Solved How is this possible?, desktop background after formatting

miketwenty1

New Member
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OS: was Windows 8. I had a unique background for my desktop (i.e. not a standard Windows 8) and I decided to completely wipe my harddrive and install Windows 8.1 instead of upgrading. I deleted every partition even the recovery partition with GParted, I formmatted the disk to ext2 then I decided to format the harddrive to an unallocated fs.

So after having 1 big unallocated partition, I installed windows 8.1

It did it's normal things, made 2 -3 little partitons for misc things, recovery partition w/e

But the weird thing is... I had the same desktop as before.

How is this possible after deleting all the partitions and formatting the disk?

Thanks,
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
How is this possible after deleting all the partitions and formatting the disk?

That is impossible IMHO (based on your description of your entire process); however, it is interesting nonetheless. So, can we get some more information on this unique background? Did it originally come as part of an available theme that was previously downloaded? How did you get it in the first place? Could we see a sceenshot of it please (if appropriate for public viewing)?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
This is kind of spooky. Makes one wonder if there is some kind of secret MS cloud storage. Nah.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
This is kind of spooky. Makes one wonder if there is some kind of secret MS cloud storage. Nah.

I guess anything is possible these days. A special Microsoft Halloween trick (instead of a treat) maybe? Nah... However, I'm just wondering if it might have something to do with that MS Sync option that stores "who knows what?" Anyway, I can assure you that it would not happen if someone did as the OP described and created a local account during the clean install. Now, watch miketwenty1 come back with a response saying "But I did create a local account when I did my clean install" and then I would really be even more stumped than I am right now.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
Did you log into the new installation with the same MS account? There are settings in windows 8 that cause your personalization and stuff to be backed up to your online microsoft login account. If you used the same account to log in, mother microsoft must have restored this backed up info. Isn't she nice, watching over you like that? :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 consumer 64 bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire M5 481PT-6644
    CPU
    Intel Core I5
    Memory
    6 GB
    Hard Drives
    Spinning/SSD hybrid 500GB/20GB
    Mouse
    ELAN Trackpad
    Internet Speed
    18mbs/5mbs
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
In Windows 8.1 those settings are in the SkyDrive sync settings. It will sync your lock screen, desktop wallpaper, Metro screen background, user account picture, even your tile layout if you wish across multiply devices. If you reinstall and log back in with the same live ID it all gets refreshed back to what you had before.
Charms bar > settings > Change PC Settings > SkyDrive > Sync Settings
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I upgraded to 8.1 Pro with my Microsoft account & everything was kept including my desktop BG & lock screen picture & Metro screen pictures.

I suspect the Microsoft account had a lot to do with it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway
    CPU
    AMD K140 Cores 2 Threads 2 Name AMD K140 Package Socket FT1 BGA Technology 40nm
    Motherboard
    Manufacturer Gateway Model SX2110G (P0)
    Memory
    Type DDR3 Size 8192 MBytes DRAM Frequency 532.3 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device Realtek High Definition Audio USB Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Name 1950W on AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x76
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    AMD K140
    Cores 2
    Threads 2
    Name AMD K140
    Package Socket FT1 BGA
    Technology 40nm
    Specification AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
    Family F
    Extended Family 14
    Model 2
    Extended Model 2
    Stepping 0
    Revision ON-C0
    Instruction
    Browser
    Opera 24.0
    Antivirus
    Avast Internet Security
This is kind of spooky. Makes one wonder if there is some kind of secret MS cloud storage. Nah.
Its not a secret its SkyDrive
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro MC
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus G75VW / Z97 Pro
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-3610QM / I7-4790K
    Motherboard
    Z97 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Hyundai HTM315156CFR8C-PB PC3-12800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (GF114M)
    Sound Card
    VIA 6.0.10.1600
    Screen Resolution
    1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Pro 256, Samsung 850 Pro 1TB
    Internet Speed
    30 down 3 up
    Browser
    Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    NIS and Malwarebytes
It was a bit of a pain for me. My laptop and desktop have different screen resolutions. I'd log into my laptop and my tiles would be messed up so I'd rearrange them back to what I wanted. Log into my desktop and its tiles would be messed up so I'd rearrange them. Wash, rinse and repeat. I had to turn some of the sync settings off to stop one from trying to mirror the other. It wasn't easy to find those settings either the first time I went looking.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Its not a secret its SkyDrive

Well it sure was a big secret for the first 16 hours until someone mentioned the word "sync" 2 hours ago.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X 4 965 BE
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-MA790X-DS4
    Memory
    G-Skill 8 GB PC 8500
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD XFX HD Radeon 6790D
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2l Samsung SyncMaster S20B300
    Screen Resolution
    1600 X 900
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Barracuda 320 GB w/OS
    Seagate Barracuda 1 TB data storage
    PSU
    Ultra X4 750 watt fully modular
    Case
    Thermaltake OverSeer RX 1 fulltower
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper212 120mm
    Keyboard
    Logitech G510
    Mouse
    Razor DeathAdder 3.5
Its not a secret its SkyDrive

Well it sure was a big secret for the first 16 hours until someone mentioned the word "sync" 2 hours ago.

ROFLMAO......:roflmao:

Lol! That is funny knowing that my2cents is not a Modern/Metro/MS account guy. :D

It was a bit of a pain for me. My laptop and desktop have different screen resolutions. I'd log into my laptop and my tiles would be messed up so I'd rearrange them back to what I wanted. Log into my desktop and its tiles would be messed up so I'd rearrange them. Wash, rinse and repeat. I had to turn some of the sync settings off to stop one from trying to mirror the other. It wasn't easy to find those settings either the first time I went looking.

Thanks for that info. I knew they were storing this stuff somewhere, for when I went from 8RP to 8 Enterprise RP to 8Pro final and then finally to 8.1, it was all there for me. I thought it was via an account server, but I now see it's via SkyDrive. Now I know why there was a little portion of data used up on my SkyDrive that I couldn't see. I learned something today. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
In Windows 8.1 those settings are in the SkyDrive sync settings. It will sync your lock screen, desktop wallpaper, Metro screen background, user account picture, even your tile layout if you wish across multiply devices. If you reinstall and log back in with the same live ID it all gets refreshed back to what you had before.
Charms bar > settings > Change PC Settings > SkyDrive > Sync Settings

Yes, alphanumeric did a fine job of describing in detail exactly what happens with regard to MS account syncing, and how it would work, even after a clean install.

my2cents
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
On a followup note, I think this turned out to be one of the more enjoyable threads for me personally, and I intend to rep everyone who responded with a rep, either for their honesty, humor, or their knowledgeable response and I will do so as soon as my 24 hr (rep restricted) egg timer expires again. I'm still chuckling at bessfisher6522's response BTW.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
YES, it is called the MS hacking account. ;) :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
This has been an enjoyable thread. Kind of thought it had something to do with Skydrive/syncing. I don't use it myself.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
Anyone know what happens to the pictures it replaces? When I tested 8.1 preview my old wallpaper vanished never to be seen again...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro Prieview x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    MacBook Pro Core2Duo
    CPU
    T7600
    Memory
    3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon X1600
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Internal
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 800
    Hard Drives
    40GB
    Keyboard
    Apple
    Mouse
    Apple
    Internet Speed
    Varies
    Browser
    Various
    Antivirus
    Defender
In Windows 8.1 those settings are in the SkyDrive sync settings. It will sync your lock screen, desktop wallpaper, Metro screen background, user account picture, even your tile layout if you wish across multiply devices. If you reinstall and log back in with the same live ID it all gets refreshed back to what you had before.
Charms bar > settings > Change PC Settings > SkyDrive > Sync Settings

Thanks to all that contributed to this thread

Thank you alphanumeric on pointing out where to access these flags.
I didn't even know these feature existed without you enabling them. I didn't even know I had a skydrive folder in my user account to sync things in my outlook account.

Thanks again - great support on this forum.

One quick follow up question that I think someone else earlier asked (sort of),

Are we able to actually view what information MS stores on our accounts? I know we can view the things we intentionally stored like documents, videos and picture, but can we see misc things like what desktop background, personal preferences and things that are stored?

I don't see my background anywhere on skydrive.

mike

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
In Windows 8.1 those settings are in the SkyDrive sync settings. It will sync your lock screen, desktop wallpaper, Metro screen background, user account picture, even your tile layout if you wish across multiply devices. If you reinstall and log back in with the same live ID it all gets refreshed back to what you had before.
Charms bar > settings > Change PC Settings > SkyDrive > Sync Settings

Thanks to all that contributed to this thread

Thank you alphanumeric on pointing out where to access these flags.
I didn't even know these feature existed without you enabling them. I didn't even know I had a skydrive folder in my user account to sync things in my outlook account.

Thanks again - great support on this forum.

One quick follow up question that I think someone else earlier asked (sort of),

Are we able to actually view what information MS stores on our accounts? I know we can view the things we intentionally stored like documents, videos and picture, but can we see misc things like what desktop background, personal preferences and things that are stored?

I don't see my background anywhere on skydrive.

mike


Personally, I'm one of those privacy weirdos. I know that is a relative term nowadays. If one is on the internet then one has already given up a lot of privacy. I'm just not going to give up even more by storing things in "The Cloud".

Maybe I'm paranoid. No reason to be as I'm not a criminal. I'm just old and from a different generation before all this started. Many now have grown up with the internet and have no problem with putting their whole lives out there. I don't have a Facebook account and I don't tweet.

Then again, here I am, spilling my guts on this forum.

Sorry, I don't think I answered your question. Went off on a tangent.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
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