Desktop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Harkhof
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Harkhof

How can one determine the path and filename for the desktop wallpaper
currently in use?

Thanks!
 
Harkhof said:
How can one determine the path and filename for the desktop wallpaper
currently in use?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Hi


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
convertedwallpaper

Chas
 
Chas: I am a novice. I don't understand how I get to Hkey_Current_User.
Can you please give this non-tech person more specifics. Thanks.
 
Very carefully -- not following directions with regedit is
the same as pointing a shotgun at your foot and pulling
the trigger ...

start -> run -> regedit (type in "regedit" without the
quotes in the "open" box)
When the Registry Editor comes up, from the menu, select
edit -> find and then type in the string "convertedwallpaper"
(without the quotes). It will search the registry and show
you where it finds it -- you can see the path there.
Now select File -> Exit from the file menu in the
registry editor.

As Elmer Fudd used to say "be vewy vewy careful" ...

mikey
 
Thanks Mike. I've been told in the past how risky it is to fool with the
registry. I guess what I don't understand is why I just can't undo the
command. It's hard to believe just by clicking on the command "Set as
desktop item" from a drop down menu, I would have to go into the registry to
correct it. What would happen if I don't do anything and just leave the
icons the way they are--Large, Bold and enclosed in blue boxes? I do
apprciate your help and humor :) I need all the humor I can get with this
damn computer.
 
Right click the Desktop | Properties |
Desktop tab | The name of the file will be highlighted under Background |

Do a Search on your machine for that file name.

Wallpaper background files are...
All bmp, jpg, gif, jpe, dib, png and htm files located in these folders:

%Systemroot%
%windir%\Web\Wallpaper
%userprofile%\My Documents\My Pictures
%AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
%ProgramFiles%\Plus!\Themes

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Wallpaper

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\General
BackupWallpaper
and
Wallpaper

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\LastTheme
Wallpaper

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Don't know the answer to that question -- I had not
seen the original post, just came in between disasters
this morning and saw your question that I happened
to know the answer to. The trick though with the
computer is to a) not get so mad you do something
you end up having to fix or b) screw it up to the point
you have to re-install the OS again !! (you might want
to investigate drive imaging backups also as another
thing to check out when fighting with these contraptions).

mikey
 
Thanks Mike. Both you and Wesley agree on what I need to do. I wish I had
the two of you here sitting beside this old lady. This may be a dumb
question, but is there a way to backup my registry just in case I would screw
it up? Also, if the worst did happen and I did something wrong, would System
Recovery straighten it out. I promise these are the last questions. Thanks
so much for helping me.
 
Well, there are two approaches here -- the first is to back up
the registry - see the following links (use "xp registry backup"
with google)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/registry.htm
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm <-- ERUNT - free utility

The second (which will also cover a bunch of other problems
if they occur) is to image the drive using software like
Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image or Terabyte Image For Dos
or Image For Windows. Backups are like a religion -- we
have the "atheists" who don't believe in backups (it can't happen
to them) then we have the other religions - Ghost has it's
following, True Image has it's following and Terabyte has
it's following. My personal preference (still working on
getting it the way I want) is to periodically "image" the
drive (I use Terabyte Image For Dos, but it is a bit "geeky")
and just use a zip utility to backup the user files on a
periodic basis so the kids don't lose their homework etc.
If you don't backup your system and are interested, check
out the following links - see what looks right for you:
http://www.terabyteinc.com/
http://www.acronis.com/
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/backup_recovery/ghost10/index.html
Read through the top links on registry backup and
see what works for you (you will also get a better understanding
of how the pieces fit together.

mikey
 
gr8aunt said:
Thanks Mike. Both you and Wesley agree on what I need to do. I wish I had
the two of you here sitting beside this old lady. This may be a dumb
question, but is there a way to backup my registry just in case I would screw
it up? Also, if the worst did happen and I did something wrong, would System
Recovery straighten it out. I promise these are the last questions. Thanks
so much for helping me.
Click to expand...

There are several options for backing up the registry prior to making
changes. One is to create a restore point before making the changes.
Go to Start | Run | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System
Restore. Click on Create a restore point and give it whatever name you
want.

A second option is to backup the particular registry key you plan to
change from inside regedit. Open regedit and navigate to the key. Then
right click on it and choose export. Enter a file name you'll remember.
It will save it as <filename>.reg. The .reg identifies it as a
registry file. If you need to restore that key just double click on the
..reg file.

A third option is to regularly make of backup of the entire registry
using ERUNT. If something damages the registry and the system can't
boot because of a damaged registry a backup copy of the registry can be
used. See these links for setting up and using ERUNT.

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt

Installing and Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm
 
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