This tutorial will show you how to delete all or specific recent images from desktop background wallpaper history for your account in Windows 11.
You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Spotlight collection.
Windows keeps the last 5 recent images referenced with full path in the registry as your desktop background wallpaper history.
Contents
- Option One: Delete All Desktop Background Wallpaper History using REG file
- Option Two: Delete Specific Desktop Background Wallpaper History in Registry Editor
EXAMPLE: Desktop background "Recent images" history
1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.
Delete_all_desktop_background_wallpaper_history_for_current_user.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers]
"BackgroundHistoryPath0"=-
"BackgroundHistoryPath1"=-
"BackgroundHistoryPath2"=-
"BackgroundHistoryPath3"=-
"BackgroundHistoryPath4"=-
2 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
3 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
4 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
5 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 3)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers
3 In the right pane of the Wallpapers key, select the BackgroundHistoryPath0, BackgroundHistoryPath1, BackgroundHistoryPath2, BackgroundHistoryPath3, and/or BackgroundHistoryPath4 string values (REG_SZ) you want to delete, right click on the selected item(s), and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below)
4 Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)
5 When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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