Wallpaper position question

[Roscoe]

Is there a way (without installing an application...I cannot install
software on this computer) that I can position the wallpaper to the
upper left (rather than centered) without tiling? There was a way in
Windows 3.1 to specify the "starting" location of the wallpaper (in the
win.ini file I believe).

While I'm here, is there a way to "stretch" the picture to fill the
desktop without changing the aspect ratio of the picture? I have a lot
of non-standard pics I would like to use but each requires editing to
add border to make standard size...it's a pain.

Thanks

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Hi Roscoe,

For the 1st question: It's possible to place your wallpaper anywhere in the
screen, using the WallpaperOriginX & WallpaperOriginY registry values.
Automate: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/wallpaperpos.htm

 

[Philip Hristov]

Roscoe,

Why you do no to try to set your desktop as a web page (Display
Properties/Customize Desktop/Web)? Then insert the picture(s) directly
on your desktop (drag and drop), you can set their positions as you
drag their caption bars. Maybe you will achieve the effect you are
looking for.

About your second question. No, it is not possble Windows to add
borders to your desktop backgrounds. You can do that with your
favourite image editior.

Regards,

Philip

 

[Roscoe]

My organization won't allow active desktop for security reasons. As
for the border, I already use a thrird-party app, but it's a pain.

 

[Roscoe]

That's what I was hoping for. I may have to bribe the IT guy to let me
edit the registry however

 

[Roscoe]

That requires adding an application...of course editing the registry is
also a no-no where I work. Either way, I'll need to bribe my IT guy...

This is probably too much trouble for what it gains.

Thanks though, you provided me what I was looking for and assumed
existed.

by the way, if I want to do it manually, where are the WallpaperOriginX
& WallpaperOriginY registry values located (I presume they don't exist
unless created)

 

[Roscoe]

Another reason is because I randomize my wallpaer daily and they are of
different shapes.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
WallpaperOriginX
WallpaperOriginY

REG_SZ type just works fine, haven't tried using REG_DWORD

 

[Philip Hristov]

Roscoe,

It seems your IT guy is pretty good He has disabled everything.

BUT. I see Ramesh is saying that the settings you need to configure are
in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is the your private part
of the registry, you can modify it. You can't modify
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. The question is - can you use the regedit.exe to
make the modifications or the IT guy has disabled this as well? I can
make you a program in which you can set these values.

Regards,

Philip

 

[Roscoe]

I work in a military office so the security is locked down pretty
tight.

I *think* i was able to edit the registry by adding WallpaperOriginX
and WallpaperOriginY as string values and set them to 1 (wanted to try
that before using 0...would hate to crash my system).