The Set as Desktop Background option does not appear in the context menu for BMP file types, but works fine with JPG type files. So, to set a BMP file as the Desktop background, I have to open the Personalize window, select Desktop Background, and then browse through the files to find the one I want again. I really don't want to go through all my bmp files and save them as jpg files to circumvent this problem. Is there a way to enable the Set as Desktop Background option in the context menu for BMP file type?
In a fresh Windows Vista installation, the Set as Desktop Background context menu works fine for .BMP files as well. The problem you're facing may be due to a missing registry key or value for the .BMP file class, or incorrect file association settings for .BMP in your system. It is also possible that a third-party program has taken over the .BMP file associations during installation.
Downloading and applying the BMP file association fix from the following page should fix the problem in most cases: