Desktop background - please help!

I am having issues with my desktop background and could really use some
advice. For a couple of months now I have been unable to change my background
picture through display properties/desktop/browse (I am using Windows XP
Home), but although baffling (it was fine one day, not working the next) it
was not really a problem as I could right-click in explorer and then select
"Set as desktop background". Now, however, this option is missing! It is
still there when I right click a picture on a website, but not in explorer! I
really hope someone can help, it's such a minor problem and yet I can't
figure it out at all!

The "Set as Desktop background" appears only if the folder view is set to "Thumbnails", or "Filmstrip".

Delete the values "Wallpaper" and "WallPaperStyle" registry values.

See:

Options to change wallpaper may be missing or unavailable on a Windows XP-based computer:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=921049

that did sort it out, so I was just being silly!
However, I'm wondering whether you can help with the first problem I
mentioned, the fact that I can't set the background through display
properties. When I do it through explorer, it automatically sets it to tile,
so I have to go to display properties anyway. It'd be good to be able to do
the whole thing from there. Thanks again!

Thanks so much, it worked perfectly! It wasn't exactly what you said but
I followed the link... it wasn't exactly that either, but I improvised!
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, you've given me a lot of peace
of mind! :)

I have a similar problem but a little worse, as follows:

For a couple of months now I have been unable to change my background
picture through Display Properties/Desktop/Browse (I am using Windows XP
Home). When I go through Display Properties/desktop, all options in this tab
are not available including the Browse option. The only option available is
Customize Desktop. It is really a problem because I could NOT right-click on
a .jpg picture and then select "Set as desktop background" either. I used to
be able to do this easily but it no longer works. Please help. Thanks.

I am having the same problem and I have tried all the surgestions listed.

Any Ideas?

I had a virus on my computer. This has been removed (I Hope) as a result I can not change my wallpaper from grey. \

Same problem as what? You are not replying to any message so nobody
knows what you are talking about. Please reply TO another message
and/or quote the other message in yours.

Delete the values "Wallpaper" and "WallPaperStyle" registry values.

Set the key "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\NoChangingWallpaper" from 1 to 0
It works.

[BJ72]

I have tried both of the options and still can't get the "Set as Desktop Background" option. I'm on Windows XP Professional. I had it and now it's disappeared. Please let me know what else I can try.