Good morning. I support an HP Laptop which is somehow configured to force desktop background pictures to be "Stretched" to fill the screen. My user wants to use various pictures in a rotating backgrounds using Desktop > Personalization > Desktop Background Picture. In the lower left hand corner of that screen there is a dropdown box permitting the change of "Picture position". While the dropdown box appears to permit changes, the changes to not become effective once the chances are saved. Any ideas about what is going on? Thanks for reading! miker

Hi Michael Rothman, Thanks for posting in TechNet forum. Is it a stand alone computer or a domain-joned computer? Check the Group Policy Settings under: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Desktop\Desktop On the right-pane, double-click Desktop Wallpaper, if you want to change the desktop, it should be set as "Not Configured" or "Disabled". If it doesn't work, please give me a screenshot of your Desktop - Personalization - Desktop Background Picture, you can upload it via SkyDrive. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, How's going? Please feel free to give us any update. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi Miya Yao. Thanks for your generous offer of help. I should have clerified that the computer in question is a stand alone, NOT domain-joined. To what email address should I direct the screen shots you request. I'll send them via SkyDrive. Best... miker

Hi Miker, Does this issue happen recently? Did you fully scan the computer? Check the group policy settings as well. When you enter into the safe mode, will the "Stretch" still be locked? Also try a Clean Boot, disable non-Microsoft services and startup items to check if it works. Upload the screenshot to your SkyDrive, put it in a publick folder, and reply me a link here. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi again Miya... The problem has happened consistently since the laptop (an HP) was new. I have fully scanned the computer and it appears to be clean. The link to my public skydrive folder is: http://cid-b8f898e9e6cb12b4.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?resid=B8F898E9E6CB12B4!576 Any ideas? I'm not sure how to check the group policy settings? miker

Miker, The screeshot is OK, are you able to click that Picture position drop-down list? Select Fill and Save changes. Change the picture every 10 seconds to check the result. What's the edition of your Windows 7? Home or Professional? If it's home edition, you cannot use the Group Policy. If it's business. Click Start, input gpedit.msc in the search box, press Enter, navigate to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Desktop\Desktop, check the Desktop Wallpaper setting. Meanwhile, is the orginal background picture itself streched? Change other pictures for a test. What's the model of your HP laptop? We can search it to find if other similar situation. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi Miya Yao... thanks again for all your help. The PC is running Windows 7 Home Premium, so no access to gpedit. I could upgrade it to a business version if you recommend trying that. Yes, I am able to click the Picture drop-down list, select other options and save. However, the save does not take, and I remain set to Stretch. The Model is an HP TouchSmart tx2 Notebook PC. I can bring up the Windows 7 basic background which appears fine, but when I revert to the background rotation, it remains stuck on "Stretch". Any other ideas? Should I upgrade to Business so that I can take advantage of gpedit? Thanks again. miker

Hi Miker, We can check the registry key since you're running home edition. Please logon as Administrator, Click Start, input regedit in the search box, press Enter to open the Registry Editor. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ On the right pane, check the WallpaperStyle value: 10- Fill 4,5,1 - Center 2 - Stretch 6 - Fit Here's a screenshot of my desktop registry setting as your reference: http://b3xflg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1p8LEa5_LmjvGRyMpx-0RotkdAFX0MDOrA14gfZH7lq8iJJjmlvTGDutwIyEQ2ETxoHqUOIHhrHUn1vDH0UeD89rgcvTt6fNfE/background%20.JPG?psid=1 It's an OEM vesion Windows 7, right? If it still doesn't work, I recommend you contact the HP support for the further research as well. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, How's going? Please feel free to give us any update. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscribe Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

As this thread has been quiet for a while, we assume that the issue has been resolved. At this time, we will mark it as 'Answered' as the previous steps should be helpful for many similar scenarios. If the issue still persists, please feel free to reply this post directly so we will be notified to follow it up. You can also choose to unmark the answer as you wish. BTW, we'd love to hear your feedback about the solution. By sharing your experinect you can help other community members facing similar problems. Thanks for your understanding and efforts. Regards, Miya TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hello Miya Yao, I am having the same problem on the same computer. this thread has been of much help, however, I do not know how to logon as administrator. Thanks. -khan

Never mind. I didn't fully understand the "administrator" aspect. Please logon as Administrator, Click Start, input regedit in the search box, press Enter to open the Registry Editor. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ On the right pane, check the WallpaperStyle value: 10- Fill 4,5,1 - Center 2 - Stretch 6 - Fit After you do ALL of this and change the number to what you want you must then go into personalization and change it there, hit save changes. Whatever you put as the "NEW" position, it will now be stuck there. THIS did work. However, anytime I want to change the 'picture position' I have to redo this process. I can't just change it in personalization. Thanks to mikey for asking the question and thank you VERY much Miya for the solution. Problem resolved!

ok so the problem was fixed until I restarted my computer. every time i shut it off and then turn it back on it is back to it's old self stretching all of the pictures. how do I fix that?

Hi HumanoidKan, I suggest you start a new thread on this topic, you may get more help. Before that, try the following suggestions: 1. After you change the registry key, restart to Safe Mode. Then open the Registry key to check if it was modified. 2. Also try a Clean Boot in case some application modify the registry when restart. Refer to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135 Regards, MiyaThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.