Windows 10: Windows background picture selection thinks some folders are empty

After i finally figured out how to change the desktop background (which is curiously located in a completely different menu outside of the control panel!) and tried to choose a local folder with pictures in it, Windows somehow thinks the folder is empty.

Now, when I go to that folder in Explorer, it's full of pictures. They are all jpgs and are the same pictures that populate my synced theme, just more of them than are allowed to fit in a synced theme. I can't understand why this folder is coming up empty when choosing a slideshow when it has tons of pictures.

Thanks in advance!

:)

 

Background photos

I am trying to use a slideshow of photos as my background on the desktop of my Surface Pro 4. I have been using the same photos for months without issue. Suddenly, my background is black! I tried to reselect the photos using Personalize>Background>Slideshow
and selected the folder my pictures are in. The folder showed up empty even when I checked the same folder outside of Personalize and it was full of photos. Even when trying to pick stock pictures in the computer, they will not select. I'd like to have
something other than a solid color as my background. Please help me fix this! Thank you!

 

front page wallpaper

1. Right-click on an empty spot on your Desktop and select "Personalize" 2. Select "Background" 3. Choose a picture and a "fit" (tile, stretch, center, etc.) You can also choose "Slideshow" from the dropdown list and then select the folder and images that
should be included in the slideshow. Or, if you have a favorite picture save on you system, just right-click it and select "Set as desktop background".

 

That is a folder selection dialog, so it does not display any files. It's used to indicate which folder to use for background pictures.

If you choose "slideshow" it shows a folder selection dialog. If you choose "Picture" it shows individual pictures.

 

How would you select more than one "Picture" in that picture setting then?

 

Yea, I see it now. It just shows folders. Which, if I'm being honest, is dumb. Because it means you can only choose entire folders at a time and then you have to navigate above the folder you want which presents a problem when the folder you want is the top folder selected in the library.

 

Just create a subfolder, and copy the pictures you want in the slideshow into that folder.

 

You don't.

 

I have a related problem when attempting to select a folder for a slideshow background.

The slideshow works when the folder is that which I had used in Windows 7 before upgrading to Windows 10, but, if I try to select a different folder, with a full complement of jpgs, nothing changes. Obviously, I can just stick the backgrounds I want into the one folder which works, but, I can't help feeling, there ought to be a more direct solution.

Can anyone out there suggest a suitable fix?

Cheers

R