Win7 forgot my desktop background

[T3sl4co1l]

Have tried the usual suspects: power settings, group policy settings, clearing the "transcoded" file, checking registry (it's set to allow wallpaper changes every which way I can see). Can't get it to change the image at all. Default themes still work, and flat colors, but not my own image selections.

Tim

[Electro Detective]

Have you tried a total shut down and restart or two, and then the Windows error check function?

You may have a bad or lazy hard drive sector, and or some software at startup that wants to be boss turkey

Good luck 

 

[Fenstergucker]

In the last updates for Windows 7, there was an error with the background image when it was used "stretched". Here are two links in german:

Error:
https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Windows-7-Letztmalige-Updates-koennen-schwarzen-Desktop-Hintergrund-verursachen-4644579.html

Fix:
https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Fix-fuer-schwarzen-Desktop-Hintergrund-unter-Windows-7-jetzt-allgemein-verfuegbar-4656454.html

It may also helps to display the background image "centered", and then again "stretched".

[T3sl4co1l]

Oh what the hell, it does depend on stretch vs. other!  Unfortunately I am not eligible for that update it seems; it's also not showing black when I select stretch, it just doesn't change it at all, it ignores whatever settings are made with stretch selected.

Tim

[rdl]

Not eligible? Can you download the update and install it manually?

[SiliconWizard]

Just use full-resolution images instead of having to stretch them. Problem solved.

[T3sl4co1l]

It's actually being shrunk as I'm temporarily on a smaller monitor...

Update notes say two patches are required which I don't seem to have installed?

Tim

[rdl]

Windows 7 is full of weird little quirks, maybe it just cannot shrink?

[T3sl4co1l]

It's never not worked before...

This appeared after a reboot the other night.

Tim

[SiliconWizard]

Windows 7 is full of weird little quirks, maybe it just cannot shrink?

I've never seen this desktop thing, but yes Win 7 has a number of small annoying "bugs" that were never fixed in 10 years.
One of the most annoying bugs (for me) is one with the file explorer. The content of directories doesn't always get updated when files are created/deleted/modified, and you sometimes need to press F5 to refresh it, and yes that's for files that are purely local. That's pretty annoying, I think it has been known for years and never fixed. The file explorer never used to do this in previous Windows versions, and I think it works better in Win 10 (still not a reason to switch... )

[T3sl4co1l]

Explorer also has this thing where renaming or deleting files pops up an error dialog, "Could not find this item", Try Again / Cancel.  Hit Try Again and it works.  Don't have a clue what stupid thing started that (it's been some years), or how to fix it...

But eh, there are bigger oddities with how this Win7 is installed.  It's like a beater car, it still works fine as such, but it's got so much crap moved around and patched over that you sometimes have to just wonder...

Tim

[SiliconWizard]

Explorer also has this thing where renaming or deleting files pops up an error dialog, "Could not find this item", Try Again / Cancel.  Hit Try Again and it works.  Don't have a clue what stupid thing started that (it's been some years), or how to fix it...

Never seen this one.

But eh, there are bigger oddities with how this Win7 is installed.  It's like a beater car, it still works fine as such, but it's got so much crap moved around and patched over that you sometimes have to just wonder...

Ahah, I see.

Well, my current install of Win7 is the same as the original one I did in 2009 I think. Of course updated. I upgraded the machine on a regular basis, but always cloned the OS instead of reinstalling it, to minimize wasted time. Has always worked fine and I was always able to reactivate the license (the key is never to change too much at the same time: for instance, change the motherboard+CPU, but not the hard drive. Then change the hard drive later on and clone), and get my exact environment back to what it was before upgrading the hardware.

I don't know if such a procedure would work these days with Win10. I suspect it may not.

[Electro Detective]

Win 10 is always calling home, in a desperate effort to eventually update itself from it's ongoing Beta status, to Win7 or XP usefulness ,
and mine some private user data on the way   

so any legit hardware swaps or disaster recovery may not stay activated

Unlike Win 7 and all the Windows OS previously    it's not your OS anymore, just some lease/rental code with no option to buy the annoying pos

[rdl]

I'm not sure Microsoft really cares if a copy of Windows 10 is licensed or was paid for.

[Electro Detective]

It's still Windows and still a 'one horse race' computing monopoly for the average home clicker to roll with

so they're not losing money giving it away  'loaning' it for free, as they get a good cut from apps running on it 

a few bucks from hardware manufacturers and OEMs etc

and they won't do anything seriously silly to be out of a paycheck

For me Win 10 is just a re-skinned Win 7, 8, 8.1 OS that wants to play guard dog come boss

I'd rather fire up a COA OEM licensed XP or Vista box or Linux, rather than Win 10 or a Mac money pit
 
I could care less if XP. Vista or 7 are 'unsupported',
they work, run all apps and fast, and malware free,
what's the 'support' or lack of it going to do for a reasonably informed user ?