Re: Force wallpaper change

[Bob I]

IIRC, overwriting Internet Explorer Wallpaper.bmp file with the desired
image will cause the desired image to be displayed the next boot.

Short_Bus wrote:

> I have a question that I'm hoping someone can assist with... I’m currently
> working on pushing out some system changes to numerous point-of-sale units we
> manage (not in a domain) and need to figure out a way to force the system to
> update the wallpaper.
>
> We basically modify a JPG file with the revision number and revision date
> and simply overwrite the file each time it’s pushed. The problem is that the
> system doesn’t reflect the change unless someone manually goes into the
> Display Properties, selects a different wallpaper, then selects the one we
> updated again.
>
> Is there a way to force the system to refresh itself (via registry or
> command line)? I found the section where the system stores the wallpaper
> name (HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop) and tried writing a couple scripts to
> change it to a different file, then change it back again but the system still
> didn’t refresh. In fact it didn’t even register the change on the screen at
> all.
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[Jon]

"Short_Bus" <Shor...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:20DC4C80-726C-47E6...@microsoft.com...
>I have a question that I'm hoping someone can assist with... I’m currently

> working on pushing out some system changes to numerous point-of-sale units
> we
> manage (not in a domain) and need to figure out a way to force the system
> to
> update the wallpaper.
>
> We basically modify a JPG file with the revision number and revision date

> and simply overwrite the file each time it’s pushed. The problem is that
> the
> system doesn’t reflect the change unless someone manually goes into the

> Display Properties, selects a different wallpaper, then selects the one we
> updated again.
>
> Is there a way to force the system to refresh itself (via registry or
> command line)? I found the section where the system stores the wallpaper
> name (HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop) and tried writing a couple scripts to
> change it to a different file, then change it back again but the system
> still

> didn’t refresh. In fact it didn’t even register the change on the screen

> at
> all.
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated!!

If you want to write it yourself, then you'll need to use a language, such
as VB or C++, that enables you to make system api calls. These threads would
get you started on that route.

http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&safe=active&as_qdr=all&q=+%22SystemParametersInfo%22++wallpaper

You may have problems with it, if you use a .jpg file, rather than a .bmp
file, so that is another consideration.

Otherwise, you could use a 3rd party wallpaper changing program, of which
there are numerous free ones around.
eg 'Wallpaper changer' is a good one.

http://www.wallpaperchanger.de/

Jon

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Method 1 - Courtesy of Torgeir Bakken, MVP.

Click Start, Run and type:

RUNDLL32.EXE user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters

This command-line refreshes the desktop wallpaper.

Method 2: Using a program that uses the "SystemParametersInfo" API call to
apply the desktop wallpaper dynamically. (as Jon said). I wrote this program
some time ago, and you may use it if you're interested.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/wprefresh.exe

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com