Select the product you need help with

You can change the desktop wallpaper setting after administrator selects "Prevent Changing Wallpaper" option in Group Policy

Article ID: 327998 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q327998

SYMPTOMS

If users right-click a picture and then click Set as Desktop Background, they can change their desktop wallpaper even though you (the administrator) have enabled the Prevent changing wallpaper property in Group Policy.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

CAUSE

The Prevent changing wallpaper Group Policy prevents users from changing the desktop wallpaper by using Display Properties. However, there are ways of changing the wallpaper setting, such as through Image Preview, which does not involve Display Properties. By these other methods, users do not experience the limitations that apply to Display Properties. You must specify Active Desktop Wallpaper in Group Policy to prevent users from changing the desktop wallpaper without using Display Properties.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

RESOLUTION

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you prefer to fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

Fix it for me

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Fix this problem
Microsoft Fix it 50547

Notes

This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
If you are not using the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.

Then, go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Let me fix it myself

To resolve this issue, specify an Active Desktop wallpaper setting in Group Policy. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, and then type gpedit.msc.
Under Local Computer Policy, expand User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Desktop, and then click Active Desktop.
Double-click Active Desktop Wallpaper.
On the Setting tab, click Enabled, type the path to the desktop wallpaper that you want to use, and then click OK.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

Did this fix the problem?

Check whether the problem is fixed. If the problem is fixed, you are finished with this section. If the problem is not fixed, you can contact support
(http://support.microsoft.com/contactus)
.
We would appreciate your feedback. To provide feedback or to report any issues with this solution, please leave a comment on the "Fix it for me
(http://blogs.technet.com/fixit4me/)
" blog or send us an email
(mailto:fixit4me@microsoft.com?Subject=KB)
.

Back to the top | Give Feedback