Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Display Properties Tab Missing

0 helpful
8 replies

by mrhroark

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I run Win XP SP2. Suddenly, my Display Properties has only 4 tabs (ie: Themes; screensaver, Appearance; Settings). Desktop (where you would change wallpaper, etc) is completely missing.
How can I get it back?

8 replies

by gary56789

Try the following link http://www.theeldergeek.com/desktop_tab_missing_from_display.htm

If that doesn't work, Start?Run?type ?mmc? (without quotes)?File?Add/Remove snapin?click the Add button?select Group Policy?click Add?click Finish?click Close?click OK?expand Local Computer Policies?expand User Configuration?Administrative Templates?WindowsComponents?Windows Explorer and disable "Turn on Classic Shell".

by djfandango

Excellent, been looking for days now and some tech guy told me i would have to format my HDD, glad you were here!

by wgcross21

Long-Story-Short... I just lost the Desktop tab (w/it's General and Web tabs) and the Screen Saver tab(with all it's embedded goodies) in the Display Properties dialog box. Additionally my wallpaper changed to a default no-pattern blue. Interestingly, there was nothing wrong with my security/policy settings. Nor any opportunites there. Inspection of the registry, Hkey_User and Hkey_Users showed some curious changes over relevant areas. I ran a deep malware and viral scan thereafter. I had been hit in both modes, apparently while on the internet. The scumware had turned off my background while preparing to overlay a dummy (picture) of my desktop, and ensuring the screen saver was also turned off, etc. I was able to take hold of my system and work through the problems. Checking the registry entries could be very important/useful, regardless.

by wbcostas

My daughter's seems to have the same problem except her destop picture is of a warning for Win32/Adware.virtumonde. Could you outline exactly what you did to get rid of it? Did the spyware scans, installed and ran Trend Micro, etc. $%#%^^ picture still there and dosplay property tabs desktop and screensaver missing too. Appreciate the help.

by sammy12oz

Start - Run - gpedit.msc, enter - User Configuration - Administrative Templates - Control Panel - Display.
Here you will find many display options you can adjust.
Hope this helps

by methatswho

came back after I found this script and ran it --
Copy it to Notepad and save it as Display.vbs

'Restores missing tabs in the Display properties
'For use with Windows? XP only.
'Created on May 09, 2006
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
' Homepage: http://windowsxp.mvps.org
' Copyright ? 2006, Ramesh Srinivasan
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Option Explicit
Dim WshShell, basekey,basekey2, rtn
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

basekey="HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\"
Task1
basekey="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\"
Task1
basekey2="HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\"
Task2
basekey2="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\"
Task2

Sub Task1()
On Error Resume Next
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey & "NoDispCPL")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey & "NoDispAppearancePage")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey & "NoDispBackgroundPage")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey & "NoDispScrSavPage")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey & "NoDispSettingsPage")
On Error Goto 0
End Sub

Sub Task2()
On Error Resume Next
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey2 & "NoThemesTab")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey2 & "ClassicShell")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey2 & "NoChangingWallPaper")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey2 & "ForceActiveDesktopOn")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey2 & "NoActiveDesktop")
rtn = WshShell.Regdelete (basekey2 & "NoWebView")
On Error Goto 0
End Sub

Wshshell.RUN ("regsvr32.exe shell32.dll -i -s")
Wshshell.RUN ("regsvr32.exe themeui.dll -s")
Msgbox "Done"
Set WshShell = Nothing

This discussion is closed to new replies.