Windows 7 My desktop background automatically changes, how can I stop this?

[kizee94]

I have windows 7 and I can choose a desktop wallpaper and put it to use easily, but whenever I shut off my computer and turn it back on, Windows defaults to some random image that I once had as my desktop background but chose to get rid of. This is such a minute issue that you'd think it's something that Microsoft would have noticed and made easier to deal with, but it looks like they didn't . Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Captain Jack]

I have windows 7 and I can choose a desktop wallpaper and put it to use easily, but whenever I shut off my computer and turn it back on, Windows defaults to some random image that I once had as my desktop background but chose to get rid of. This is such a minute issue that you'd think it's something that Microsoft would have noticed and made easier to deal with, but it looks like they didn't . Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello,

Right Click on your Desktop go to Personalize there click on Wallpaper. There you could select your Wallpaper. If your selecting the whole folder it will slide show the entire folder of images.

Change your desktop background (wallpaper)

Good Luck,
Captain

 

[BrettM WinTeam]

When you have a wallpaper set, but not Active Desktop, you only have the one
wallpaper that ever shows. Active Desktop, however, actually loads a bit
later (and closes a bit earlier) in the process than the original desktop.
So, what you are seeing is your non Active Desktop wallpaper before Active
Desktop loads, and then again after Active Desktop unloads.

How to get rid of the "old" one? One of the quickest ways I can remember is
to right click on the desktop, select properties, then select desktop.
Select NONE as the background. Reboot the computer. You should notice no old
wallpaper. Now, set your current wallpaper to whatever you want. BUT realize
that if you use a non Active Desktop wallpaper (usually means a bitmap, as
opposed to a JPG), then the next time you switch to one using the features
of Active Desktop, you are right back where you started.

Source: Link Removed - Invalid URL

I hope this helps!

Brett M,
Windows Outreach Team

 

[arnold1049]

I tried to follow your instructions below, but I am still having problems with my desktop background. First, I don't know how to set the background to "None". When I right click on the desktop, I don't have a "Properties" choice, only a "Personalize" choice. When I go there, it shows all the themes available to me. At the bottom left of the list of themes is a tab called "Desktop Background". When I click on this to go to my choices for backgrounds, I still don't see the choice of "None". I did follow your advice to save the unwanted theme, delete it, then reboot. When my system came up, my background first showed the one I want, but with the next change, it went back to the unwanted theme and when I went into the Desktop Personalize menu, there it was again as unsaved. This is driving me crazy, as I don't know where these backgrounds/themes are coming from. They are not any of the themes under the "Aero" choice of themes provided by Windows. My chosen theme has nothing but jpeg images, so that is not the problem. I also don't completely understand your discussion of "Active Desktop". Any help with this problem would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Maureen

When you have a wallpaper set, but not Active Desktop, you only have the one
wallpaper that ever shows. Active Desktop, however, actually loads a bit
later (and closes a bit earlier) in the process than the original desktop.
So, what you are seeing is your non Active Desktop wallpaper before Active
Desktop loads, and then again after Active Desktop unloads.

How to get rid of the "old" one? One of the quickest ways I can remember is
to right click on the desktop, select properties, then select desktop.
Select NONE as the background. Reboot the computer. You should notice no old
wallpaper. Now, set your current wallpaper to whatever you want. BUT realize
that if you use a non Active Desktop wallpaper (usually means a bitmap, as
opposed to a JPG), then the next time you switch to one using the features
of Active Desktop, you are right back where you started.

Source: Link Removed - Invalid URL Microsoft XP: Old Wallpaper "flashes" at startup and exit - windows-xp.itags.org

I hope this helps!

Brett M,
Windows Outreach Team

 

[Agent Data]

uncheck all backgrounds except for one - more than one checked means it will cycle

 

[CommonTater]

The others have given you good and correct advice.

If you go to Control Panel -> Power Options -> Edit Plan Settings -> Advanced Power Options
There is an option on the list to pause the desktop background slideshow.

(Could they have made this one any more obscure?)

 

[CommonTater]

Source: Link Removed - Invalid URL

I hope this helps!

Brett M,
Windows Outreach Team

Ummm... that answer is for XP. The op is using Win 7... Active desktop is not used in Aero.

If you're on the windows outreach team, methinks you got some serious catching up to do.

 

[arnold1049]

Sorry I'm so dense, but I'm not sure I understand what you are telling me. I only have one theme checked, but the theme includes multiple pictures. Are you telling me to go into the theme and only check one picture in the theme? Not sure how that is going to keep it from cycling between themes. The "ghost" themes that keep popping up also have multiple pictures.

uncheck all backgrounds except for one - more than one checked means it will cycle

 

[CommonTater]

Try the power profile trick....

Yes they are telling you that to ensure you always get the same background, open the theme and uncheck all the backgrounds in your theme except the one you want.

 

[arnold1049]

But that totally defeats the whole purpose of having a theme and being able to look at a slide show. If I wanted to look at the same picture all the time, I wouldn't be having this problem. Can't Microsoft make their stuff work like it's supposed to? How come we always have to work around things and put up with less perks than are supposedly available?

Try the power profile trick....

Yes they are telling you that to ensure you always get the same background, open the theme and uncheck all the backgrounds in your theme except the one you want.

 

[CommonTater]

Ok... enlighten me... Your initial complaint was that your desktop background was changing, so now you're problem is that it isn't?

How do you think it's supposed to work?

 

[arnold1049]

OK, let's get a grip here. Obviously, you haven't read my posts closely enough. I'll be happy to tell you how I " . . . think it's supposed to work". Let me see if I can explain it clearly enough for you to grasp the concept.
1. When personalizing the desktop in Windows 7, the first menu that comes up is a listing of pre-existing "themes" that you can choose. (Give me your email and I'd be happy to send you a picture of this screen, if you are not familiar with it.)
2. These "themes" consist of multiple images that cycle through as the desktop background. Hence, the images (not the "theme") change so you don't have to look at the same one all the time.
3. There is also the option to create your own themes and save them in the "My Themes" category. Still following me?
4. At the bottom of the screen, instead of picking a theme, individual choices are provided for "Desktop Background", "Window Color", "Sounds", and "Screen Saver". This is where I could pick ONE image for my desktop background, if I wanted to look at the same picture all the time. Again, I would be happy to send you a picture if that will help to "enlighten" you.
5. Being a person who likes my own pictures better than the ones provided by Microsoft, I created my own theme, consisting of multiple jpeg images. My current theme is called "Maureen2" and appears in the "My Themes" area of the personalization screen.
Have I lost you yet???
6. My problem is that when I select "Maureen2" as my theme, it will cycle through a few of the individual images, but then it defaults to some unknown theme that appears in the "My Themes" category with no name; just identified as "Unsaved Theme". This theme also has multiple images. (Do you understand the difference between a theme and an image, or am I still not "enlightening" you to your satisfaction?)
7. I have saved this "Unsaved Theme" and deleted it numerous times, and emptied my Recycle Bin after deleting it, but it still keeps coming back.
8. So, one more time: I don't want the "THEME" to change, but I do want the "IMAGES" within the "theme" to change so I don't have to look at the same one all the time. If you can understand the difference between "THEMES" and "IMAGES" then I hope you are now "enlightened".
If I have again been unable to explain the problem in a manner that you can grasp, I sincerely apologize. My only other option is to draw you a picture. (See, you aren't the only one who can be "direct", "argumentative", or "cut to the chase".) I'd ask for your help again, but I really don't need anymore of your sarcasm. Not everyone who asks a question in this forum is stupid, as you seem to believe. It might be a surprise to you, but there are a lot of other people who are at least as smart, and probably a lot smarter, than you.
Thanks for nothing.
Maureen

Ok... enlighten me... Your initial complaint was that your desktop background was changing, so now you're problem is that it isn't?

How do you think it's supposed to work?

 

[arnold1049]

P.S. If anyone would like to discuss this topic with me personally, or comment on my post, my email is [email protected]
Maureen

 

[CommonTater]

Now I see your problem....

"Unsaved Theme" is created any time you change a theme... and it will be your active theme unless you manually select a different one.

I have created about 30 different themes for my own PC, so yes... I do get how it works.

It's pretty simple really... create your themes as you want them. Save them. Click on the one you want. If it includes wallpapers you can have a slideshow... BUT, make even the slightest change to that theme and "Unsaved Theme" is created and it's your active Theme.

This is not a bug... It's an opportunity for Win7 users to easly customize their desktops.
Get it the way you like it, save the "Unsaved Theme", select the theme you just saved and you're off and going...

 

[arnold1049]

OK, let's try this one more time. I am still not getting through to you. Prior to starting this reply, I went into the Personalize menu and deleted all themes in the My Themes category except the one I created myself, Maureen2, which I selected, then closed the window. In the time it has taken for me to write the previous 3 sentences, my desktop background/wallpaper has changed to this UNKNOWN, UNSAVED THEME. Since I was busy typing this response, there was no way that I made any changes to any of the themes, which, according to your response, would cause an unsaved theme to surface. AGAIN, YOU ARE UNDERESTIMATING MY INTELLIGENCE, AND IT IS NOT ". . . pretty simple, really . . .". I know when I make changes to something I have to save it to keep the changes. This UNKNOWN UNSAVED THEME is not a copy of my Maureen2 with changes. IT IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THEME WITH IMAGES THAT ARE NOT CONTAINED IN ANY OF MY OWN IMAGE FILES. I just now minimized this window, went into the Personalize menu again, and I now have 2 themes in the My Themes category; this "unknown, unsaved" theme and "Maureen2". THE IMAGES IN THESE TWO THEMES ARE NOT THE SAME. I cannot get my Maureen2 theme to stay active; it is continually replaced by this UNKNOWN, UNSAVED THEME. If this isn't a bug, then I don't understand the definition of a bug.


Maureen

[email protected]
P.S. I see now that I am "infamous around these parts" while you are "beyond repute". Sounds like you can dish it out but can't take it.

Now I see your problem....

"Unsaved Theme" is created any time you change a theme... and it will be your active theme unless you manually select a different one.

I have created about 30 different themes for my own PC, so yes... I do get how it works.

It's pretty simple really... create your themes as you want them. Save them. Click on the one you want. If it includes wallpapers you can have a slideshow... BUT, make even the slightest change to that theme and "Unsaved Theme" is created and it's your active Theme.

This is not a bug... It's an opportunity for Win7 users to easly customize their desktops.
Get it the way you like it, save the "Unsaved Theme", select the theme you just saved and you're off and going...

 

[CommonTater]

Actually it could be a virus...
It wouldn't be the first time the windows wallpaper has been co-opted for advertising purposes.

What images is it showing you?

Run your AV scanners...

 

[CommonTater]

P.S. I see now that I am "infamous around these parts" while you are "beyond repute". Sounds like you can dish it out but can't take it.

What makes you think I'm angry?
Have I said a single harsh word to you?

 

[arnold1049]

I never said anything about you being angry, just sarcastic and showing no respect for my intelligence.

What makes you think I'm angry?
Have I said a single harsh word to you?

 

[CommonTater]

Ok... well... I'll just step aside then and let the others try to help you.

 

[arnold1049]

I have Norton and CCleaner, which I run regularly. Norton has found no viruses lately, just tracking cookies. Back in May, I discussed this same problem on Bren's Place in the Delphi Forums. Bren was unable to help me and referred me to Microsoft, hence my appearance in this forum. After all the back and forth in May, I put it on the back burner for awhile, but it has been frustrating me again lately, so I'm making another attempt to get it resolved.

The images include penguins, Siamese kittens, a red oriental bridge in a park, a lighthouse, and a mountain lake. There is no advertising of any kind; no text at all on the images, not even an identification of the location.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Two more images: a desert and another lake with a moon over it.

Actually it could be a virus...
It wouldn't be the first time the windows wallpaper has been co-opted for advertising purposes.

What images is it showing you?

Run your AV scanners...