I saw the last thread on desktop issues, and tried out the regedit that was in the thread, but it didn't work. So perhaps my issue is slightly different than his.

Long story short:

Trying to help my mother in law with an issue on her laptop.
She used to have a picture of tulips or something on the desktop, but now its gone and all that is left is the background screen. Upon turning off the computer I do briefly see the tulips for a moment right before it shuts off.

Anyway - I can't get control of the desktop pictures. I open an image, right click and "set it to the desktop" like I normally would, but it never appears. Then I open up the desktop properties to change it manually and all the images that normally would be selectable are frozen out and grey - completely unable to be selected. I can literally do nothing to manipulate the desktop image.

I've done the regedit thing, nothing. I've shut off all the web componants for desktop viewing, nothing.

I suspect she may have done something when viewing pictures for her camera (HP) - she isn't very knowledgable about computer and might have done something at that point, but I don't know.

Any ideas?

Try:

start Run... and type:

regsvr32 /i shell32

& hit Enter > then:

regsvr32 themeui

& hit Enter > then:

Reboot the computer.


if that doesn't work:

See -

Options to change wallpaper may be missing or unavailable on a Windows
XP-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921049/en-us


The Desktop tab does not appear in the Display Properties dialog box in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922370/en-us


Restore Desktop Display Properties:-
Line 285 Right hand side - restore display tabs.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm


Note that this behavior is almost always Malware or Virus triggered. Run you Virus scanner and post a HijackThis log in that section of the forum.

http://www.techhelpforum.com/showthread.php?t=3702