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

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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!

By: Faisal

Faisal — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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!!

By: make212

make212 — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Julie Burgess

Julie Burgess — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Julie Burgess

Julie Burgess — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Julie Burgess

Julie Burgess — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: lbarrychevy

lbarrychevy — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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.

By: LoneTraceur

LoneTraceur — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: srg84

srg84 — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

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

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: HP Gets Custom Backgrounds On Windows 7 Starter Edition ~ Revelations From An Unwashed Brain

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] small blurb at Within Windows describes how HP has (legally) done it – Back in March, I wrote about how Microsoft was restricting wallpaper usage on their Starter SKU of Windows 7 – a version of Windows to be preloaded by OEMs onto netbooks. Nicholas R., mistakenly initially [...]

By: kenif

kenif — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Background change in Windows7 - V-Tuts!

Background change in Windows7 - V-Tuts! — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] Source: http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/03/28/surprise-you-cant-change-your-wallpaper-in-windows-7-starter... [...]

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

@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.

By: PuntoBit » Windows 7 Starter Edition: La novela

PuntoBit » Windows 7 Starter Edition: La novela — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] embargo, nos presentaron una nueva joyita de esta edición de su nuevo SO: Usted, usuario principiante, deberá conformarse con el fondo de [...]

By: Rafael

Rafael — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

@Alex: I’m not sure what made Erwin think that would work, but the files are the same across all SKUs. The issue here is that licensing policies are in place restricting the changing of the wallpaper. These policies are enforced via product key.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

@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.

By: Erwin

Erwin — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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 :-)

By: OEMs, partners can’t brand Windows 7 Starter either | Everything Microsoft

OEMs, partners can’t brand Windows 7 Starter either | Everything Microsoft — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] in March, I wrote about a sick-joke of a limitation in Windows 7 Starter edition preventing users from changing the wallpaper. The limitation was [...]

By: Windows 7 has a new default wallpaper and logo | iGeneration | ZDNet.com

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] and replaces the default fish background which we saw in previous builds. Unknown yet, this could also be the default unchangable background in Windows 7 Starter edition, designed for emerging [...]

By: use foss

use foss — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Matt A. Tobin of Binary Outcast

Matt A. Tobin of Binary Outcast — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Matt A. Tobin of Binary Outcast

Matt A. Tobin of Binary Outcast — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: Matt A. Tobin of Binary Outcast

Matt A. Tobin of Binary Outcast — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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…

By: KCC

KCC — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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