Windows 10: Specify Default Desktop Background in Windows 10

How to: Specify Default Desktop Background in Windows 10

How to Specify Default Desktop Background in Windows 10


Information Your desktop background (also called wallpaper) can be a picture from your personal collection or included with Windows, a solid color, or a slideshow playing selected pictures randomly on all displays.

This tutorial will show you how to specify a default desktop background that cannot be changed for specific or all users in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to specify a default desktop background.


Warning You will need to activate Windows before you can personalize your PC.

CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Specify Default Desktop Background in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Two: To Specify Default Changing Desktop Background for Only Current User in Registry Editor

EXAMPLE: Desktop Background Settings when Specified








OPTION ONE [/i] To Specify Default Desktop Background in Local Group Policy Editor


Note The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two below.

1. Open the all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Desktop, and Desktop. (See screenshot below)



3. In the right pane of Desktop, double click/tap on Desktop Wallpaper to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (not specify) or step 6 (specify) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Not Specify Default Desktop Background
A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

NOTE: Not Configured is the default setting.

6. To Specify Default Desktop Background
A) Select (dot) Enabled. (see screenshot below)

B) Type the full path of the .jpg or .bmp file you want to use into the Wallpaper name field under Options.


Note Do not wrap the full path in quotes.

The .jpg or .bmp file should be located in a folder that all users have at least "Read" access permission rights for. For example, in one of the C:\Users\Public folders or in the C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper folder.

C) Select Center, Fill, Fit, Span, Stretch, or Tile in the Wallpaper Style drop down for what you want.

D) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below.




7. When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

8. sign in to apply.





OPTION TWO [/i] To Specify Default Changing Desktop Background for Only Current User in Registry Editor


Note This option will only affect this single user account that you are currently signed in to while performing this option.

1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System



Note If you do not have a System key, then right click or press and hold on the Policies key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type System for the name, and press Enter.


3. Do step 4 (specify) or step 5 (not specify) below for what you would like to do.


4. To Specify Default Desktop Background for Current User
A) In the right pane of the System key, double click/tap on the Wallpaper string value (REG_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)


Note If you do not have a Wallpaper string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the System key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type Wallpaper for the name, and press Enter.
B) Type the full path of the .jpg or .bmp file you want to use, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)





Note Do not wrap the full path in quotes.

The .jpg or .bmp file should be located in a folder that all users have at least "Read" access permission rights for. For example, in one of the C:\Users\Public folders or in the C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper folder.

C) In the right pane of the System key, double click/tap on the WallpaperStyle string value (REG_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)


Note If you do not have a WallpaperStyle string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the System key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type WallpaperStyle for the name, and press Enter.
D) Enter the value data number from the table below for the Center, Fill, Fit, Span, Stretch, or Tile wallpaper style you want to use, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)




[table][tr][td]Wallpaper Style[/td] [td]Value Data[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Center[/td] [td]0[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Fill[/td] [td]4[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Fit[/td] [td]3[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Span[/td] [td]5[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Stretch[/td] [td]2[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Tile[/td] [td]1[/td] [/tr] [/table]


5. To Not Specify Default Desktop Background for Current User
A) In the right pane of the System key, select both the Wallpaper and WallpaperStyle string values, right click or press and hold on them, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below)



B) Click/tap on Yes to confirm, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)




6. You can now close Registry Editor if you like.

7. sign in to apply.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Change your Desktop Background in Windows 10
• How to Reset Desktop Background Choose Your Picture History in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Desktop Background Image in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove 'Set as desktop background' Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Allow or Prevent Changing Desktop Background in Windows 10

:)

 

Slideshow as desktop background.

Hi Marilyn,

Thank you for posting the query on Microsoft Community.

I suggest you to try the steps below and check if it helps.

• Press Windows Logo Key + I. Then click on Personalization.
• Click on Background to change it.

For reference:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/getstarted-change-desktop-background



Hope this helps in resolving the issue. If the issue persists, do get back to us. We will be happy to assist you.

 

Background Images keeps changing

If background = desktop wallpaper see:
Specify Default Desktop Background in Windows 10 | Tutorials


Please feel free to search this extensive list of professional quality tutorials:

Windows 10 Tutorial Index | Tutorials

or the categories here:
Windows 10 Tutorials

 

Windows 10 Keeps changing my desktop Background Wallpaper

Hello, *Smile

I'm not sure what may be changing your desktop background if you have it set to show a "picture".

*Arrow Change Desktop Background in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

If you like, you could use an available option in the tutorial below to specify a wallpaper as the desktop background that is not allowed to be changed.

*Arrow Specify Default Desktop Background in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

 

Lost desktop background

I did a Search & Distroy spyware scan the other day, and one of the suggested "fixes" said something about removing Active Desktop. Like the muppet I am I clicked yes and am now without a desktop background picture.

Does anyone have an idea how to reverse this? If I try to select a picture it's simply not added as a background.

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.