Can't Change My Desktop Background

[jason04]

Welll it's been maybe 4 months since I have had a picture on my deskop. I have Windows XP Pro. There are two other accounts on my computer (mom and dads), and those profiles can change easily (mum changes her background almost everyday). I forget what happened but I must've done something. When I go into desktop propeties (right-clicking on the desktop) I can change the colour, but not the picture. I was reading a thread about this earlier but I had no clue what there were talking about. So if someone could please explain all this in a 14-year-old-way, that would be great.



Thanks!!

 

[kimsland]

The following assumes that you are an administrator account
please confirm by going to control panel -> users

this fix is only for xp & windows 2000 and compliments to mosaic1

Download cleandesktop and save to your desktop. (right click save as)
Double-click on the cleandesktop.exe it will automatically extract to c:\desktopclean
Then it will automatically run the cleandesktop.vbs script.
It will then kill explorer. You will temporarily lose your taskbar and desktop .
It will then repair the registry entries returning your normal desktop and context menu functions.
It will then restart explorer. Your desktop will be shown again once you have performed the cleanup

Each of the other users on the system needs to be signed in to clean up their desktop and regain the right click.
Another vbs is included to do this. It is named "other profiles regfix.vbs".
Have each user sign in and run other profiles regfix.vbs.
Go to start > run and type: c:\desktopclean press enter double click on other profiles regfix.vbs
Explorer will be ended and that user's active desktop registry entries will be repaired.
Explorer will be restarted. To restore the desktop to whatever picture you normally have, right-click on a blank part of your desktop, select properties > desktop tab & select your preferred picture.
Press apply & then ok to exit and then press f5. (to refresh) you will need to do this step for every user account.

 

[jason04]

Ok, that didn't work..... It never extractd anything.... I ran the desktop cleanup said abunch oif stuff about to restore hit f5, then a notpad came up with, what looks like the script....

 

[kimsland]

I see your computer is set to open scripts with Notepad (actually so is mine)

Just download Windows Script 5.7 for Windows XP
And fully install it first

Then run the cleandesktop again.

 

[kimsland]

If that doesn't work

You can fix VB Script by following THIS

Incredible you're trying to fix the Desktop, and now we're fixing VB Script !

 

[Bobbye]

Since you use Windows XP, you may be able to find an Error that corresponds with what happens when you attempt to change the background. You do not mention what happens when you try to get a different background, such as an error message so let's force it to see the time> go try it again- look at your computer clock when it fails, then:

Follow this path:
Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Event Viewer> Click on System & Apps, one at a time on the left> look for Errors on the right> right click error> Properties> note description of error, Event# and Source.

There is a "copy" button below the up/down arrows. Click that, then go to any place that allows you to type (ie. notepad, wordpad, this board) and you can paste (use CTRL-V) the entire event details there. It makes for easy reporting of the event.

If you want to paste the Event here, you do not need to include the lines of code that follow the Description- but paste all else. You will be looking for Error that occurs at the time of the problem. Please ignore Warnings.

It is important that you follow the copy and paste direction.

I'm not big on downloading additional software if a problem can be found and handled within the operating system itself. The Event Viewer is an excellent troubleshooting tool.

 

[kimsland]

I'm not big on downloading additional software if a problem can be found and handled within the operating system itself. The Event Viewer is an excellent troubleshooting tool.

That's reasonable.

I still believe the above will work though.

VB Script is good to have anyway
And the VBS file itself just resets everything, and is reported at fixing lots of users Desktop errors, when all else fails.

But I still agree, that your process is a good idea innitially, even though I'd like to see the ending result of the cleandesktop.vbs

 

[Bobbye]

kimsland, I try to start at the easiest, most available and most accessible point. If that doesn't work, then we can proceed to getting additional help.

 

[kimsland]

OK good idea

maybe I jump in the deep end a bit (no response required)

So thank-you