Desktop theme problem

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

After a year of changing my desktop theme every month or so, suddenly I can
only now get solid color on my desktop. I am not aware of having made any
changes.

(This is on my good ol' stable desktop.)

I will appreciate help getting the system to display the picture that I have
defined to it. (The picture even shows in the preview box, but the screen
remains solid blue!)

Thanks.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Robert Gething wrote:

> Ms Marcia wrote:
>> After a year of changing my desktop theme every month or so, suddenly
>> I can
>> only now get solid color on my desktop. I am not aware of having
>> made any changes.
>>
>> (This is on my good ol' stable desktop.)
>>
>> I will appreciate help getting the system to display the picture that
>> I have
>> defined to it. (The picture even shows in the preview box, but the
>> screen remains solid blue!)
>>
>> Thanks.
> Do a windows repair install using the recovery CD that should sort it.

Mr. Gething, telling someone to do a Repair Install with the little
information she provided is irresponsible. Ms. Marcia, you simply
haven't told us enough to get a specific answer. Here are a few places
to start troubleshooting:

1. Go to the Display applet in Control Panel and look on the Desktop
tab. Click on Customize Desktop, and then click on the Web tab. You
will see that there are checkmarks next to "My Current Home Page" and
probably "Lock Desktop Items". Uncheck these.

2. Here are some other Desktop-related notes:

If you can't enable desktop backgrounds after a virus, MVP Kelly Theriot
has a fix. Look under Wallpaper-Desktop-Disable Changing here:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_w.htm

If Display tabs are missing, run Kelly's registry edit on line 285,
right-hand side "Restore all display tabs".

If none of the above works, check to see if these Registry entries
exist:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GroupPolicyobject\{21A7BE9D-5027-49C1-B6F7-757B707E1C94}User\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
If "GroupPolicyRefreshTime" and/or "GroupPolicyRefreshTimeOffset" are
there, then delete them.

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System. If
"GroupPolicyRefreshTime" and/or "GroupPolicyRefreshTimeOffset" are
there, then delete them and then run the reg fix from Kelly's page.

3. Make sure the computer is 100% virus and malware-free. If you need
help in doing this, post back.

It would be a good idea to go to at least one of the links below to get
help in making a good newsgroup post. Then you'll have a better idea of
what details we need in order to help you:

http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"