Missing XP Features

How was XP installed initially? by a vendor?

I don't believe this to be a native feature of XP. It is more likely to be a third-party utility added by the vendor or software included with the video card.

You might check some of the software download sites for freeware or shareware. There are numerous wallpaper changers available. You also might try a search on Google for Windows XP Wallpaper Changer.

Go to Display properties. On the Screensaver tab, look for My Pictures Slideshow

As stated in the previous answer it may very well be a third party feature. I use WinXP Pro and do not have the "Slideshow" feature available in display settings or recall ever seeing it as an installable option for this operating system. An option is available for "Display Properties, Screen Saver, My Pictures Screensaver". Access My Pictures folder on your system to control and add pictures to use as wallpaper in custom slideshows/screensavers. Adobe PhotoDeluxe does come to mind as one thirdparty program that does place a feature named "Slideshow" in Display Properties, Desktop, Background. Possibly try a search for Slideshow on your computer and if you find it (which you should) and determine that this is what you were looking for, you can add it to the list of Background items by clicking the browse button and point to it useing the results from your previous search for Slideshow.

"SlideShow" is actually called Windows picture and Fax viewer, and IS a part of Windows XP pro. You do not access/control it from the display contol panel. A folder is created in "My documents and settings" call "My pictures". Open it up and to the left it will have an area called "Picture Tasks". Included here are: View as a slide show, order prints online, print pictures, and copy all items to CD. For the last option you need to have the Win XP CD Burner feature enabled, which is on by default, or an option during setup. Bottom Line: USE HELP and SUPPORT!!! Most of these WIN XP questions are answered there very competently. Don't overlook the simple and sometimes all too obvious solutions.

If you can't find it there are freeware options as well. Breitt technologies makes a nice wallpaper slideshow program which runs out of your system tray, I picked it up either from simtel.net or zdnet.com. It allows you to select all BMP's in a directory or add to the list by individual file or multiple directories, random/sequential. Nice. It also changes in 5-60 minute intervals with an option to change like you'ld do a refresh in anything else. If you can't find it let me know, I'll email it to you.

1) Freeware program available here:
http://tomsprograms.toms-world.org/index.php
(left side, "Auto Desktop Wallpaper Changer")

2) shareware programs available everywhere one such here:
http://www.slideshowdesktop.com/
(10 dollar shareware)

There is a slideshow option in the Windows XP Powertoys pack. When you install this you will have the option available in the display settings again.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Greets,
Dirk

I have not found this in Xp but I did use the webshots program for a while this allows you to auto change your desktop wallpaper as oftern as you like its a free service and it will allow you to add your own photo's to it as you would in the my pictures slide show it will also do the screensaver function I no longer use it as it did slow my pc down a little but I think it the one which you may have had it can be found at www.webshots.com

If you have downloaded from the windows update all of the updates. Then go to your pictures folder (My Pictures) this will bring up any picture you have saved. If you right click the picture a menue pop up gives an option to view as a slide show, orset as a background pic. ect... If you like you can open it with a option called picture it,whitch I find quite a usfull tool. Thanks Hank

To use personal pictures as a screen saver
Ensure that you have two or more pictures in a folder on your computer. You can upload pictures from a digital camera or scanner, or copy them from the Internet or an e-mail attachment.
Open Display in Control Panel.
On the Screen Saver tab, under Screen saver, click My Pictures Slideshow in the list.
Click Settings to specify the folder containing your pictures, define picture size, and set other options.
Notes

To open Display, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display.
My Pictures Slideshow scrolls through all the pictures in the folder.
After you specify a screen saver, it will automatically start when your computer is idle for the number of minutes specified in Wait.
Click Preview to see how the selected screen saver will appear on your monitor. Move your mouse or press a key to end the preview.
from XP help

I agree with answer 1 - it has to be a third party utility. I have Windows XP Professional and do not have that feature. It is possible to have the screen saver use your pictures if you put them in the MY PICTURES folder and set screen saver to MYPICTURE SHOW. When we installed Windows XP, we did a custom installation and did not see anything like that.

Answer 7 is the correct one you're looking for!
"There is a slideshow option in the Windows XP Powertoys pack. When you install this you will have the option available in the display settings again.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Greets,
Dirk"

From windows xp help, to use slideshow for rotating screen savers...no mention of using slideshow to rotate wallpaper...:

Open Display in Control Panel.

On the Screen Saver tab, under Screen saver, click My Pictures Slideshow in the list.Click Settings to specify the folder containing your pictures, define picture size, and set other options.

Notes

To open Display, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display.

My Pictures Slideshow scrolls through all the pictures in the folder.

After you specify a screen saver, it will automatically start when your computer is idle for the number of minutes specified in Wait.
Click Preview to see how the selected screen saver will appear on your monitor. Move your mouse or press a key to end the preview.

Hope this helps.

I agree with Dirk. The feature you are looking for is part of the Powertoys pack available for free from Microsoft's Web Site. Just go to there site and do a search on Powertoys.

The simple way to change the setting and solve the problem: Open the folder that contains the pictures. Click "View" and then "Customize this folder..." on the drop box. The "Customize" tab should be open - if not click on the tab. XP askes what type of folder you want... choose "Photo Album" or "Pictures" in the drop box. Also tick the toggle to apply the setting to subfolders.

There is an XP Powertoy called Slideshow at http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/SlideshowPowertoySetup.exe.

Could this be what you're missing?

Just use webshots www.webshots.com. It will allow you to select the interval, you can upload your own pictures, and or you can use tons of theirs.

--- Brad.

The fact(?) that you had a tab in Display Properties leads me to believe that this feature addition could have be the result of a video adapter driver update or add-on. Check the vendor website of your video card/chipset for this kind of feature.It seems from the responses you have received, as well as by my own research, that a wallpaper changer is not a "standard" xp feature. But there is hope....

You can find numerous free and shareware wallpaper changers on the web (please note that I have not tried any of them, so I can't vouch for one). Here is a link to one of the free ones for xp:

http://tomsprograms.toms-world.org/mainadwc.shtml

Also, you could try this workaround: download from microsoft the html version of the slideshow generator from their xp powertoy site (btw, the pwtoys are unsupported).

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Add your pictures to create your slideshow with this tool, then save the deal as an .htm file. Now, in Display Properties/Desktop, browse to the new slideshow file (set file type list box to htm/html), and select it for your new wallpaper file. The auto-changer process embedded within the file should still be active and give you the desired result. Goodluck!

Hi,

Instead of the damn frustrating and time consuming searching for the lost folder, I suggest using a nigty little program called VUEPRO. Its available at HAMRICK.COM for free.

I have been using it for many years to adjust, zip, slide show, and movie clips etc. It also allows for instant adding of WALLPAPER.

The trick here is to make the pic just the way YOU want it, then save as wallpaper.
Give the file a name, and see EXACTLY WHERE on the C drive Vupro saves this new wallpaper youjust created.
Chances are, with the search of C, you will also find your hidden DESKTOP folder that includes wallpaper.

I personally, cannot find where XP has dDELIBERATELY hidden the COOKIIE FOLDER.
I do know they have secretly scummed the public by allowing hidden "follower/tracker" cookies to be installed along with the installation of XP.

I'm sure, with all the neat little tools that VUEPRO has, you will enjoy it. I keep a desktop Icon for immediate access to it.

TOM

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