Vista - Desktop Background Wallpaper - Prevent Change

Hi John, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Yes, you can safely delete them to enable changing the desktop background. That is a standard warning message given before you can delete anything in the registry.

Shawn

That would be what we call standard security protocol! The pop-up that states that you could cause system instability, pops up any time you try to edit your registry manually. I never mind havin to click a few extra times for that extra security blanket. :P

Go for it!


oops, i won't delete it, but didn't see the second page... my bad!

i dont know why it didnt work for me, ive been throu method 2 as i have windows vista home....and ive tried both the manual way and the registery way...but it didnt work with me...N.B. the problem for that issue was a malware antivirxp08 ive removed through my antivirus program, but i still have the problem of disabled desktop backgroud in personalize
N.B. it also caused a disapperance of screensaver in personalize , and ive tried the regest.way with it and it worked with me....but failed with desktop background. any help?

Hello Herpes,

It appears the virus has placed the command in another location. Check in these regsitry locations:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop


See if there is a DWORD value for NoDispBackgroundPage or NoChangingWallpaper from these locations. If there is, then delete them.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

I followed all the steps in the tutorials. I tried all the options, still nothing worked.
I can only change the background using the click an image as background option.
I can't do anything using the control panel, it just says your desktop background is disabled. I need further help. Thanks to whom it may concern.

Hello Lolitcbls,

Since you have Vista Ultimate, check both Group Policy locations in Method One to see if you have anything else enabled that may have disabled the dekstop background.

Also do a search in the registry for NoChangingWallpaper to see if it was placed in another location by some 3rp party program or malware. Delete any of these it finds. This tutorial will help show you how to do this if needed.

Registry Editor - Find and Find Next

Hope this helps,
Shawn

I have a question, some how the desktop tab in the customize folder is gone. When I went to control panel it said to contact system administrator. how do i get back my background?

Hello Jkswimmer, and welcome to Vista Forums.

In Method Two, you would do both the Step One (Show) and Step Two (Enable) options in this tutorial.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi,
Thanks for the advice, but it still doesn't work. It doesn't have the background icon in the properties menu. Please help. THanks.

Jkswimmer,

In that case, you might do a System Restore using a restore point dated before this problem to see if it can fix it.