I want my desktop pictures back!

snood, Go to Control Panel, to Appearnace and Themes, Change the Desktop Background, then Browse.

I did that - but the 'browse' button isn't highlighted, so I can't click on it.

snood, It seems like what you have is a "common" problem Take a looksee here. http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support/browse_thread/thread/cf077229dc2fbe3f/ecf6b7ee47190d2f%23ecf6b7ee47190d2f

I've tried the little add-on to the registry that was suggested in that link Cicerone sent. I've run anti-spyware, anti-malware programs.

When I try to right click on my desktop, go to 'properties', then the 'desktop' tab, the "browse' button is still not highlighted, so I still can't change my desktop from boring blue.

Timberlandko - help!

<glub, glub, glub>


(denotes going down for the third time....)

snood, You need to call timber; he's the resident expert on computers.

Call him how?

You can find him on the computer threads.

snood, Go HERE.

He wants you to start a new thread with your particular problem. Good luck.

First thing I'd try, assuming you're running WinXP -

Simultaneously press your Control, Shift and Escape keys. Windows Task Manager should open. Under the "Applications" tab, click the "New Task" bar. The "Create New Task" box should open. In the dialog dropdown, type, without the quotes, "explorer.exe", then click "OK". Might work.

Next trick:
Go to Kelly's Corner Registry Edits for Windows XP "Tweaks and Tips". Scroll down to line 142, look in the right-hand panel for "Allow Wallpaper/Background Changes", right-click, and "Save target as ... " to your desktop or some other convenient place you can find it. When it has downloaded, locate the file (it will be a .REG file - the icon oughtta look a little like a stack of blue cubes), either double-click and confirm at the prompts to run, or right-click the file, select "Merge", and confirm at the prompts.

Reboot, lemme know what happens. Be patient - I've got other stuff going on today, so it might be a while before I can get back to you.

After I ran that "wallpaperenable" and rebooted, I tried to go to display/desktop again. Still can't 'browse' through to change my desktop.

Weird, huh?

Weird it is. Oh, well that's just part of the fun thats Windows

Seems the easy tricks ain't helping. Apparently, you've got a permissions issue going on there, but what it is and why it might be I dunno.

Can you select a wallpaper from the default list?

What happens if you boot into safemode - is your wallpaper displayed then?

I'd like you try going to "My Pictures" or wherevever else you have image files. Select one you think would be a suitable wallpaper (big enough), right-click on it, select "Open with ... ", select "Internet Explorer", then, when it has opened, right-click in the image, select "Set as background", and lemme know what happens.


Can you post a HiJackThis log for me to look at?

Oh, and one more question - do you have a WinXP install disk handy? Not a Manufacturor's Restore Disk, but an actual WinXP install disk? If you don't, can you get ahold of one for a little while? We might want to get at a folder that would be on an install disk - it'd be on a Restore Disk, too, but finding it on one of those prolly would be a real entertainment.

While we're at it, are you running XP Home or XP Pro?