Surprise: You can’t change your wallpaper in Starter Edition

While I am still downloading this copy with my extremely slow connection (30Kbyte down if i am lucky) I was wondering if it checks on what the background image is, or if you could simply have a small program written that integrates itself into explorer, and allows you to change that Img0.jpg file using any file you want (like the logon screen background changer apps I have seen floating around)

I have not played with 7068 yet, can you still right click on an image in Explorer or IE and choose ‘Set As Background’?

whoa…thats a really bad move on micro’s part…if indeed Microsoft forces starter edition on netbook manufactures then it will truly be a blow to the good run that netbooks are having…kinda like intel forcing their crappy gma chips to go along with the little Atom that could!

Lol, try hovering over the gray image. It says:
“NOTE: Betta fish will not survive prolonged exposure to gray water.”

If Microsoft INSISTS that I change my OS (even though XP-SP2 does everything I want it to and has minimal compatibility with the software I use) then I will change – to Linux or OS-10.
Arrogant B@$t@rd$ !!!

ooops that was minimal compatibility issues

So Im guessing Firefox’s “Set background Image” would not work ether? Thats pretty evil…

At least they should’ve kept the blue wallpaper instead of that ugly black one.

This is kinda interesting. The main reason I’d imagine them doing something like this is if they’re posing themselves to offer this version of Windows as a sort of a demo… Maybe even for free. In which case, that would be a pretty good move on MS’s side.

With Vista MS was thinking of disabling wallpaper altogether if your trial period ran out and you didn’t activate. You’d be stuck with a solid black background. Ironically more than a few people commented that that was the first setting they set when they installed Windows anyway.

I bet there will be third party tools for Starter to change the wallpaper using the img0.jpg trick. Then MS will embed it as a binary resource and allow Windows to load them from res:// urls. Then third party tools will switch to using resource embedding directly or using reshacker.

Fun fun fun.

Three app limit and basic functionality removed?

It should be called Windows Non-Starter Edition.

For all but the most simple user, this turns Windows into trialware where you have to pay for the trial.

We’re used to the bait-and-switch many hardware vendors do where they tell you you’re getting some extra program or anti-virus for free but it turns out you just get an X day trail of it which you could’ve downloaded yourself. This takes it one step further and does that with the actual operating system, and makes people pay for the privilege. Nice.

For people who don’t care about the limits it’ll save them money, I guess. For everyone else I imagine it will be a bit of a surprise and also quite a rip-off, if the Windows Anytime Upgrade fees are going to be as astronomical as they are now. (At least with the Vista Home -> Vista Ultimate upgrade, if you use Anytime Upgrade you end up paying considerably more than the difference between OEM Home and OEM Ultimate, despite the fact that you’re starting off with an OEM copy of Home from your PC vendor. That really sucks when you consider that some vendors — especially bricks & mortar stores — don’t even offer Ultimate.)

Wow, that’s completely absurd.

Who, exactly, does Microsoft expect to buy starter edition? People in developing countries? It seems to me that given the choice between a full pirated version and this crippled bit of trialware nonsense, people will invariably choose the pirated version.

I guess some companies just never learn.

This is good news! Because OEMs will most likely not use this SKU on netbooks but Home Basic instead.

Now that is just silly… I can understand the use of a starter edition, but forcing a fixed background doesn’t make much sense!

tino’s got a point there

Albert, your post seems a bit like useless advertising, no?

Anyway, I can understand the mentality behind this (brand locking in exchange for a cheaper OS) but this will do a good job of pissing users off instead. Hell, it might even drive a switch to Linux on the netbook.

it should be for 10 $ in stores

I think they upped it from 3 apps open to 6 (as this screenshot i took shows)
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8114/windows7basic.jpg
Opening any 6, weather they be made by MS or not, results in an annoying “maximum number of programs open” window
They haven’t updated their Help and Support section though… probably the last thing on their minds at the moment

Hey…
If that goes into the RTM, 7 Starter will not survive.
I got a good idea:
make a poster that says:
If you don’t change the water, we’ll kill the fish
I think that’ll make Micorosoft go bananas

That is crap. I love the idea that services and non essential functions may be stripped to support netbooks but this is just cutting out features so that the customer will want to upgrade. Give us a netbook version.

This makes Windows 95 more advanced than Windows 7. I hate the way Microsoft is removing and disabling features in NT 6.x.

Well, if they do offer it for free, like I have been advocating, as a download at microsoft.com, then I can understand this. And If they raise the program limit to 6, that would actually be OK for many basic users! Even 3 might cut it as most only use IE ;-)

I don’t understand why most netbook are 32-bit only. Intel decided to limit mobile version of atom but the future belong to 64-bit computing. After all, Windows 7 is the last version to have a 32-bit version. The only 64-bit netbook that I know off is the Samsung NC20 which has a 64-bit VIA Nano and is a lot faster that Intel Atom. Microsoft should ship Home Basic to netbook since it support 64 bit, has Windows Mobility Center, and can run applications without limit. Do Microsoft seriously think that the third world countries filled with pirates would buy Windows 7 Home Basic?

I don’t really understand why everyone’s so upset about this.

It’s a stripped-down version of Windows. Some users have turned red in the face demanding this over the years.

Look at it from a marketing standpoint: this is a functional OS. It has had features removed, so what? Is desktop personalization mission-critical? Sure, I like to have it, and that makes it a great “value-add” feature, and it might convince me to move up to another version. And, if I’ve already BOUGHT a higher-level version, knowing I got a feature that some versions don’t have helps give me a sense I got something for my money.

Are the critics here saying it shouldn’t be offered at all?

Wondering what has Microsoft thought about this :O_o:

Hey Raffa … still waiting that you come out of Ashburn and come to FallsChurch :)

tom: If MS tries putting this on netbooks we’ll probably see Vista capable lawsuits all over again. Linux will also likely gain market share, since it costs less and you can actually change the wallpaper. :P

But I don’t think it’s going on netbooks. Starter editions have always been for developing nations. After all free software (Linux) is mighty attractive to governments on a tight budget. Crippling long-time features allows for MS to sell Windows to developing nations without worrying about developed nations buying resold copies. Users in those developing nations aren’t used to features we take for granted (like custom wallpaper) and would tend to be more accepting than users in developed nations who would thus not want the cheap Starter edition.

That’s my personal theory anyway. Though the bit about Starter editions being marketed to developing nations only is fact.

Rafael – Have you actually VERIFIED that your workaround really works? Or are you just guessing? I tried changing my img0.jpg image and it just shows a black background…

Xp had a starter edition, and it was never sold in the US, only in developing nations… I can see this being the same

Oh great… now Microsoft will push loads of BS on their next generation one-of-a-kind OS and everyone will be forced to move to Mac OSX or Ubuntu.

:-(

EDIT: all of those poor developing nations with this crap forced on them…

\\ Although this C++ code will not compile, it still describes the situation well:

#define goodFeatures 235
#defime BS = 0

#include
#include

using namespace std;

int MS = 1;

int main()
{
if(OS = OS -goodFeatures) MS = BS; \\ Microsoft is bullshiit.
if(MS == BS) \\ Where we spam the forms (like what I’m doing right now)
{
openPipeToForm(”http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/03/28/surprise-you-cant-change-your-wallpaper-in-windows-7-starter-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-3070″);
cout<<”MS IS BS!!!!”;
closePipeToForm(”http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/03/28/surprise-you-cant-change-your-wallpaper-in-windows-7-starter-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-3070″);
}

@tino: They also killed Home Basic. I’m glad I migrated to Linux. 98 was my fav version though.

Article on arid.net (http://digg.com/d1pTAK) that talked about windows 7 starter edition and had suggestions on a better way to implement the starter edition for netbooks.

As a longtime user of Webshots I just set that up first thing after installing 7; works without a hitch, changes desktop pix every 15 minutes, and I get to look at my beautiful beaches around the world. I was so impressed I upgraded to the pro version, got wide shots. Way cool, and no, I have no affiliation with Webshots. Something that works in this world deserves to get a plug.
KCC

Ok everyone… just as a matter of record… With Windows Seven… The fundamental rolls have switched from Starter=Developing Contrys/Home Basic=well Home Basic to Starter=NetBook OS Offered only by OEMs/Home Basic=Developing Contrys…

So the SKUs Rolls have been reversed for Windows Seven…

Well if u hate the Aero Basic theme and the stupid wallpaper atleast there is one other choice for starter…. Windows Classic with Blue Color and no Wallpaper…

Check it out…
http://personal.mattatobin.com/screenshots/WindowsSeven/win7starterinclassicthemenobg.png

I have just completed a blog post on my own website with instructions on how to get the same results as the above screenshot…

Check it out:
http://blog.mattatobin.com/2009/06/09/windows-seven-starter-kill-wallpaper-and-have-classic-theme.binoc

to hell with them next theyll want you to register and validate every time you turn it on, i cant see wh anyone would want this, when there are perfect and better free linux alternatives such as ubuntu,debian ,fedora, ect . in which you can customize everything!! , and no need for bloated av software either :p, anyway happy virus detecting on windows

Replace the following files with the same files from Windows7 Ultimate (tested and works):

system32\themecpl.dll
system32\themeservice.dll
system32\themeui.dll

Before you can replace these files, make sure that you’re the technical owner and set all permissions to “Full Control”.

Works like a charm here :-)

@Erwin: Tried your instructions by replacing the 3 .dll files but it does not work. And of course set all permissions to “Full Control” but did not work. Anyone who has a solution?

This is a hard one to solve people.

@Rafael: Thanx for your comment. But wouldnt it be nice to work around the policies and try to change the background anyway?
Just for the fun of it or because you rather like a picture of mom to decorate your background instead of the default wallpaper.

I tried to look at the local policies inside windows 7 starter but couldnt find anything that might relate to the restrictions. Then tried Bginfo from sysinternals (and another tool) to work my way around the policy but nope…nothing worked so far. When i found a “workaround” i will post it here ok.

just got a new netbook with win 7 starter. better off running dos if i cant even change my wall paper wat the hell

For those of you with Windows 7 Starter, you can use Stardock MyColors to bypass the restriction and change the wallpaper.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Regedit go to key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper put the path of the image first, then righ click permissions->Put yourself as owner, then unchek the inherit button delete all users, then add the user ‘everyone’ and give read only permissions SOLVED :D

Guys, here is my solution to the wallpaper issue. Check out my screencast on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWtn0wlk9aQ

Just got a Netbook and the first thing i wanted to do is change the background. But no such luck. This blows have a computer that you can’t personalize. I hope someone will find an easy way around this.

SRG84, I followed all your steps precisely. Didn’t work. :(

SRG84, PARDON ME!!!!!!! IT DID WORK. I JUST HAD TO RESTART, AND MY WALLPAPER IS NOW THE PHOTO I USED AS THE PATH. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Note: I am just an everyday user, not a techie, and srg84’s instructions worked!

Can somebody write down srg84’s instructions step by step, because I don’t quite understand all of them?

Guyz I’ve one more problem that I’m not able to change the personalization of windows 7!!

It says “This page is not available in this edition of windows”??

Please help!!

ei. guys. Badtrip. I got my new laptop yesterday with the windows 7 starter edition. I was very disapointed to know that i cant change my desktop background. I thought all the while that Windows 7 is the most advance and latest OS. How can this be? Can i have a refund or something? HElP ME!