When setting a picture as a desktop background

Elderly Newt

Senior member
May 23, 2005
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my friend has a picture as her background, but the original image has been deleted. she would like to have the original picture file. Since she still has it as her background, I can only assume windows must have saved it to another file. Does anyone know where this file is?
 

Joemonkey

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2001
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If you go into display properties and the Desktop tab, what does it say the background image is?
 

JCKC

Member
Oct 25, 2005
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They are typically saved to the c:\windows folder as *.bmp (Windows Bitmap) files.
 

JohnG86

Member
Aug 10, 2003
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I found my desktop background is saved under C:\Documents and Settings\[USERNAME]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Wallpaper1.bmp
 

Elderly Newt

Senior member
May 23, 2005
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Originally posted by: JohnG86
I found my desktop background is saved under C:\Documents and Settings\[USERNAME]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Wallpaper1.bmp

nice find. thanks
 

cw42

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2004
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Anyone know if Vista made the whole wallpaper thing less retarded than it has been for the last 10yrs? I just hate how you can't pick your own folder to put ur wallpapers in, they don't get saved to the list, and when you apply a new one - change ur mind - you have to browse out of some crazy folder on ur C drive.

(sry for rant)
 

Deanodarlo

Senior member
Dec 14, 2000
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Originally posted by: cw42
Anyone know if Vista made the whole wallpaper thing less retarded than it has been for the last 10yrs? I just hate how you can't pick your own folder to put ur wallpapers in, they don't get saved to the list, and when you apply a new one - change ur mind - you have to browse out of some crazy folder on ur C drive.

(sry for rant)


Windows XP uses any pictures it finds in "My Pictures" and automatically adds them to the backgrounds list. It's actually quite annoying - so much so I had to pull all my pictures out of their that I didn't want to use as backgrounds!

I agree though; I'd like certainly like the whole thing handled better.

As for where to look for the wallpaper, it can depend on the OS. Assuming it's XP, try the following folders:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/background.htm
 

bX510

Golden Member
Feb 11, 2006
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I think its annoying how you can't put any other folder on your start menu on the part for My Documents, Network, Pictures...
 

spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
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Vista has a dropdown that lets you select where you want to look at backgrounds from (it also has a browse button). My Pictures is still on the list, just not selected (or viewed) by default.