Desktop Background - Change in Windows 8

How to Change Your Desktop Background and Slide Show in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

Your desktop background can be a different picture set for each specific monitor, a single picture set for all monitors, or a slide show playing selected pictures randomly on all monitors.

This tutorial will show you how to set images of your choice as your desktop background wallpaper or slide show in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1,and Windows RT 8.1.

   Note

Using a picture that is the same size as the monitor(s) screen resolution will give you the best looking results.

If you have multiple monitors in a row, then using a widescreen picture that is close to the combined screen resolutions of the monitors will give you the best looking results. For example, a 3840 x 1200 widescreen picture looks great as one image across three 1920 x 1080 monitors using Fill. Your results may vary.

The default folder for Windows 8 wallpapers is located at: C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows

The hidden cache folder that stores a copy of the current desktop background image is located at:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\CachedFiles

If you are using a Microsoft account and have the Personalize setting turned on to sync, then the desktop background you currently have set will also be displayed on any PC that you sign in to with the same Microsoft account. The folder that contains this image on your PC is located below instead of the folder above:

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\RoamedThemeFiles\DesktopBackground

   Tip

For free desktop backgrounds from Microsoft, see: Desktop backgrounds - Microsoft Windows

OPTION ONE

"Set as Desktop Background" or Slide Show by Right Clicking on a Picture

​

1. Do either step 2, 3, or 4 below for what you would like to do.​

​

2. To Set a Single Picture as Desktop Background​

​

A) In Windows Explorer, navigate to the picture that you want to set as desktop background.​

​

B) Right click or press and hold on the picture, and click/tap on Set as desktop background. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

​

​

3. To Set Pictures as Your Desktop Background or Slide Show ​

​

A) In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder that contains the pictures that you want to set as a slide show.​

​

B) Select more than one picture in the folder, right click or press and hold on the selected pictures, and click/tap on Set as desktop background.​

NOTE: You could also press and hold the CTRL key while clicking on pictures randomly to select them in the folder, then release the CTRL key when finished selecting pictures.​

​

C) The selected pictures will now play as a slide show on all monitors randomly, and changing the picture at the time you already had set in step 10 of OPTION TWO below.​

​

D) Open your Advanced Power Plan Settings. Under Desktop background settings for Slide show, make sure that you have the setting as Available, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

​

​

4. To Set a Single Picture as Desktop Background in Internet Explorer​

​

A) While in Internet Explorer, right click or press and hold on a picture that you want to set as desktop background, and click/tap on Set as desktop background. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: Sometimes you may need to click on a picture in Internet Explorer first to view it's largest size.​

​

​

​

B) Click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

OPTION TWO

To Change Desktop Background or Slide Show in "Personalization"

​

1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for how you would like to open Personalization.​

​

2. Right click or press and hold on your desktop, click/tap on Personalization, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Personalization icon, and go to step 5 below.​

​

​

4. While on the desktop, open the Charms bar, click/tap on the Settings charm, click/tap on Personalization, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

​

5. Click/tap on the Desktop Background link at the bottom. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

​

6. To the right of Picture location, either click/tap on the drop down menu arrow to select a picture folder location, or click/tap on the Browse button to navigate to and select a picture folder location. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: This will allow you to be able to select the pictures in the folder to set as your desktop background. To remove a folder from the Picture location, see: How to Remove the Windows 7 Desktop Background Picture Location History.​

​

​

​

7. Do step 8, 9, or 10 below for what you would like to do.​

​

8. To Set a Single Picture as Desktop Background for All Monitors​

NOTE: If you have more than one monitor, then the same selected picture will display on all monitors.​

​

A) Click/tap on a image to select (check) it, then go to step 11 below.​

​

OR ​

​

B) Right click or press and hold on an image, and click/tap on either Set as desktop background (one monitor) or Set for all monitors (multiple monitors), then go to step 11 below.​

​

​

9. To Set a Picture as Desktop Background for Specific Monitors​

NOTE: You will not be able to do this step have if you only have one monitor. This will allow you to have a different picture on each monitor.​

​

A) Right click or press and hold on an image, and click/tap on Set for monitor #. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

B) Repeat step 9A if you have more monitors that you would like to set a specific picture for.​

​

C) When finished, go to step 11 below.​

​

10. To Set a "Slide Show" as Desktop Background for All Monitors​

NOTE: If you have more than one monitor, then each monitor will show a different picture from the slide show.​

​

A) Select (check) as many pictures that you would like to be included in the Slide Show. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: You could also press and hold the CTRL key while clicking on pictures randomly to select them in the folder, then release the CTRL key when finished selecting pictures.​

​

​

​

B) Set the Change picture every time option for how often you would like the pictures in the slide show to change. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

C) Check the Shuffle box if you would like the selected pictures to be played randomly in the slide show. (see screenshot above)​

​

D) If you like, and if available, check the When using battery power, pause the slide show to save power box. (see screenshot above)​

NOTE: This option is only available if your computer has a battery (ex: laptop or tablet), or is connected to a UPS.​

​

E) Open your Advanced Power Plan Settings. Under Desktop background settings for Slide show, make sure that you have the setting as Available, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

F) Go to step 11 below.​

​

​

11. Under Picture position, click/tap on how you want the selected picture(s) to show on the desktop background. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

12. When finished, click/tap on the Save changes button at the bottom. (see screenshot under step 6)​

​

13. You can now close the Personalization window if you like. (see screenshot under step 5)​

​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add Desktop Background File Location context menu in Windows 8 and Windows 10
• Change Your Start and Sign in Screen Background and Color in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• How to Set a Default Start Background Image for All Users in Windows 8.1
• How to Allow or Prevent Changing Desktop Background in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Remove the Desktop Background Picture Location History in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Show your Desktop Background on Start Screen in Windows 8.1
• How to Change Start and Sign in Screen Background and Color in Windows 8
• How to Change the Lock Screen Background Image in Windows 8
• How to Duplicate, Extend, or Switch Display to a "Second Screen" in Windows 8
• How to Create a Theme in Windows 8
• How to Save a Theme in Windows 8
• How to Switch Between Themes in Windows 8
• Add or Remove "Personalize" from Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• Add or Remove Expanding "Personalize" Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Set Bing Homepage Image in Bing Desktop as Desktop Background in Windows 8
• How to Restore Missing "Desktop" Tile on Start Screen in Windows 8
• Add or Remove "Set as desktop background" from Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• Set Desktop, Lock, and Start Background to Show Image or Solid Color in Windows 8 and 8.1
• Add or Remove "Next desktop background" from Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Add or Remove Desktop Background "Slide Show" in Power Options in Windows

 

[nOm nom NOM3]

done, the problem persists. this only started a few days ago. I did not change any settings it just suddenly started doing this

 

[Brink]

Just to verify, do you have all the images checked in the selected folder, and have shuffle checked?

Since this has just recently happened, you could also do a system restore using a restore point dated before this started to hopefully undo and fix this.

 

[nOm nom NOM3]

yes I do have the images I want selected (25-30 of them) shuffle is on. I suppose I could try a system restore. Ill post back with results.
Im going all the way back to the 19th. im probably going to have to do a bunch of driver BS

-
I did the restore initially it looked like it worked. then I went downstairs to make lunch, and when I came back both backgrounds were identical... again. the only update installed was this. I uninstalled it and the problem persists.

 

[Cliff S]

I guess this is the place for my question,

Since I bought my desktop and started using Windows 8.1 (and now 10TP on my old laptop), I've noticed that when I change the background picture(from my library) and own themes, is doesn't "stick" the first time and when I close the Personalization window the background goes black. I then have to reopen Personalization and choose the picture a second time and it "sticks" when I close the window. What I'd like to know is this an inherent (existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute) bug.? This was never a problem on earlier versions. It's a small thing but gets on my nerves.

One more bit of info: When I let Bing Desktop change the wallpapers it's done cleanly/immediately.

 

[Brink]

Hello Cliff,


I've not seen this issue on any of my systems. I got a few things below to check to see if it may help for now.

Be sure to click on "Save changes" after changing your desktop background.

You might turn off syncing for "Appearance" and "Desktop personalization" under "Personalization settings" to see if it may be an issue of it syncing and replacing the image you selected.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5591-sync-your-settings-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

 

[Cliff S]

Good idea with the sync settings, but it didn't help, and it does it with the presaved settings(Themes) I've made, but not with the themes that came with windows.
At first I thought it might have been because I moved my Pictures, Music & Video libraries to my 2nd internal drive, so I changed it so that pictures, in the personalization picture location drop down, picks from my data drive directly, instead of thru the libraries. But that made no difference. and on my other computer(my laptop with Windows TP now) all data is on the C: drive and it does it too. I never had this with 7, so it could be some setting I've overlooked, being that I'm relatively new to 8.1.

 

[Brink]

I'm not aware of any setting that would temporarily cause a solid color like that. There's one to always use a solid color, but that wouldn't let it be changed if it was it.

As a test when it does this, does refreshing (F5) the desktop or restarting explorer has it show the selected desktop background without having to change the background again. I'm thinking it may be some sort of refresh issue.

 

[Cliff S]

Already tried refresh that didn't help, only going back to personalization pick the picture a 2nd time save again and click the red X to close window and then poof it sticks, but every time I change, And the funny thing is like I said at first the automatic Bing Desktop picture of the day doesn't have this problem. Also as a side note when I do sync the other computer changes the background w/o a hitch too. Irritating but also you need a sense of humor. My fathers logic would have been if he was alive "If it bugs you then don't change it!!!) a wise man.

 

[Brink]

I must admit that I'm not sure why's doing that to you. It's certainly not normal or suppose to do that.

You could try running a SFC /SCANNOW command to see if it may help if there's some issue with a system file that may be at fault.

 

[Cliff S]

Oh restart explorer did correct it too, but just about the same amount of clicks and I have to chase explorer.exe in task manager to do it.

 

[Brink]

Hmm, something is not refreshing explorer to apply your changes.

The SFC scan may help. For now, you could add restart explorer to your context menu if you like to make it easier to restart explorer as needed instead of changing the background twice.

Explorer - Add "Restart Explorer" to Desktop Context Menu - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Cliff S]

Thanks Shawn. I works good that way until I figure out what's going on. It's not just my Windows 8.1Lenovo desktop it's my ASUS Windows 10TP laptop. So it has to be an ​ID10T-ERROR

 

[Cliff S]

Hi Shawn I solved my problem.

What I did was:

1. Go to C:\windows\web\wallpaper\windows\ and created a new folder, and called it "My Backgrounds".
2. Then I opened a second explorer.exe, using check boxes, checked the pictures I wanted to copy/import.
3. Then sent them to my newly created folder.

Now when I change the image, I don't have to manually refresh.

 

[Brink]

Great news Cliff. It sounds like it was some sort of permission issue with where you used to have them since it works fine in a system folder location.

 

[Cliff S]

Great news Cliff. It sounds like it was some sort of permission issue with where you used to have them since it works fine in a system folder location.

I really don't know what it was/is, it could be something like you said before, with the syncing or maybe a permission issue, or some reg key got changed, I looked through registry using Find searching for "Wallpaper" & ""Background" but even for me, what was shown, was, a wee too dangerous to screw around with, and I didn't see any settings with a simple HEX change, so I just left it. This seemed like the best option and now I can sort out my picture library by putting all the backgrounds in my new folder.

Also Brink thanks for your help.