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Windows 11 Can’t Change Background: 10 Ways to Force It
Learn how to get around system restrictions
5 min. read
Updated onAugust 9, 2024
updated onAugust 9, 2024
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Changing the background on your Windows computer is a neat little way to personalize it. Not being able to do so can certainly feel frustrating, especially when there are so manygreat wallpapers out there.
Luckily, there are many ways to fix this error — assuming that your copy of Windows 11 has been activated. And even if it isn’t, there are ways to overcome that obstacle.
Why can’t I change my computer’s background?
Before we go into the solutions, it’s important to break down why a background wallpaper won’t change and the circumstances that cause this error in the first place.
How can I change my computer’s background?
Before you go ahead with any of the following solutions, it is strongly recommended that you create a system image backup in case things go wrong in the process and you want to revert things.
It may take some time, but restoring a system image backup ensures everything is right where it’s supposed to be. That said, let’s go over the various fixes: both easy and complex.
1. Turn off the Slideshow feature in Settings
2. Clear out corrupt Transcoded Wallpaper file
3. Adjust Remove Background setting
4. Double-check Group Policies
The Group Policy Editor is normally exclusive to the Pro version of Windows 11. However, it is possible toenable the tool on Windows 11 Home. It requires you to run a specific batch file on Notepad.
5. Disable select files in the Registry Editor
6. Set wallpaper without needing Windows activated
What can I do if the wallpaper is constantly changing?
Some people have the opposite problem in that theirwallpaper is always changingto something else. There are multiple ways to fix this, like tweaking the computer’s power plan and disabling Slideshow.
If that doesn’t work, you must delete the files in the Windows 11 Themes folder. Apart from wallpaper, you should add a skin to your computer to take computer customization to the next level.
And one of the best apps out there is calledRainmeter, which can completely change how your Windows 11 machine looks. It’s a bit of work to set up, but it’s worth it in the end.
Did you manage to complete the procedure? Let us know in the comments area below.
More about the topics:desktop background,wallpaper,Windows 11
Cesar Cadenas
Networking & Security Specialist
Cesar has been writing for and about technology going on for 6 years when he first started writing tech articles for his university paper. Since then, his passion for technology blossomed into a prosperous writing career. He first started writing about tech in the entertainment world and would later move on to write about smart life tech and social media. He was recently a Technical Writer for tech company Extron where he wrote user guides for audio and video equipment.
He has since moved on to being a freelance writer looking to have a career in copywriting and hopes to share his love and knowledge of technology with the world. Recently, Cesar has written for the cryptocurrency news site, BTCPro and helping people understand tech.
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Cesar Cadenas
Networking & Security Specialist
Cesar is a tech expert passionate about Windows, Microsoft, and anything surrounding the world of PCs.
