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

By: brian

brian — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:18:35 +0000

There is a fix for this posted at http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download-netbook

In addition to freeing the restrictions on desktop wallpaper this fix also incorporates numerous security and performance improvements.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:17:58 +0000

If you want to change your windows 7 background and it doesn’t let you you should try out http://www.mediafire.com/?h2g5hdmz0nn it really work try it. when i first used it it actually worked. just go to the link and press download and save it or run it, which ever you want it. next it will pop up a box saying do want want this to make a few changes to your computer click yes and a small box will pop up. then click browse pick any picture click apply then it will say you must log back on to your computer so it can make the changes and when you try it will be changed thanks for reading this post comments if it didn’t work.

By: Rafael

Rafael — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:21:40 +0000

NOTE: Do not post crap hosted on Mediafire (or any file hosting service) in my comment areas.

By: xv

xv — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:49:57 +0000

I was about to purchase a netbook until I found out about the limitation of Windows 7 Starter. I’m holding this purchase until these notebook offer the home version. At the same time, I’m exploring netbook with Linux. I think this is a huge mistake by netbook manufacture and perhaps Microsoft.

By: aia

aia — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:42:13 +0000

hi all. i just bought a dell mini 10 with windows 7 starter. im able to change my wallpaper by using stardock mycolors, it really works. You can download it for free. I downloaded the diamond theme, then from there the wallpaper can be changed. i hope this helps.

By: Elnaeth

Elnaeth — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:54:52 +0000

Iron’s method is fake and gay.

Nah just kidding. Would have been fun if that worked though :P

By: Gina

Gina — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:34:19 +0000

It doesn’t work, Iron. :|

By: Change the Wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter

Change the Wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:04:05 +0000

[...] Rafael Rivera has unveiled the technical side behind the same, a new licensing bit was introduced – ChangeDesktopBackground-Enabled. On Starter Edition SKUs, this bit is set to 0, disabling background setting capabilities in Windows Photo Viewer and the Display/Theme Control Panel applets. The infection goes deeper into system files shell32.dll and themeui.dll too, hard-coding the wallpaper to %windir%webwallpaperwindowsimg0.jpg. [...]

By: Iron Angel

Iron Angel — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:33:37 +0000

you know, i actually just found a far more simple solution

you open de image file in mspaint, goto file (the icon thingy) and select “set as desktop background” in de dropdown

there is a slight possibility this worked because i have an altered version of 7 starter (for eee701)

By: soosoo

soosoo — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:06:32 +0000

I like the wallpaper (how its B&W plus the colored fish), is there a way to get it in widescreen, maybe 1680×1050 or 1920×1200?

By: Bengt

Bengt — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:26:11 +0000

Thanks srg84 and Gabe for posting the noob version. Fuck starter so hard.

By: Gina

Gina — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:32:55 +0000

Hi guys,

I too have this background problem, and when I saw Gabe’s solution I was more then thrilled! But in my enthusiasm I forgot the jpg extension! So when I restarted it, the screen went black. I tried to undo the process entering the old key (%windir%\web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg), but an error came across, as you can see here: http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5423/backgroundfs.jpg

What should I do now? :D Cause I do wanna change my background!

By: Hallux

Hallux — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:26:12 +0000

EASY FIX FOR THIS!

1. Get Fedora Linux (http://www.fedoraproject.org). Download Fedora 12 650+MB ISO file.

2A. Get Fedora’s USB Live-Image Creator (or whatever they call it) also available from same site.
3A. Use the two to create a USB drive Live-Install of Linux.
(Alternatively)
2B. Burn image with ISO burning software (don’t just cut/paste it to a disc, it won’t work) to a CD-ROM
3B. Go to step 4

4. Boot into Linux. Open the “My Computer” icon, select “media”, then navigate as follows down into the Misro$oft Win/DOS directory structure as follows:
Go to (Whatever your hard drive is called, select the hard-disc icon), go to Windows, go to Web, go to Wallpaper, go to Windows (again), and rename the file called “img0.jpg” to something else, like “screwM$.jpg”
(Alternatively)
4A. If you have another windows jpeg of the same size and shape, copy it to the same place and give it the original filename. You can simply delete the original image, but I’ve found it’s sometimes handy to keep originals like that around for archival purposes.

5. Reboot into Win/DOS. :) Ugly M$ Win/DOS logo is gone, screen is plain blue. A definite improvement.
(Alternatively)
5A. While looking at the Linux Live-CD/Live-USB install, note how nice it is to be able to do whatever you want with your own computer, without @$$40135 in Redmond, WA dictating to you what you can and can’t do with their wretched CrippleWare, and realize you’d be better off just wiping all M$ garbage off your harddrive, and living free, with Linux!

If you must continue to use Misro$oft Win/DOS 7 Starter/Crippleware Edition, at least you don’t need the constant reminder that Misro$oft thinks you are a worthless pile of d0g$h1t, for not paying to use their oh-so-much-better (and of course,) more expensive Win/DOS version.

Misro$oft will slowly drive all their own customers away with their arrogance and stupidity, and when they fail, (which they will,) GOOD RIDDANCE I say!

/rant.

By: Rajesh

Rajesh — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:13:26 +0000

haii, ihave overwritten img0 in my windows 7 7068…but ican’t still set my wallpaper.
pls help me

By: Pat M

Pat M — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:41:33 +0000

Installed Oceanis’s background updater a couple days ago, worked fine. Got a load of Windows automatic updates yesterday and today (Jan 11), background was reset, and now Oceanis doesn’t do anything… WHAT is the point of this madness?

By: Twitter Tweets about Windows 7 as of January 10, 2010 | Bay Area REO

Twitter Tweets about Windows 7 as of January 10, 2010 | Bay Area REO — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:06:04 +0000

[...] #Notsundayfootball 2010-01-10 20:45:47 · Reply · View tantanoo: @perniciously http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/03/28/surprise-you-cant-change-your-wallpaper-in-windows-7-starter... 2010-01-10 20:45:32 · Reply · View techglewindows7: Windows 7-Performance – [...]

By: jake halstrum

jake halstrum — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:16:19 +0000

i changed my background on windows 7 starter edition

By: Ubuntu

Ubuntu — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:50:23 +0000

this is were we quit and shifted to linux.
just installed the latest version of the ubuntu – 9.10

Win7 vs Ubuntu9.10 – Effects
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6uFxxlKa4g

Win7 vs Ubuntu9.04 – Boot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3K9pSbvGkY

Ubuntu9.10 NetbookRemix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2btNhy4Kr7c

More
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpG4NjnKT7A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYgWE6Svpag&NR=1

By: AJ

AJ — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:37:06 +0000

if you alter img0.jpg and loose the wallpaper (screen goes Black)its because this registry key gets blanked out:

To fix:
regedit and find…
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper

enter key: %windir%\web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg

By: Liam

Liam — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:54:06 +0000

To be honest I have found the easiest and hassle free way to change the windows starter wallpaper is to download ’starter wallpaper changer’ seriously its awsm :D hopefully u agree!

By: Mick

Mick — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:30:12 +0000

Matt,

Save yourself the trouble of trying to hack the background picture. It is hit and miss at best.

No need to spend money for a good software to change the background on Win7 Starter. Here is a repeat of an earlier post that fixes the problem quickly and easily.

Oceanis Background Changer. Works perfectly with Win 7 Starter and it is FREE. No registry or other hacks that probably don’t work. Just install the program, open it from the desktop icon, browse to your wallpaper folders, select your wallpaper and off you go. You can also select multiple wallpapers and have them change automatically at time intervals. I just bought a Gateway mini from Best Buy and was I ticked to find out that MS had locked the desktop. I tried everything, changing the registry, renaming the wallpaper I wanted to the same name as the default wallpaper. Nothing worked right until I found this software. Believe me this is the way to go. Here is the link.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/47294-desktop-background-change-windows-7-starter.html

By: MattSamp

MattSamp — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:39:46 +0000

I took the route of finding the file and giving myself ownership permissions etc. I saved a picture i wanted into that folder, resized it to match the other picture and renamed it. I restarted and now I just have a black background. Any suggestions?

By: lulu

lulu — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:39:23 +0000

why can i not change it that is so messed up. i got this amazing new picture of justin bieber and i cant change it. im going to go mad if i cant ever change it, it makes me soooooooooooooooo mad…

By: Evee

Evee — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:15:41 +0000

Wow. I bought my new netbook today and I was so excited about it and Windows 7. I wish the sale people had bothered to tell me about this issue – they managed to cover everything else. I was so disappointed when I found out about this and I thought I was going mad when I couldn’t figure out how to change my wallpaper. And I’m in the same boat as you Michael L, I got a HP too with the box saying “HP – The computer is personal again.”

Hah.

Thanks so much for the Stardock Mycolours app though, it works perfectly :)

By: Michael L

Michael L — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:04:33 +0000

Wait a minute – the box this new HP netbook came in says “HP – The computer is personal again.”
Personal my foot….they just shipped a product that won’t even let me change the background.