Personalization Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Background in Windows 11


Desktop_background_banner-2.webp

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable changing the desktop background for specific or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Windows Spotlight image.

You can disable changing the desktop background to prevent unwanted changes to the desktop background.


You must be signed in as and administrator to enable or disable changing the desktop background.



Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Background for All or Specific Users in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Background for All Users using REG file


EXAMPLE: Desktop background settings disabled in Windows 11

desktop_background_settings_disabled.png





Option One

Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Background for All or Specific Users in Local Group Policy Editor


The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two to configure the same policy.


1 Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2 Navigate to the policy location below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization​

Prevent_changing_desktop_background_gpedit-1.png

3 In the right pane of Personalization in the Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Prevent changing desktop background policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you want.

5 Enable Changing Desktop Background

This is the default setting.


A) Select (dot) Not Configured. (see screenshot below)​

B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7.​

Prevent_changing_desktop_background_gpedit-2.png

6 Disable Changing Desktop Background

A) Select (dot) Enabled. (see screenshot below)​

B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7.​

Prevent_changing_desktop_background_gpedit-3.png

7 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.




Option Two

Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Background for All Users using REG file


1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.

2 Enable Changing Desktop Background for All Users

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_changing_desktop_background_for_all_users.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
"NoChangingWallPaper"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
"NoChangingWallPaper"=-

3 Disable Changing Desktop Background for All Users

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Disable_changing_desktop_background_for_all_users.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
"NoChangingWallPaper"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
"NoChangingWallPaper"=dword:00000001

4 Save the REG file to your desktop.

5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

Attachments

Last edited:
Click to expand...
I use a custom image background with "Choose a fit for your desktop image" set to "Center" and the "Choose your background color" set to a NON-black color. Windows 11 keeps changing the "fit" to "Fit" and the "color" to Black. In the past, with various Windows systems, this might have rarely happened. However, with my current PC, Windows 11 changes the "fit" and "color" every time I reboot or log in.

Do any of these settings in these LGPO or registry keys prevent the Windows OS from changing the "Choose your background color" and "Choose a fit for your desktop image", under Personalization > Background?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
    Motherboard
    NZXT N7 B650E (AM5)
    Memory
    G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO RGB 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5 6000 CL30-40-40-96 (F5-6000J3040G32GX2-TZ5NR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (reference)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x LG 29UM69G-B 29" Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1080
    Hard Drives
    2TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2
    PSU
    NZXT C1000W Gold
    Case
    NZXT H9 Elite
    Cooling
    NZXT Kraken Z73 RGB
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps synchronous
    Browser
    Firefox (w/ Total Cookie Protection and Multi-Account Containers)
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12700H
    Motherboard
    21DECTO1WW
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 4800
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    256GB Micron MTFDKBA256TFK SSD M.2
bumgarb42 said:
I use a custom image background with "Choose a fit for your desktop image" set to "Center" and the "Choose your background color" set to a NON-black color. Windows 11 keeps changing the "fit" to "Fit" and the "color" to Black. In the past, with various Windows systems, this might have rarely happened. However, with my current PC, Windows 11 changes the "fit" and "color" every time I reboot or log in.

Do any of these settings in these LGPO or registry keys prevent the Windows OS from changing the "Choose your background color" and "Choose a fit for your desktop image", under Personalization > Background?
Click to expand...

Hello, :alien:

The GPO is suppose to prevent changing anything for the desktop background than what is currently set.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
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