Lost wallpaper into cache, how to retrieve it again

[Jack.Hambabo]

This happened to me twice now and I searched the internet for solutions
but couldn't find any.
In both case I got a WinXP laptop by someone else who asked me to fix
something, and in the very end I played around with desktop background
picture, ie. today I changed the screensaver which made WindowsXP
realize that it doesn't know where the wallpaper file were. This killed
the background picture. I didn't know how to get it back, and all the
gratitude was gone.

Without the talking:
I took a picture from a removable media and made it my WinXP wallpaper.
I then removed the file. Everythings fine. Someday I play around with
something (like the screensaver) and windows forgets what the
background picture was. The file name is listed in the list of
background pictures, but choosing this from the list will just give a
unicolour background. The picture is however not all the way lost. Even
after reboots the picture will be displayed for 0.5 sec while switching
users away from the one, who had the picture as wallpaper.
I searched the harddisk for all *.jpg, *.png, *.bmp, "all picture
files" and tried to open some files called logon... in
c:\windows\(system?) with MS Paint. It didn't help.

Any idea how I might get the picture back?
Thanks u very much.
Jack

 

[Kelly]

Jack,

You have a couple of issues going on here. This is generally common with
..jpg extensions. Without knowing more, start with:

1. Line 142 (right hand side):
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

2. 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"

3. Start/Run/Regedit: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop.
In the right pane change to path to Wallpaper and/or Converted Wallpaper.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

In memory of those lost during Katrina &
Prayers and Hope for the remaining displaced.

 

[Jack.Hambabo]

Hi Kelly,

thanks for your answer.
However I didn't find the picture.
ad 1.: I found a .reg file regarding " Allow Wallpaper/Background
Changes - Disable" but didn't see what I'm supposed to do with it. The
listed registrykeys didn't give me a clue about where to find my file
either.

ad 2.: Had a look at all four locations and didn't find the file. I
really think the file which was made background picture is not on the
laptop anymore. All that is left, is the cache copy WinXP made when I
chose the wallpaper file.

ad 3.: Regarding the registry key: On my laptop the key states where
the wallpaper file is. However this was not the case on the laptop of
this friend of mine. Unfortunately I don't remember what the key's
contents was, but it didn't mean anything to me as far as I remember.
On both laptops there was no key named "converted wallpaper".

As I said, I suppose winXP creates a copy of files when one chooses an
image in the internet explorer or on a removable media to become the
wallpaper. Shouldn't there be a unique place that WinXP stores this
backup file? Where is that?

And: Windows XP can right now not display the picture as a wallpaper.
It lists the file under Display/Properties/Wallpaper (or so, I have a
german version) but when one chooses this file for a background picture
the background will stay plain.
However the picture is still there. While logging off the picture is
displayed. Isn't there some unique file like "logon" "logoff" in Win98
where this picture is stored?
Or is there a seperate registry key stating what this log off picture
is?

Thanks alot,
Jack

 

[Jack.Hambabo]

ad 3. again: Had a look at the registry "Original Wallpaper" and
"Wallpaper" are empty on the laptop I'm searching for the wallpaper
file.