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Can't Use bmp For Wallpaper

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by edjer, 2009/06/04.

  1. 2009/06/04
    edjer

    edjer Inactive Thread Starter

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    I seem to have the opposite problem than many people. I can change my wallpaper using jpg images, but not bmp images. I tried a wallpaper manager that converts my images to bmp and it doesn't work. When I try to select a bmp manually, it doesn't work. The problem never came up before I tried the wallpaper manager so I don't have any idea how long this has been happening or what might have caused it.

    Active Desktop on
    Windows XP Pro X64
    4 GB RAM
    ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 512 RAM
     
    edjer,
    #1
  2. 2009/06/05
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Open the bitmap in Paint (start > programs > accessories > paint) and use File menu > set as background.
     
    TonyT,
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  4. 2009/06/05
    edjer

    edjer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks, Tony, but it doesn't solve the problem. I can see bmp files when I right click on the desktop and go to properties/desktop. I can see the preview when I select a bmp. When I press the Apply button, the screen flickers and the theme preview changes to the bmp, but the desktop still shows the jpg. When I close and then go back to the desktop properties, the theme and desktop tabs show the bmp but the actual desktop remains as the last jpg I used as a background. If I select a different jpg, everything works fine. I'm baffled.
     
    edjer,
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  5. 2009/06/05
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Workaround - save .bmp as .jpg ??
     
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  6. 2009/06/05
    edjer

    edjer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Yes, Pete. Good workaround. But my curiosity has the better of me. I'd really like to know why it happens. Also, I'd like to use a wallpaper manager and they all seem to convert the jpgs to bmps.

    Somehow, when Windows doesn't have to convert the bmp, it doesn't replace the windows1.bmp file with the new bmp. When it has to convert a jpg, the windows1.bmp gets replaced with the new converted jpg.

    I'm beginning to think it has something to do with the hacked uxtheme.dll that I'm using. (Whoops, maybe I should have mentioned that before but it just occurred to me.) I think I'll try a new version of the dll.

    Ed
     
    edjer,
    #5
  7. 2009/06/06
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Very likely, I guess :)
     
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  8. 2009/06/06
    edjer

    edjer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Changed back to the original uxtheme.dll. No change. I've since found that I can use bmp files as wallpaper but I have to either reboot or logout and back in to make them active. No big deal, it's just the curiosity factor that's getting to me.

    Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

    Ed
     
    edjer,
    #7
  9. 2009/06/06
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Turn OFF Active Desktop & I'll bet you can use any bmp as wallpaper. Essentially, Active Desktop uses the desktop as a Web page, and Web pages don't display bmp images, they display gif, jpg & png images. Internet Explorer helper applications may be able to render a bmp in the browser window, but the default and standard is for the browser to open the application on the system associated w/ bmp images, i.e. on Windows systems, Paint. Thus, disabling Active Desktop will likely solve the issue.
     
    Last edited: 2009/06/06
    TonyT,
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  10. 2009/06/10
    edjer

    edjer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Finally, success!

    I had installed DirectX 10 for XP. When I removed it everything started working. It also got rid of an "entry point" error in msvcrt.dll that happened in a few programs.

    Thanks to all who helped.

    Ed
     
    edjer,
    #9
  11. 2009/06/10
    edjer

    edjer Inactive Thread Starter

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    P.S.

    Yes, I should know better than to play around with gimmicks. Before anyone says it, I agree.

    Ed
     
    edjer,
    #10

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