Cannot Change the Desktop Wallpaper – Fix

© Ramesh Srinivasan | Windows Vista, Windows XP | 20th January 2008

Q: My desktop has a black background. Whenever i go to Desktop Properties, it won’t let me change any of my backgrounds. I’m able to select the images, but the background never changed. I rather just have it back to the Vista background.

To restore the ability to change the desktop Wallpaper in your system, download the file wallpaper_enable.reg for Windows 2000/XP/Vista systems, and save the file to your Desktop. Right-click wallpaper_enable.reg and choose Merge to apply the settings.

The REG file removes the Wallpaper Policy setting from the following registry locations

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ System
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ System

Windows Vista specific setting

Click Start, Control Panel, Ease of Access, Ease of Access Center.

Under Make things on the screen easier to see, deselect the option:

Remove background images (where available).

Select Save.

You should be able to change the desktop background now.

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27 Comments

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  1. Ian
    said this on Tuesday, August 11th 2009 2:49 pm

    I FOUND A SOULUTION! For those people who are still not having any luck with the methods above try this…

    CONVERT your desktop image(s) using Paint Shop Pro/Adobe Photo Shop into a “.BMP” file.

    The BMP file format, sometimes called bitmap or DIB file format (for device-independent bitmap), is an image file format used to store bitmap digital images, especially on Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems.

    There you go… Problem Solve :)

  2. Finn
    said this on Thursday, August 6th 2009 2:46 pm

    tried “ease of access” and am running vista but still didn’t work pls help

  3. kedar
    said this on Sunday, June 14th 2009 1:10 pm

    Dear Sir
    I have tried the reg installation you have mentioned.Still I cant change/have a wallpaper.I can change solid colors but no wallpaper.The option is available,i can select the the picture but cant install it.
    please help
    thanks

  4. Deborah
    said this on Tuesday, June 2nd 2009 11:30 pm

    Thank you!! It worked!! and it did not take an engineer to fix it–

  5. Hector
    said this on Sunday, May 10th 2009 10:26 pm

    Your Ease of Access method solved my problem with the Desktop wallpaper in Windows Vista.

    Thanks.

  6. Gaurav
    said this on Wednesday, December 17th 2008 4:02 pm

    I still could’nt change my desktop wallpaper even after downloading wallpaper_enable.reg…..Pls Help

  7. HighRad
    said this on Friday, September 19th 2008 9:37 am

    I’ve tried the REG merge… I’ve tried the Ease of Access changes… am able to select the background but will not change it. Can choose a different color all day long will not change to a wallpaper selection.

    Are there any other “switches” that I should be looking for?

  8. wil
    said this on Thursday, June 5th 2008 5:59 pm

    You are the only one who answered my problem – quicjkly and simply!!! Thank you!!!

  9. searsjashe
    said this on Monday, June 2nd 2008 5:27 pm

    THANK YOU! What a simple fix…excellent!

  10. snake217
    said this on Tuesday, May 20th 2008 10:04 am

    thanks for this it worked!!! had a black desktop for 8 months =(

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