How Do I Stop the Files in My Pictures From Showing in the Display Properties Background Tab?

[Alton Davis]

I recently decided to change my desktop wallpaper and all the files in the
My Pictures (including subfolders) tried to display. Since there's over
2000 pictures the computer seemed to freeze and after a while I just turned
it off and restarted. How do I get the Display Background properties tab to
only show the files in the C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper folder. I tried Google
but couldn't find a satisfactory answer.
Thanks

 

[Kelly]

Hi Alton,

The pictures that show up under Display Properties, Desktop are located in
these folders:

C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents\My Pictures
C:\WINDOWS\Web\Wallpaper
C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

Another checkpoint:

Also, go to: Start/Run then type in:
"%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer"

To hide and/or remove/relocate:

Under My Computer scroll down to Shared Documents/Shared Pictures. If
Shared Pictures is listed, remove it.

TweakUI for XP: Unchecking "Lock Web Content" under Explorer to be added
to desktop disables the pictures from being listed.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Workarounds:

Create another folder (under your user profile), remove the pictures from My
Pictures that you don't want listed under Backgrounds and in the My Pictures
folder, create a shortcut to the new folder. Or create subfolders within My
Pictures.

Add Folders to the "Save As" Dialog (Places Bar) Line 117
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Disable Default Save As to My Pictures (Line 263)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Add Folder to Start Menu to replace/re-route My Pictures (Line 2)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the Regedit: Save the REG File to your hard disk. Double click it
and answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be viewed in Notepad by
right clicking on the file and selecting Edit.




In Shared Documents there is "Shared Music" and "Shared Pictures". In
"Shared Pictures" there is a personal folder of pictures called "My
Pictures" and another folder called "Sample Pictures". Sample Pictures has
four more Microsoft wallpaper images - except that these aren't on the list
in Display Properties.


--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Happy Birthday if today is your birthday!

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Alton Davis]

Hi Kelly
Thanks for your response. I'm a little reluctant to move the pictures to
another folder, etc. because I'm not sure what the impact might be on other
software I have. My Pictures is the default and also the logical place to
store pictures so it seems to me that there must be a way to tell the
display properties to only look in the wallpaper folder.

 

[Malke]

Hi Kelly
Thanks for your response. I'm a little reluctant to move the pictures to
another folder, etc. because I'm not sure what the impact might be on
other
software I have. My Pictures is the default and also the logical place to
store pictures so it seems to me that there must be a way to tell the
display properties to only look in the wallpaper folder.

If you won't move the pictures to another folder, then you will have to live
with them showing up in the Desktop Background list.

Most programs have options where you can set the default folder to whatever
you like. Also most programs will remember the last place you went to open
a file so if you can't set a default location in the program, open a file
and browse to it.

Malke

 

[Kelly]

What she said and you are most welcome. )

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Happy Birthday if today is your birthday!

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[joeturn]

-

Kelly is right Toby!! You have been storing them in your desktop
background files this is only good to use as active wallpaper!
Hit start menu and open documents,then just right click anywhere on
your desktopthats blue, then properties, then under the desktop tab,
drag and drop them into your documents!!