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I have a PC where the desktop background options are disabled. I have tried resetting the ActiveDesktop - AllowChangingWallpaper (something like that) to no avail. There is no security enabled on the machine, it is running BitDefender after a recent trojan attack. That is all I know at the moment, but nowhere can I find any way to enable the background options.
Machine is running XP Home.
ProfK
Posted 2009-09-11T06:35:45.863
Reputation: 2 094
0
Microsoft has a Support Article on this problem here. There is 4 keys needed in the registry to enable/disable this functionality:
- NoDispCPL
- NoDispBackgroundPage
- NoDispScrSavPage
- NoDispSettingsPage
There is also two different registry keys that are affected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
BinaryMisfit
Posted 2009-09-11T06:35:45.863
Reputation: 19 955
0
Go to Start - Run and start "gpedit.msc" (the Global Policy Editor).
Go to User Configuration - Administrative Templates - Control Panel - Display. Check the configuration of the items "Prevent changing wallpaper" and the 4 "Hide..." ones.
They should be set to "Not configured" or "Disabled".
Snark
Posted 2009-09-11T06:35:45.863
Reputation: 30 147
gpedit.msc isn't found. – ProfK – 2009-09-11T06:52:53.050
That is, when I try run it, I get the 'Isn't a command' error. – ProfK – 2009-09-11T06:53:59.787
Strange, unless the Trojan messed up your Windows XP. gpedit.msc should be in \Windows\System32.
From Start-Run, open mmc.exe. Go to File-Open and select gpedit.msc in \Windows\System32. – Snark – 2009-09-11T07:42:06.120
If it's XP Home, it won't have it – Polsy – 2009-09-11T07:52:22.290
Hmm, @Polsy, if it's XP Home, surely there isn't a means of disabling the desktop background options? – ProfK – 2009-09-11T12:32:25.150
So, ProfKaos, do you confirm you have XP Pro? – Snark – 2009-09-11T13:06:28.257
@ProfKaos The registry settings that the Group Policy editor causes to be set might still have the same effect in XP Home, even if you can't set them that way. I'm not sure, I don't have Home here to check. – Polsy – 2009-09-11T13:54:29.127
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The active desktop options are available by right clicking the desktop, choosing properties (which brings up a Display Properties window), Desktop tab(you can set background color/image here), Customize Desktop... button, Web tab(I believe this is active desktop). If you could be more specific about "are disabled", is Customize Desktop button disabled/non existant ?
AaronLS
Posted 2009-09-11T06:35:45.863
Reputation: 2 074
No, the customize button is present, but I'm not trying to customize active desktop. As I said, the options on the same tab as the button, i.e. for choosing a background, are disabled. – ProfK – 2009-09-11T06:53:25.123
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Go to: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Look to the right of #128 and see if thats the fix you are looking for.
By the way, there is also a fix to Restore Admin Tools (.msc) # 54
Robert
Posted 2009-09-11T06:35:45.863
Reputation: 53
I see the #128 contains the reg value 'HKCU....\ActiveDesktop] "NoChangingWallPaper"=dword:00000000', which I already did, but I'll try the whole package, thanks. – ProfK – 2009-09-11T14:21:05.057
Also NoDispAppearance. – ProfK – 2009-09-17T07:23:27.937