How To: Fix Unable to Change Desktop Wallpaper
Applies to: Windows XP
Symptoms
You are unable to change the Windows desktop background (wallpaper). The Background list in Display Properties, Desktop is grayed out (disabled). If you right-click a picture and click "Set as Desktop Background", it has no effect.
Cause
The ability to change the background color or picture from a default setting can be disabled using a policy setting stored in the Windows Registry. This may have been set by the system administrator in the case of a company PC. If the facility to change the desktop wallpaper is disabled in a home PC then this is usually the result of some malware that has changed the policy setting maliciously.
Solution
Using the Registry Editor
Carry out the following steps:
- Start the Registry Editor (click Start, Run and enter regedit.)
- Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies.
- Select Policies
- If Policies contains a key named ActiveDesktop, select ActiveDesktop and delete it.
- Now expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies.
- Select Policies
- If Policies contains a key named ActiveDesktop, select ActiveDesktop and delete it.
These steps should restore the ability to change the desktop wallpaper in the majority of cases.
Using a registry edit file
This is a simpler way to perform the steps described above.
- Right-click fixwallpaper.reg and save it to your computer.
- Double-click the file and click Yes to the warning that changes will be made to the registry.
Further things to try
If the above steps do not resolve the issue, here are some further things to try:
- Start the Registry Editor (click Start, Run and enter regedit.)
- Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
- If System contains a value named Wallpaper, select this value and then delete it.
- If System contains a value named NoDispBackgroundPage, double-click this value and set it to 0.
