This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the automatic import quality reduction of a JPG or JPEG desktop wallpaper for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
When you set an image as your desktop background wallpaper or slideshow, Windows will import a copy of this image and store it as the TranscodedWallpaper file in the %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes folder. Your desktop background wallpaper is loaded from this TranscodedWallpaper file cache.
If you select a JPG or JPEG image as your desktop background wallpaper, then Windows will automatically compress and reduce the quality of the imported copy to only 85% of the original JPG/JPEG image quality. This is done to help save disk space, RAM, and improve the performance of Windows while showing the desktop wallpaper image or when cycling wallpaper images during a desktop slideshow. Of course, the JPEG desktop wallpaper will not look as good as the original.
If you have a decent performing system, then you may wish to disable this automatic quality reduction of JPEG desktop wallpapers to have the imported image show with the full quality as the original JPEG image.
The automatic quality reduction only applies when using a JPG or JPEG image as your desktop background wallpaper.
Other file types (ex: PNG) are not affected by quality reduction.
EXAMPLE: TranscodedWallpaper file cache for desktop background wallpaper
Here's How:
1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.
2 Enable Desktop Wallpaper JPEG Quality Reduction
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Enable_JPEG_Desktop_wallpaper_import_quality.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"JPEGImportQuality"=-3 Disable Desktop Wallpaper JPEG Quality Reduction
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Disable_JPEG_Desktop_wallpaper_import_quality.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"JPEGImportQuality"=dword:000000644 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 Restart the computer to apply.
8 Change your desktop background wallpaper to the JPEG file you want to import a new copy for your applied changes.
9 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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