Windows 7 Starter: Easy way to change wallpaper

Welcome!:-)

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For readers not wanting to read the story of this instructable here is a short: This instructable is about changing wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter Edition which is a problem since Microsoft deleted that option in this particular release. Enjoy steps of these instructables :-) Read all steps before you try it! :)

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For others that are willing to read the longer story :-) :

The Story:

Recently i have bought an Assus EeePC Seashell netbook with windows 7 on board, you may think "WHOA kewl" but hold your horses. Most netbooks on the market nowadays are sold with windows 7-yes- but it's only a Starter Edition which is good if not great for low-end PC's and netbooks.Why am I writing this then?
"Windows 7 Starter does not include:

• Aero Glass, meaning you can only use the “Windows Basic” or other opaque themes. It also means you do not get Taskbar Previews or Aero Peek.
• Personalization features for changing desktop backgrounds, window colors, or sound schemes.
• The ability to switch between users without having to log off.
• Multi-monitor support.
• DVD playback.
• Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.
• Remote Media Streaming for streaming your music, videos, and recorded TV from your home computer.
• Domain support for business customers.
• XP Mode for those that want the ability to run older Windows XP programs on Windows 7.

source:[windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/05/29/let-s-talk-about-windows-7-starter.aspx]

If you're like me and bought netbook with this Windows 7 version before you've read about it's limitations on the web, this instructable might help you to get over one of obstacles of enjoying it like any other system. I'm going to explain process of getting your windows to change wallpapers :).

Enjoy and please Read all steps before you try it :)

Written by Dan because of an inspiration of his Angel :*

Step 1 What do you need?

Ok so now for the "parts" list :) Here is what we will need to make this happen:

Windows 7 Starter Edition
Duh? :P

Stardock My Colors (Theme Manager)

Actually it's Windows Blinds (also a theme manager but it doesn't work for our purpose) with less options and less themes (only few that are free)

Link:[www.stardock.com/products/mycolors/gallery.asp]

Or you may use these Two:

Link: [h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex] (made by HP and looks great, my Angel used it and never complained and is visually better than "think green mentioned later on")

or

Link: [http://www.stardock.com/products/mycolors/gallery.asp?p=diamond&c=free] (which is the closest you can get to normal aero theme by M$)

Wallpaper of your choice :)

(i will be using [www.travelblog.org/Wallpaper/pix/tb_fiji_sunset_wallpaper.jpg] but you can use whatever wallpaper you like)

Comments

[lajuana1]

Great Job!!! I just bought the HP Mini 210-1010NR.......Works Great!!!!!

[Ollus]

http://forums.mycolorsdesktop.com/367302

For all those suffering problem with icons not reveriting :-)

[buek05]

do we have to pay for stardock

[speck2]

Oh God please help me. I did this and everything looked. I got a wallpaper, theme and rain meter and it looked great! But, after I shut down my computer... IT DELETED EVERYTHING. I mean it deleted all of my themes from windowsblind and deleted my skins from rain meter! What the hell is happening?

[andreaborman]

I had the same problem when I tried Stardock My Colors which is also called Windows Blinds.It took out my wallpaper and I had a black screen. So I had to restore my computer to factory settings to reinstall Windows. Because of this.My advice stay away from this product and just use Oceanis or Personalization Panel. As they are both safe to use and do not cause any problems. Andrea Borman.

[calbertyn]

Worked like a charm first time, thank you very much, in Afrikaans:" Baie Dankie"

[BenZ966]

Help! I down loaded it and all of my icons and taskbar is gone! I need help please!

[BenZ966]

I'm able to get to the programs by using my task manager, but the taskbar and shortcuts are completely gone. I don't have much money to buy a new computer, and need help immensely. Thank you in advance.

[MRedu]

It's funny when M$ removes some feature or do something that generally annoys people then someone smart figures out a solution to the problem. Like removing the ability to change the wallpaper on cheap netbooks...

Good Job.

[cretener]

I've been dying to change my wallpaper ever since I got this netbook, and now I can thanks to you! Ah, I love you.

[akisová]

Great job!! thx :*

[afernandez18]

Thanks a lot man ! :)
It really work ! 201% XD

[bsandeepan]

thanks a lot works great. dancin with joy

[duffy69]

Guys, I made a mistake as well during hacking the registry. just simply allow the "everyone" user not just read, but all the other options, and You can change easily the path of the picture, or just later on choose an other one. that is what I did, and it works fine for me...

[isierra]

I tried applying a theme and now i'm stuck with an xp looking theme instead of aereo.

[Ollus]

My advice, read again and read carefully...

[JediJon]

This has been an awesome aid to me getting rid of that god awful windows wallpaper.....I tried everything and now have my own wallpaper on there At Last!!!!!
This is what mine looks like now.....

[pookypoo]

Sexy. Please tell me how (little step, by step) how to change my windows 7 starter netbooks background. I'm sick of mine; the one it came with; boring.

Thanks,

Brenda

[ncabanero]

Thank you so much (tears) :3 hahaha.. I'm just happy :) I thought this window7 starter sucks to hell. But thanks to you, at least now its bearable :)

[rewin]

Links no longer work as they took down those options. :( Was wierd because one minute it was working fine for me, then the next my background was reset to the default windows one and MyColours wasnt working :(

[cnuthalapati]

i found one more useful post on how to change wallpaper in win statrer
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/47294-desktop-background-change-windows-7-starter.html

[Henni]

The Stardock Mycolor has worked perfectly for me for ½ a year after learning about it in this forum. But this morning, turning on my computer, I found that my old standard Windows 7 starter theme was back. i tried uinstalling the whole thing and reinstalling, but i can't seem to change my theme again. I click ''apply theme'' but it won't react.
But Stardock can definintly be recommended, thanks! :)

[1337mrblackops]

if you want proper aero glass, and all those limitations lifted, download windows 7 from thepiratebay.org

[Ollus]

Yeah, and risk getting caught ;-) That's for people with notebooks which don't have CD drives and also don't know how to reinstall from pendrive. Besides, all you need to upgrade is a new CD key for PRO or ULTIMATE;-) no need to reinstall whole windows bro. Piratebay is kewl but cmon...

[panflute]

This program is a piece of cr-p. It will bog down your machine and is not worth it. If you want to revert back to your original desktop forget about it, it does not go back completely. If you removed your shortcut arrows, they will reappear again.  It also does not properly uninstall itself, especially if you install another theme. After uninstalling the program the theme you downloaded will remain in memory and you cannot delete it. The green theme they include is ugly. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. If you already installed it try using system restore to go back.

[1337mrblackops]

pirate windows 7 dude, (http://www.thepiratebay.org)
just download utorrent

[andreaborman]

Yes You are right. Stardock My Colors or Windows Blinds, it's other name was a disaster for me. It took out my original Windows 7 wallpaper leaving me with nothing but a black screen on my desktop. Instead of the default wallpaper. AND it corrupted my files I think, because it left them green. And even when I uninstalled that program,my screen was still black, and my files and folders green.

So I had to do a complete restore to factory condition recovery,where the Netbook is restored to the condition it was before you bought it. Which also reinstalls Windows. Which was no fun.

So- DO NOT WHATEVER YOU DO download Stardock My Colors,Window Blinds,or you will have the same problem I did.

Instead use Oceanis or Personalization Panel to add wallpaper to Windows 7 Starter. Both these software's is approved by Seven Forums and they say it is safe to use. I use Personalization panel,which also works if you set your theme on windows Classic like I have. and I made a video about it here. Andrea Borman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZx1jNncgaw

[Ollus]

Well i did it on plenty of computers and it did actually revert back to normal after the uninstall process...and everything was fine.. either you did something wrong or had a version which wasn't downloaded from the original website, am i right? Or maybe you used Alienware theme instead of Mycolors because that one does alot of no good to the windows 7 starter.?I need proof, if you give me the proof i will write something to fix problem that happened at your PC.

[panflute]

This program, Oceanis, worked for me and seems a much more elegant and safer way to change the backround in Win 7 Starter:

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

[DragonDon]

Ya, found that on Google as well, worked great. In a nutshell:\\1. Click start and type regedit in the search box or run
2. Go to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\” folder and click on it
3. On the right hand side you will find a bunch of entries. Find the key named “Wallpaper” and double click on it and put the path of the picture you want as your new wallpaper (example path is “C:\Users\Big Dan\Pictures\new wallpaper.jpg”)
4. Right-click on the “Desktop” folder in left pane click Permissions.
5. Click “Advanced”
6. Go to “Owner” tab, highlight your name in the box that says ‘Change owner to’ ( There are only two choices the other is Administrator )… once your user name is highlighted click “OK”
7. Click on “Advanced” again
8. Uncheck the button that reads “Include inheritable permissions from the object’s parent”… click “Remove” when prompted
9. Click “Add”
10. Type “Everyone” and click “OK”
11. Check Allow “Read Control” and click “OK”
12. Click “OK” again
13. Highlight “Everyone” and check to Allow “Read” and click “OK”
14. Restart Computer

While I can appreciate anyone creating an instrucable to help people out, I simply cannot see any justification downloading some 100MB program that replaces 14 steps listed above....

[skyline28]

Thanks for posting this walkthrough! Worked great the first time :) So happy to have a new background after an entire year of dealing with the windows 7 starter wallpaper. Such a relief!

[j0nahanne]

when i'm trying to change the path it says "cannot edit wallpaper: Error writing the value's new contents".... pls help me

[j0nahanne]

pls help...the first time i did this it was successful but when i try it again i can't change my wallpaper

[kphoutharath]

worked...thkz alot...

[svasudevan]

wat is dis abt???

[DragonDon]

Unfortunately this is something that if you do NOT understand, then do NOT try anything. If you want to know more about computers (and windows registry in particular: start here:

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsr/p/registrywindows.htm

Unless you have the stamina to fix a broken windows system, then by all means, do whatever you like. Follow the above steps, become a true hacker (not the over-hyped media portrayal) but someone who is curious about technology and what makes it tick. This is what I do.

[Ollus]

Thanks to DragonDon for support in my instructable :-)

For the guys who don't understand registry:

If you don't understand hacking the windows registry whilst giving M$ middle finger, please settle for the ready-made software available, which was kindly provided by Ander (last page at the end). Other option might be to switch to windows version giving possibility to change wallpaper (switch to Pro, ultimate etc. is as easy as typing serial number in software provided within windows called "Anytime Upgrade"), but this slows down the PC (starter edition was made for a reason you know ;)). Last option i can give is to install Ubuntu operating system :-) It installs as any other application in windows, you get to choose operating system during PC switching on, you have alot more options than windows when it comes to customization and you can call yourself M$ free person. :-)

For the guy who do: ROCK ON! ^^

Take care guys :-)

[steffyjenille]

Hi,
You are a genius! Only thing is that I am not :( I followd your steps but realized too late that I did not type in the right path. I left out the jpg part AND just wrote the name of an entire folder. The end result is that I have a black wallpaper. Everything still works except instead of a green wallpaper...I have black.
Help me please. Is it possible to undo any steps or how can I still redeem a nice wallpaper despite my errors.
Thanks in advance DragonDon.

[ddemitrius]

Hi Have you been able to find a solution to this I have run into a similar problem

[DragonDon]

Thanks for the compliment but I will say this, I did not create those instructions, anyone who can do a Google Search can find them.

Now, as for fixing your issue. I suspect that simply following the instructions again should fix that, just steps 1 - 3 will most likely do it.

Since I have not run into your particular issue, I cannot guarantee that it'll work or possibly make things worse. Too many variables to say for sure but if I were in your situation, I would repeat the first 3 steps properly (i.e. use the full path of the background you want).