[lavip]

Ummm....hopefully I can explain this okay.....
I had a virus that changed my desktop to say that it was infected. I have worked with someone in Malware removed and gotten a clean bill of health, but I still unable to change my desktop.
The picture that I had for the desktop previously shows up on the reboot, but then disappears once everything has loaded.
When I get to the Display Properties window and go to the Desktop tab, the only available option is the color choice. The rest of the options are greyed out.

Can someone please help with this?

Thank you

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This may offer something:

The window that displays when selecting the Desktop tab of Display Properties has a button labeled "Customize Desktop." Please push that and make sure that no boxes are checked on either tab.

On the "Web" tab, an inner dialog box should offer "Home Page" by default. If it is not highlighted, click it once to highlight, and press the Properties button at the right. Uncheck the box that says "Make this page available offline." Make sure the box isn't checked for 'Home Page, and then APPLY, and OK your way back out.

Also try opening a photo with Windows photo (and fax) Viewer, right clicking the image and selecting "Set as Desktop Background." Does that do anything?

[1101doc]

This may offer something:

The window that displays when selecting the Desktop tab of Display Properties has a button labeled "Customize Desktop." Please push that and make sure that no boxes are checked on either tab.

On the "Web" tab, an inner dialog box should offer "Home Page" by default. If it is not highlighted, click it once to highlight, and press the Properties button at the right. Uncheck the box that says "Make this page available offline." Make sure the box isn't checked for 'Home Page, and then APPLY, and OK your way back out.

Also try opening a photo with Windows photo (and fax) Viewer, right clicking the image and selecting "Set as Desktop Background." Does that do anything?

[lavip]

Okay I checked everything and tried to set a picture to the desktop and it did not do anything...same as before...

Thanks for taking the time to help!

[1101doc]

OK. Those were the easy options. Next, please get free ERUNT to make a quickly restoreable back-up of your current Registry.

ERUNT info and simple tutorial: http://www.larsheder...erunt/erunt.txt
ERUNT download: http://www.larsheder...nline.de/erunt/
(click on 'Server')

Make a backup with it and save it to the 'root' (Not a sub-folder) of your local hard drive (C:\) for easy access in case something goes wrong.

Then follow the instructions found here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921049

[lavip]

okay...I made a copy and then went to the microsoft support website....none of those options were there for me to delete.

Under the first one to check...there was only Default.

Under the second one, there was:
Default
dontdisplaylastusername
legalnoticecaption
legalnoticetext
shutdownwithoutlogon
undockwithoutlogon

that's it....so other than making a backup, I didn't change nothing.

Thanks again for you time and help!

[1101doc]

OK. Thought that since this was a post-malware event, that it might well apply. Try this Registry edit from Kelly's Korner. #142-right side:
http://www.kellys-ko...m/xp_tweaks.htm (Instructions at top of the page.)

I hope that you set ERUNT to make a backup at first boot each day. Wonderful 'go-back' ability. Stored in C:\Windows\ERDNT

[lavip]

okay I ran that kellys korner thing and nothing happened, so I did the go back on ERUNT. If I need to leave the kellys korner thing on, I figure I can do it again.

now for some more info (that may or may not have any relevance.....):
when I boot up the computer it starts with the blac screen saying Microsoft Windows XP with the bar with the blue squares moving to the right

it then goes to the blue screen that says windows is starting up

then I get the blue screen that says welcome

then my picture that used to be the desktop appears with the start button in the left corner and the time in the right corner

then as the things on startup start to open, the desktop turns to just plain blue (that color can be changed)

when I shut down or restart the computer, my old desktop picture comes up.

then it goes to the blue screen that says Windows is logging off, then saving settings and finally shutting down

Again, don't know if there is any relevance to that, but my old desktop picture is there....somewhere....

Thanks again for all your help!

[1101doc]

Next please try creating a new user account with Admin level rights. Log off and log into the new account. Please be patient while XP configures the new account, it takes a couple of minutes to create the new directories, etc. Once it settles down, use the normal method to try a wallpaper change. Anything?

If this account functions properly, you can switch.
http://support.micro...om/?kbid=811151

Since it takes a 3rd Admin account to do, you may wish to effect the transfer from the Admin account in Safe Mode. That way you won't have to create yet another account just for the purpose.

[lavip]

Okay, I set up the new account and unfortunately it's still the same. It won't let me change anything. There is a still difference though, the background options are listed at the top (the a's), where the other way it only showed the bottom (the w's).

Thanks again!

[1101doc]

Phooey!

I have asked for help with this. If you can be patient, other staff will take a look at our thread and (hopefully) have better ideas. I'm at the bottom of my barrel on this one.

[lavip]

okay.....it is frustrating!

Thanks again for all your help!

[greyknight17]

Do you use XP Home or XP Pro? If XP Pro, you might want to go into Group Policy and set everything to Not configured. To do this, go to Start->Run and type in gpedit.msc and hit OK. Then go under User Configuration and Administrative Templates. The two areas where you want to focus on is Desktop and Control Panel. I want you to go into every entry and subfolder (go as deep as you can into each of those folders) and make sure that every single entry is set to Not configured. To do this, double click on them and hit the Not configured button and then click OK.

[lavip]

I have XP Home....

[greyknight17]

Do you have your other tabs visible in the Display Properties window? Or you only have the Desktop tab and everything is blanked out under that tab?

This is a long shot, but go to Start->Run and type in gpedit.msc anyway and hit OK. See if it works...

After doing that "failed" attempt, right click on this link and choose Save Target As. Save it to your desktop. Now double click on it and agree to merge it to the registry.

Do you have this file on your computer? -> C:\WINDOWS\WindowsShell.Manifest

[lavip]

okay....in the display properties window I have all the tabs....

when I tried the gpedit.msc...I got the following message:
Windows cannot find 'gpedit.msc'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search. (with an OK box).

I did the link....
and searched the C: drive for the file windowsshell.manifest and there were no results to display.

And thanks for your time and help! (forgot to say that earlier!)