some background on windows 7 starter

So you can't change the desktop background on Windows 7 Starter edition. Really. Well, you "can't" is more accurate. Thanks to some nice comments from Gabe and srg84 here I now can.

Quoting directly:

Step by Step:

  1. Open regedit (aka registry editor; you can access it from the star menu by typing “regedit” in the search box…)
  2. Go to “HKEYCURRENTUSER\Control Panel\Desktop\” folder and click on it
  3. On the right hand side find there are a bunch of entries. Find the key named “Wallpaper” and double click on it and put the path of the picture you want as your new wallpaper (example path is “C:\Users\Bob\Pictures\new_wallpaper.jpg”)
  4. Right-click on the “Desktop” folder in regedit that you found in step 2 and click Permissions.
  5. Click “Advanced”
  6. Go to “Owner” tab, highlight your name in the box that says ‘Change owner to’ ( There are only two choices the other is Administrator )… once your user name is highlighted click “OK”
  7. Click on “Advanced” again
  8. Uncheck the button that reads “Include inheritable permissions from the object’s parent”… click “Remove” when prompted
  9. Click “Add”
  10. Type “Everyone” and click “OK”
  11. Check Allow “Read Control” and click “OK”
  12. Click “OK” again
  13. Highlight “Everyone” and check to Allow “Read” and click “OK”
  14. Restart Computer and enjoy new Wallpaper

Basically what the steps have done is remove the ability to do anything but “Read” that piece of info. That means modifying that piece of info is not possible as well… unless you change those permissions. So….

If you want to change the wallpaper again after you have gone through the steps above once just do the following:

  1. Open regedit
  2. Go to “HKEYCURRENTUSER\Control Panel\Desktop\” folder and RIGHT-CLICK on it, and go to “Permissions” (just like step 4 above)
  3. Check the box to Allow “Full Control” and click OK
  4. Now you can go to “Wallpaper” on the right hand side and change the path to the wallpaper you really wanted
  5. Right-Click “Desktop” folder again and go to “Permissions”
  6. UN-CHECK the box that says Allow “Full Control” and click OK
  7. Go to Start Menu, Log Off —-> Log On again… and you should have a new wallpaper again

Or just install Ubuntu.