Set desktop background

[Ste_Harve]

I'm lokoing for some help. I'm wanting to set a picture as the background of all people who log onto the computers. Is there an easy way to do this via GP? I've tried the Active Desktop and desktop picture bit but they didn't pick it up.

Any ideas? We're using roaming profiles so will I have to make a change to that?

TIA

[djm968]

The GPO setting should work.

USER CONFIG/Administrative Templates/Desktop/Active Desktop

I have used local and UNC paths to wallpapers and never had any issues.

I would investigate why the GPO is being ignored, have you tried GPUPDATE /force at the client?

[Geoff]

Also use the GP Results Wizard in the GPMC.

[Southwell]

Hi,

Iam having this problem too.
I have applied the setting in GP and enabled active desktop.
If i run gpresult on the client machine i get:
BHCC Backdrop Image
filtering not applied <empty>

Any ideas?

Thanks

[Halfmad]

I'm shocked that Geoff hasn't mentioned BGinfo utility yet! I used it rather than group polices as I was having some very odd results with them. I never did get to the bottom of the issue.

[Southwell]

Yeh ive read about that, but i only want to apply a wallpaper, surely GP is the best way?

[zag]

Is there a utility that I can simply run from a network share on startup to remove a background? This would be the simplest option for our setup I think.

[plock]

Do ensure you're not running IE7 on the affected machines. This was my problem on our new image.

Resorted back to IE6 and all worked again! :P

[AnnDroyd]

We do it through GPO and everything works fine. You do have to enable Active Desktop though, but you can restrict what features of it students have access to.

[Southwell]

Just tried that, no luck. Could it be the roaming profiles overiding it?

[plock]

Shouldn't be, we're running Roaming profiles.

[Southwell]

Hmm, just changed another setting in the same gpo, didn't apply that either :s
I only asked it to remove screen saver tab from display properties.

[AnnDroyd]

Policies over-ride profiles, not the other way around - that's the point of them.

Are you sure it's a problem with the policy not applying, rather than the location of the image file not being accessible?

Can you set up a test user with access to registry editor, then check what values have been written to the wallpaper key?

[Southwell]

Ill try that, thanks!

[Southwell]

Getting written is c:\windows\web\wallpaper\bliss.bmp