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Set the desktop background via Group Policy.

Set the desktop background via Group Policy.

We are interested in the settings in the section User Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> Desktop (User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> Desktop). We need to enable the policy Enable Active Desktop (Enable Active Desktop). Then we enable the policy...

Set the desktop background via Group Policy.

We are interested in the settings in the User Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> Desktop section. Desktop configuration policy

We need to enable the Enable Active Desktop policy.

Enable Active Desktop

Then enable the Desktop Wallpaper policy. In the policy settings, specify the UNC path to the wallpaper file and select the Fill wallpaper style.

Tip. Typically, the “Fill” wallpaper style looks fine on almost all screen resolutions.

Policy with desktop wallpaper settingsTo verify that the policy is working, log off and log back in. The specified wallpaper should appear on the user's desktop.

If you need to prevent users from changing the desktop wallpaper, enable the Prevent Changing Desktop Background policy in the User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Control Panel -> Personalization section.

Prevent changing desktop wallpaper

Tip. You can also set the desktop wallpaper file via the registry by changing the file path in the Wallpaper parameter under the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System registry key. It is convenient to change the registry parameter value using the GPO – Group Policy Preferences extension, which allows you to implement scenarios for assigning different wallpapers to different user groups.

The restriction on changing the wallpaper can also be set via the registry:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
"NoChangingWallPaper"=dword:00000001

Note: This post may be AI-assisted and then human-edited. Editorial responsibility: Dmytro Lomaka, Kaltenkirchen.