Microsoft Knowledge Base Archive

Symptoms

You may experience one of the following issues when you try to change the desktop background in Windows 7:

Scenario 1

When you try to change your desktop background by clicking Control Panel, Appearance and Personalization and then Change desktop Background, the check boxes are not selected when they are clicked and the Select all and Clear all buttons do not work as expected. Therefore, you cannot change the desktop background.

Scenario 2

When you try to right-click a picture and then select Set as desktop background, you receive the following error message:

This image can't be set as wallpaper. An internal error occurred.

Scenario 3

You see a black background even though you change your background picture.

Scenario 4

The slide show feature for desktop background does not function correctly.

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Cause

This issue can occur for the following reasons:

There is a third-party application such as Display Manager from Samsung installed.
In Control Panel, the Desktop background setting in Power Options is disabled.
In Control, the Remove background images option is selected.
A Domain policy may not allow for the background to be changed.
You may have a corrupted TranscodedWallpaper.jpg file.
You are using Windows 7 Starter Edition. Windows 7 Starter Edition does not support changing the desktop background picture.

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Resolution

To resolve this issue, use one of these methods, depending on your scenario:

Method 1: Upgrade to a version of Windows 7 that supports changing background pictures

Windows 7 Starter Edition does not support changing the desktop background picture. If you’re working on a notebook that was preinstalled with Windows, you may be using Windows 7 Starter Edition.

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If you’re using Windows 7 Starter Edition, you can buy Windows 7 at retail locations, or online in some countries or regions. If you have a netbook or other computer that does not have a DVD drive, purchasing and downloading Windows 7 online is an easy way to install it on your computer. For more information about how to obtain Windows 7 in your country or region, go to the Windows Shop website.

Method 2: Corrupted TranscodedWallpaper.jpg

If the TranscodedWallpaper.jpg file has become corrupted, you may be unable to change the desktop background picture. To resolve this issue, delete the TranscodedWallpaper.jpg file. To delete the TranscodedWallpaper.jpg file, follow these steps.

Click here to view or hide detailed information

Click Start, paste the following text into the search box, and then press Enter

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\
Right-click the TranscodedWallpaper.jpg file, and then click Rename.
Change the file name to TranscodedWallpaper.old, and then click Yes when you are prompted.
If slideshow.ini is listed, double-click this file. Slideshow.ini should open in Notepad. Select all the text in slideshow.ini if any exists, and then press Delete on the keyboard.
On the File menu, click Save.
Close Notepad.
Close the Windows Explorer window, and then browse to the picture that will be set as the background image.
Try to apply a background picture again.

Method 3: Incompatible applications

Some applications that help manage display settings can cause compatibility issues with setting background pictures, displaying Aero glass effects, and other Windows functionality. As a test, disable or uninstall any display management applications that are installed on your computer.

Method 4: Check the background setting in the Power Options

There is a Power Options setting in Control Panel that pauses a background slide show. To check your background settings in Power Options, follow these steps.

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Click Start, type Power Options in the Search box, and then click Power Options on the list.
In the Select a power plan window, click Change plan settings next to your selected Power plan.
Click Change advanced power settings, and then expand the Desktop background settings option.
Expand Slide show, and then make sure that the Plugged in option is set to Available.
Click OK, and then close the Edit plan window.

Method 5: Check the Remove background setting under the Ease of Access settings

There is an Ease of Access setting in Control Panel that removes background images. To check your background settings in Ease of Access, follow these steps.

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Click Start, Control panel, Ease of Access, and then click Ease of Access Center.
Under Explore all settings, click Make the computer easier to see.
Make sure that the option to Remove background images not selected.
Click OK twice, and then close the Ease of Access Center window.

Method 6: Check for a Domain policy that disables the background changing

If you are joined to a domain, your domain administrator may have disabled the option to change the desktop background. To check the desktop background policy, follow these steps.

Click here to view or hide detailed information

Click Start, type Group Policy in the Search box, and then click Edit Group Policy on the list.
Click User Configuration, click Administrative Templates, click Desktop, and then click Desktop again.
Double-click Desktop WallpaperSelect.

Note If the Policy is enabled and set to a specific image, users cannot change the background. If the option is enabled and the image is not available, no background image is displayed.
Click Not Configured to enable the option to change the desktop background.