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problem with background picture

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by stargate11211

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for some reason all of a sudden my link to my background picture is gone. I now have no pictures in my list in my display properties and not sure where it went or how to fix it. I tried system restore and that didn't do it.Not sure what else to do. It's never done that before.
I am running a Dell Demension with Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2.
Sometimes it won't put the picture on my desktop when I go to browse and right click on the picture. It puts the previous one on there.
I really hope that someone can help me fix it. I thought about just re-loading Windows but that is such a pain in the butt.I hate to unless I absolutely have to. No other problems.

10 replies

by triathlete1981

i'm assuming it's a custom background. this may be a tedious way to find your picture, but it'll surely work.

and i'm also assuming you looked through the list of available pics in display tab of desktop's properties...

perform a search for .jpeg files on your computer. then try different photo formats. if you recently lost the photo, then the file modified date should be recent. so, change the search view to show "modified date" in ascending order. try to locate the photo. do you remember roughly what the name of the photo was? when you saved it?

by stargate11211

I know where the pictures are but none of them show up in the list in the display properties and it did before. it's a pain in the butt to have to go in to my documents to find the picture I want.
I'm sure it's a setting but I don't know where.

by w2ktechman

to get to the folder to select the picture?

If so, try opening the picure(s) in explorer, do they open properly?

by gary56789

Try putting a copy on your desktop. If you can't use this file, you should probably go into disk management for the C:\ drive, do a Disk Cleanup, check for errors and defrag. If the problem still persists, use virus and spyware scanners to check for these types of problems.

by stargate11211

I have run disk cleanup and defrag before and it hasn't done any good. I was thinking it's just a setting somewhere that keeps the list from coming up in my desktop properties. not sure what else it could be.

by gary56789

Try accessing a copy from the Desktop? Or check the system files for errors, as per my previous post?

Need these answers before proceeding.

by stargate11211

Yes, I took the folder and put it on the desktop and it works good from there, but not from the desktop properties. also I ran defrag and checked for errors as much as I could and found nothing.
does that help any? any ideas?? I hope so. I can't think of anything.

by triathlete1981

is running disk defrag going to do to get your background picture back?

again, run a search of your computer for the picture files. use specific names if you don't want to spend time doing it. names like "azul" or "red moon" to name a few of the background pictures that come with all versions of xp.

you could've done this from the start and had the problem fixed already.

by older mycroft

If you know where the required file is, then copy it into C:\Windows\Media and it will show up in Desktop Properties.

I read all the threads but cannot understand why you have to have it show up in Desktop Properties.

Why is it SO important that you can see it in that location, when you have already established that you can have it on your desktop?

Just wondered.

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