
You might have a different version of Windows that standard XP.
Thank you so very much!!! This has been kicking my ass for quite a while now. Even my own computer guru couldn’t figure it out. You did say don’t screw with it if you don’t know your way around the registry. Thanks for the warning, but I obviously ignored it. I decided I’d either fix it or blow it up…It was a little confusing at first, but I got it. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! This resolved my issue in just a couple of minutes. Wish I had found you this morning!!
THANK YOU!
i didnt read any of the precautions at first…and just followed the instructions and it worked!
then i read the comments. haha =] THANK YOU!
Once I get to policies I don’t have the sub folder System. Is there anything I can do?
Computer Pimps….I think so.
U R THE MAN!!!
You kinda had me doubting myself with your disclaimer, but you made it so simple to follow, and sure enough, I FINALLY can access my desktop preferences again!! Thanks a ton
DAMN AMAZING!
To all those who cannot find WALLPAPER inside policies
SOLUTION:
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT USER
Software
Microsoft
Windows
CurrentVersion
Policies
System..
There may be two values there saying NodispBackgroundpage
and Nodisplayscreensaverpage..
Right click n choose modify..
If the value is 1 change it to 0.
U’ve got the tabs back!!!
Couldn’t done it without you…
you save my day, man!
thank you very much for sharing your IT knowledge with dummies like me, ehehehehe…
keep it up and God Bless!!!!
romy
It’s been years since I was able to change my desktop background. This is a family computer, and I had assumed someone locked it on purpose. Thank you for giving me the solution! Having a plain black background gets old after a few years.
We know it works for most….and we get that you are thankful, but for those still trying to figure things out…please stop clogging the forum…geesh
SUMMARY: If you cannot change your Windows XP desktop wallpaper because all options are disabled, view this tip.
A virus, certain spyware, a malformed registry, or other circumstances can transpire making it impossible for you to change the Windows XP desktop wallpaper. When you try to modify the background picture, neither the list of images nor the “Browse” button is clickable. If this happens, you can perform a registry tweak to restore the functionality. Note you must be an Administrator to perform this tip.
NOTE: Be careful what you are doing when modifying the registry as you can harm your computer or keep it from booting! Read the disclaimer.
1. Run “Regedit”.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\policies
3. If you see a folder (key) “ActiveDesktop” select it. If not, make a new key and label it “ActiveDesktop”.
4. If you see “NoChangingWallPaper”, double-click the DWORD value and set it to “0″. Otherwise, you need to create a new DWORD value of “NoChangingWallPaper” and set it to “0″.
5. Try changing your wallpaper. If this fix doesn’t solve the problem, you may also need to make the above registry changes at location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies .
IT WORKS! THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I AM VERY IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL!
i followed the instructions at the top, after cleaning my computer again, but i still can not access my backgrounds. the only way i can change my background is if i right click a picture off google and choose set as desktop background. i rechecked everything i did, twice. all my backgrounds are still looked, PLEASE HELP!!!
WHAT CAN I SAY? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had this very same problem which was caused by spyware. After removing the spyware, the Display Properties were missing the “Desktop” and “Screensaver” tabs so I was unable to change the background unless I opened an image and set it. However, after a reboot the annoying “Restore Active Desktop” message still always came up. I luckily found a site that referred me to this link below:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Scroll all the way down to line 285 and in the right hand column click the link “Restore All Display Tabs”. Essentially you will be downloading a small registry file. Save to your PC, double click the file, and click yes to add it to the registry. The display tabs should now be there and everything should be back to normal.
Hope this helps.
Thank you very much for the tip!! I was going crazy!
Now its all fixed!
Thank you so much for the fix. Now if I can only find a fix for the other problem caused by this virus. It kills tab browsing on IE7. If you’ve got a solution to that too it’d be much appreciated.
I can now display my wallpaper, thank goodnes. But, I still have the shadows around my icons. I followed the steps to fix that but it didn’t work. Any other suggestions?
I can now display my wallpaper, thank goodnes. But, I still have the shadows around my icons. I followed the steps to fix that but it didn’t work. Any other suggestions?
I just got rid of that wretched blue screen because of your help thank you!
thanks a lot for this solution
It worked… Thanks Buddy!
I facing the same problem with you n with your help, i able to the solve the problem now.
Thx.
You can reset Internet Explorer using this tip, or better yet, ditch IE for Firefox.
I have the same problem as everyone else the background on desktop don t work there is a little difference with my problem ; My wallpaper apears for a second or two before the computr fully starts Y I tryed everything you sugested to all the others & it wont work so I am wondering if you can help me solve this problem ….
Similar to the other posters, I thought I was destined to forever suffer with the horribly boring and ugly blue desktop background. After many internet searches to no avail, this did the trick! Thank you so much for your help!!
Hello Rick,
I’m so glad I found this! Everything is fine until I get to step 4, after clicking on system. I see that its written ‘wallpaper’, and the type is REG_SZ. What exactly do I do there?
Oh yeah, like a lot of other people I acknowledged the fact that you said this should be carried out by someone who knows, but I’m desperate!
Thank you!
If you find the entry listed in Step 4, then proceed to step 5 and onward. If you don’t find the entry listed in #4, then you might have a slightly different problem.
Good luck.
Thanks this solved the problem after hours of wondering WTF!!!
I will be back to this site for sure!!
I didn’t have the options to change my screensaver or desktop and I stumbled across your site. Followed the steps – absolutely perfect now. Thanks!
Hi. I know those of you with this problem will understand the frustration and bear with yet another tale of woe. I have tried every solution mentioned. Kellys (would only run in safe mode), dwpfix (again would only run in safe mode), one virus scan after another. There is no entry in my registry that I can find that references display or desktop. The only ones in the …..policies/system folder are a (default) with (value not
set), a ‘don’tdisplaylast….., a legalnotice….., a legalnoticetext…, a shutdown…an unlock…
I have changed the registry in the past, but need specific guidance.
Do I Edit, New, key? string, dword?? What exactly would I put there. Can you tell me, including all punctuation?
Everyone’s so happy, I would like to join you. by the way, my
display tab is present in the control panel, but I can’t make any changes. Thank you.
At some point you have to decide that enough time and energy has been expended and it’s time to move forward. You can see if a local computer professional can help you…quickly. If not, throw in the towel, backup your data, reformat the hard drive and start over. This time, however, make sure your security is up to snuff from the beginning.
Good luck.
Thank you, I didn’t know what I was going to do until I found your directions. It worked perfectly! Now if only you’ll move in with me to help upkeep my computer. XP
i honestly don’t know much about computers but i was able to do this and i finally got rid of that horrid blue screen…
the only difference was that mine didn’t say “wallpaper” it said “NodispBackground”, “Nodispscreensaver”, and even one that said “disableregistrytools”….
i went ahead and deleted those, but i’m not sure if that was the right choice…my computers fine for now though.
Good man. Did what it said on the tin and saved hours of frustration and heartache. Buy yourself a large beer, find a sandy beach and watch the sun go down. You earned it.
Best Regards,
Tim
I tried every tip here and finally did this.
go to start/run/gpedit. it worked perfect! Thanks for the help and ideas though!
User Configuration \ AdministrativeTemplates \ Desktop \ Active Desktop
User Configuration \ AdministrativeTemplates \ Desktop \ Active Desktop
NoComponents stores the setting of the Disable all items Group Policy
To start the Group Policy Editor, type GPEDIT.MSC in Start, Run dialog.
Thanks! That was so easy!
After removing malware you can be left with tasks that still do not function, unable to reset desktop Wallpaper, a disabled Task Manager or even a broken Network Connection (winsock) etc but novice users may find it daunting when a fix involves the registry…..
The free program SUPERantispyware has a section called “repairs” which many users forget exists or don’t even notice!
In Superantispyware, found under Preferences, then the Repair tab along the top, there are several fixes and all you do is simply click on what needs fixing;
Example: Click once on = Remove/Rest windows desktop background/wallpaper, now hit the “perform repair” button.
All Done.
Superantispyware available here free:
http://www.superantispyware.com/
Hope this helps some of you
Liverbird
I followed all the steps to the system folder. in the system folder, I don’t have any entries like you described, but I do have the following entries which look like they should be deleted.
NoDispBackgroundPage
NoDispScrSavPage
was hit by virus who changed this keys in my registry.. thanks for the solution
just delete those, i had the same problem, it fixed it.
now right-click on your desktop -> propeties
and change your wallpaper like you did normally !
Had the virus, could not change my background even after I had my virus programs remove it. Followed you insturctions, presto! Everythng back to normal. A thousand thank you’s!!!
The fix recommended on this site didn’t repair the problem on this end, but the Superantispyware did! Yay! Thanks so much for the tip!
this simple solution works.. thanks m8..
dnt worry i wont run away.. u r ma homepage..
You are soooo great! This worked. I am def going to save you under my favorites
Thank you so so much for the above tip – it worked brilliantly. I have been stuck without being able to change my background for about 8 months and now its sorted! i am very impressed and all my friends now think I am some computer geek as i showed them how to do it!!
thank you thank you thank you!!
Rebecca
I have tried for months to try to fix this whole background thing… I did what you said and its back to normal you are genius! A million thank yous!
I have the same problem, but I do not have those registry values at all. Under “policies”, the only folder i have is “explorer”- no “system” folder… what do i do?
gud job!!!wil definitely visit ur sire very often
Remember the disclaimer I wrote above…this solution will differ for some computers. However, the root cause of this problem is SPYWARE…you need to clean your computer of the spyware and then you can tackle this problem.
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
U R A SOOOOOOOOOOOO COOOOOOOL DUDE I MEAN I FOUND UR SITE AND WAS LOOKING AT UR DIRECTIONS AND NO OFFENCE BUT I WAS A LITTLE UNEASY AND THOUGHT “THIS WONT WORK” BUT I WENT FOR IT AND WHEN I MINIMIZED THE PAGE I SAW MY DESKTOP PICTURE AGAIN!!!!
SO THANK YOU SO SO MUCH AND IF I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH MY COMP. I AM SOOOOOOO COMING BACK TO THIS SITE!!!!!!!!
abb
thx u so much for your help. i was finally able to get rid of all the viruses and spyware on my computer without it getting the blue screen and restarting. thinking i fixed the problem, i found that i still coundn’t change my background. so i did a quick search on yahoo, clicked on the first topic i saw, which was yours, and fixed it in 2 minutes! thx agian
OMG!! Thank you soooo much. I have been trying to figure this problem out for months and asked several of my computer friends all to no avail. In 8 easy steps I had wallpaper again. I am sooooooo happy!!!!
I’ve been dealing with this problem for many months. All the solutions on the internet seemed to complicated. I followed your simple instructions and found the following files in the registry:
NoDispBackgroundPage
NoDispScrSavPage
I deleted them and now my desktop works perfect again!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
geez i’ve been trying to figure out how to get my background back for months!!! i thought i was going to be forced to stare at an ugly blue screen forever!!! thank you =]
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I’ve been having this problem for maybe 1 or 2 years and couldn’t find anywhere to fix it, so I just gave up. Until I thought I should search again, then I found this! I did everything step-by-step and worked perfectly. You’re a lifesaver, thanks a bunch, again.
Thank you much for the helpful page! I was THAT close to reinstalling windows before stumbling across this. Damn spyware a-holes!!
Got this problem looking for funny graphics to put on my myspace page..that didn’t end up so well…
After three days of running avg, adaware, spybot, avast nothing helped. I found your site and wala! In just a couple minutes my problem is fixed! I have my flowers back as my background and I can use my task manager again!
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!
First of all — thank you! That fixed it!
Second, under that same place, there is another entry:
First it has an “ab” in a strange-shaped box, and reads as follows:
ab (Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
Is that something similar? Should I delete it or leave it alone? I’m going to send you a donation, by the way. You saved me from divorce, as my wife was NOT HAPPY to have the cast picture of the new Star Trek movie permanently as our background!!
Mark
If all is well at the moment, I would leave that other entry alone. It sounds expendable, but I don’t want to make that judgment from afar.
a full-truck-load of appreciation! thanks!!!!! my desktop tab is come alive!
Is there going to be a file named “Wallpaper”=SZ:C:\WINDOWS\desktop.html ? and is it that one I should delete?
Because I cant find any file with that name, the only files i see is: “default” and “disableregistrytools”.
Good luck.
OH MY GOSH!!! That way solved my problem and now I can get backgrounds back on my computer. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
:):)
This was the ticket!!!!! Thanks a million!!! You’re the MAN!!!!!!!Thanks so much!!!!!!
Thank you so much!!!! I havent been able to change my computer background in months. I know nothing about the technical side of computers, and i was beginning to think i would never be able to find someone who could explain the solution IN PLAIN ENGLISH. I cant thank you enough. i am bookmarking your sight right now. thank you!!!
No really, thank you so much, I just started a new job and in order to create my profile they used someone else’s old profile as a base and I’ve been cleaning it up ever since.
As a further question to this one, the solution works but I still can’t change the position of the desktop (it’s centered right now)
Same problem! As soon as I found the courage to delete the files it worked! simply GENIUS!! Thank you x
I did this at work – what a gem!
Cheers!
Thank you! I have been asking my husband to figure this out for me for over a year now, and he’s the computer literate one! HA
again…Thank you!
I dont understand step number 5. for the desktop picture.
my computer doesnt have HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I don’t have that problem either. I do have a lot of entries that say nodisp
I don’t have this entry either.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
don’t matter….go to the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer, and modify the key “No active desktop”…it should be all zeros….smth like 00 00 00 00 ….ne reboot needed after…just change the key value and press enter, or click ok…
If you don’t find the right entries outlined in this how-to, don’t attempt it. You have either a different operating system or a different problem. Sorry.
IF this solution didn’t work for you, then you have other issues at work. Malwarebytes and SpyBot both do a great job, but I would also add Combofix to the mix to see if it can clear everything up once and for all. Combofix seems to be doing a good job at cleaning up these messes in conjunction with Malwarebytes and SpyBot S&D.
whenever i set a wallpaper for my desktop after restarting my computer ,there is a black screen and there is no wallpaper ……..plzzzzzzzzzzz help me
thanking you
Ok I did all that, but I am still stuck and my problem is still not fixed. I deleted the two things that said “NoDispBackgroundPage” and “NoDispScrSavPage.” That did not fix my problem. When I right click on my desktop and click properties then the desktop tab, the part that lets you choose the pictures for your background is gray and un-clickable. I am not even able to browse for a picture to use as the background. I scanned my computer with SpyBot – S/D, and Malwarebytes’ Antimalware and deleted all the infected material. And I should state that in my list of backgrounds there are a couple of webpages and I don’t understand what that is. Is there any way that I can get my desktop choices back? The only thing that I have left in the SYSTEM registry is a thing that says “Default” and the type is “REG_SZ”, which I do not understand what that means. Am I supposed to delete that also? And since I deleted the parts that say “NoDispBackgroundPage” and “NoDispScrSavPage”, will that mess up my computer? Can somebody please help? I would appreciate it very much.
As soon as I get the computer on , I can not get to the desk top where my icons are. Instead the dreaded wallpaper comes up and no icons will appear. What can I do?
Thanks in advance,
Then try this (click here).
When I get to the wallpaper screen,that really should be my desk top with the icons,a separate screen pops up and says that the ” application has been terminated”. And to hit ok. I have not been able to do anything but turn the computer on and get to this screen.
This is driving me nuts….
Thanks,
Hi! I have tried to follow your directions into how to fix my desktop. I go to properties and I cannot change to a picture. I followed your path about 100 times and I don’t come up with “SYSTEM” after policies. After policies I have “EXPLORER” and that is it. I followed other pathways form other sites and still the same thing. HELP!!! Maybe I am missing this component?? Any help would be appreciated:)
You are the best! I haven’t had a background in almost a year now and I’m just SO EXCITED to have one again!
I followed your steps to make the icon text transparent, but I couldn’t get it to work, the box was already checked and I checked/unchecked it but it made no difference…is there something else I can do?
seriously i v been at it fo months
Thanks so much,Its been bothering me for a month,THANK YOUso so very very much!!!!!
i fallowed wat you said to do but when i tried to delete it it said unabel to delete all values. please help..
If the technique didn’t work, you don’t have the same problem and need to seek out further help from someone who can look at your computer.
i got to the last step…..
but….
i only have
defult
disableregistrytools
wallpaper
so do i have another problem?? or i am i supposed to delete one?
delete the wallpaper one, then you should be able to choose a desktop wall paper.