XP Pro - Clear out unwanted image files from Desktop Display Properties

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rob Giordano \(Crash\)
  • Start date Start date
R

Rob Giordano \(Crash\)

Howdy all...

Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in Display
Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder wherever it is or
wherever those images are stored.

Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the unused
ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I ended up with
a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.

TNX,

R.
 
Rob said:
Howdy all...

Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in
Display Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder
wherever it is or wherever those images are stored.

Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the
unused ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I
ended up with a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.
Click to expand...

From Ramesh - Windows XP fetches image files from the following paths:

BMP Files from C:\WINDOWS

BMP, JPG, GIF, JPE, DIB, PNG, HTM files from the following locations:

C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\My Documents\My Pictures [& ALL
THE SUB-FOLDERS]
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application
Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes [*** & ALL THE SUB-FOLDERS ***]

So now you know where to look and you can just move the images out of
where they are or delete them, as you prefer.

Malke
 
okie doke...thanks Malke!


| Rob Giordano (Crash) wrote:
|
| > Howdy all...
| >
| > Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in
| > Display Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder
| > wherever it is or wherever those images are stored.
| >
| > Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the
| > unused ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I
| > ended up with a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.
| >
|
| From Ramesh - Windows XP fetches image files from the following paths:
|
| BMP Files from C:\WINDOWS
|
| BMP, JPG, GIF, JPE, DIB, PNG, HTM files from the following locations:
|
| C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper
| C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\My Documents\My Pictures [& ALL
| THE SUB-FOLDERS]
| C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application
| Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
| C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes [*** & ALL THE SUB-FOLDERS ***]
|
| So now you know where to look and you can just move the images out of
| where they are or delete them, as you prefer.
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
This is weird, it's pulling images from all different directories, none seem
to be in the ones you listed below.
C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper contains only what it should.


| Rob Giordano (Crash) wrote:
|
| > Howdy all...
| >
| > Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in
| > Display Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder
| > wherever it is or wherever those images are stored.
| >
| > Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the
| > unused ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I
| > ended up with a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.
| >
|
| From Ramesh - Windows XP fetches image files from the following paths:
|
| BMP Files from C:\WINDOWS
|
| BMP, JPG, GIF, JPE, DIB, PNG, HTM files from the following locations:
|
| C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper
| C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\My Documents\My Pictures [& ALL
| THE SUB-FOLDERS]
| C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application
| Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
| C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes [*** & ALL THE SUB-FOLDERS ***]
|
| So now you know where to look and you can just move the images out of
| where they are or delete them, as you prefer.
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
Rob said:
This is weird, it's pulling images from all different directories,
none seem to be in the ones you listed below.
C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper contains only what it should.
Click to expand...

Since I can't see your computer, I have no idea what "pulling images
from all different locations" entails. Look in your My Pictures folder
and also clear out your Temporary Internet Files and any browser
caches.

Malke
 
What Malke posted from Ramesh is correct. However...

This can happen if the desktop.ini file is missing from My Pictures folder.
And maybe if the desktop.ini file is messed up, don't know that for sure.

desktop.ini is a Hidden System file.

To display Hidden files and folders...

Start | Settings | Control Panel | Folder Options | View tab
Check:
Display the contents of system folders
and
Show hidden files and folders
UNCheck:
Hide extensions for known file types
and
Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
Click Apply | Click OK

When you uncheck: Hide protected operating system files,
you will get this message...

Warning
----------
You have chosen to display protected operating system files (files labeled
System and Hidden) in Windows Explorer.These files are required to start and
run Windows. Deleting or editing them can make your computer inoperable.Are
you sure you want to display these files?
----------

Click YES.

[[Hidden files and folders will appear dimmed to indicate they are not
typical items.]]
-----

Now look through My Pictures and see if there is a desktop.ini file. Can
you find the desktop.ini file?

Here's what it should have in it:

[DeleteOnCopy]
Owner=Name Here
Personalized=39
PersonalizedName=My Pictures
[.ShellClassInfo]
[email protected],-12688
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\System32\mydocs.dll
IconIndex=-101
-----

See also...
144. Clear Wallpaper Most Frequently Used List
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

wallpapermruclear.reg is the file that you want.

wallpapermruclear.reg deletes the registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpaper\MRU

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Rob Giordano (Crash) said:
This is weird, it's pulling images from all different directories, none
seem to be in the ones you listed below.
C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper contains only what it should.


Malke said:
Rob said:
Howdy all...

Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in
Display Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder
wherever it is or wherever those images are stored.

Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the
unused ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I
ended up with a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.
Click to expand...

From Ramesh - Windows XP fetches image files from the following paths:

BMP Files from C:\WINDOWS

BMP, JPG, GIF, JPE, DIB, PNG, HTM files from the following locations:

C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\My Documents\My Pictures [& ALL
THE SUB-FOLDERS]
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application
Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes [*** & ALL THE SUB-FOLDERS ***]

So now you know where to look and you can just move the images out of
where they are or delete them, as you prefer.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks guys...

Malke,
What I mean is..Background choices are lots and lots of images (mine) from
My Pictures and subfolders (there are so many I cannot possibly check all
the paths). What is NOT listed in Background are the normal default ones
that come with XP...the sandune, etc. These are on my machine but not in the
folder that Background is indexing. I can manually browse to the folder and
install the Sandune etc.

Wesley,
I thought for sure it was a job for regedit...but:

desktop.ini in My Pictures is exactly as you described except of course it
has my name in Owner=

Prior to running wallpapernuclear I checked out the registry entry...it was
loaded with MRU's. Ran wallpapernuclear and then rebooted the machine this
cleaned out the registry mess.... But, still have tons of images from other
directories and not the default windows xp ones. It's indexing the wrong
folder obviously, but I have no idea how to reset this. Gotta be a registry
thing right?

Thanks!

Rob



| What Malke posted from Ramesh is correct. However...
|
| This can happen if the desktop.ini file is missing from My Pictures
folder.
| And maybe if the desktop.ini file is messed up, don't know that for sure.
|
| desktop.ini is a Hidden System file.
|
| To display Hidden files and folders...
|
| Start | Settings | Control Panel | Folder Options | View tab
| Check:
| Display the contents of system folders
| and
| Show hidden files and folders
| UNCheck:
| Hide extensions for known file types
| and
| Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
| Click Apply | Click OK
|
| When you uncheck: Hide protected operating system files,
| you will get this message...
|
| Warning
| ----------
| You have chosen to display protected operating system files (files labeled
| System and Hidden) in Windows Explorer.These files are required to start
and
| run Windows. Deleting or editing them can make your computer
inoperable.Are
| you sure you want to display these files?
| ----------
|
| Click YES.
|
| [[Hidden files and folders will appear dimmed to indicate they are not
| typical items.]]
| -----
|
| Now look through My Pictures and see if there is a desktop.ini file. Can
| you find the desktop.ini file?
|
| Here's what it should have in it:
|
| [DeleteOnCopy]
| Owner=Name Here
| Personalized=39
| PersonalizedName=My Pictures
| [.ShellClassInfo]
| [email protected],-12688
| IconFile=%SystemRoot%\System32\mydocs.dll
| IconIndex=-101
| -----
|
| See also...
| 144. Clear Wallpaper Most Frequently Used List
| http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
|
| wallpapermruclear.reg is the file that you want.
|
| wallpapermruclear.reg deletes the registry key:
| HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
| CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpaper\MRU
|
| --
| Hope this helps. Let us know.
|
| Wes
| MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
|
| In | Rob Giordano (Crash) <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
| > This is weird, it's pulling images from all different directories, none
| > seem to be in the ones you listed below.
| > C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper contains only what it should.
| >
| >
| > | >> Rob Giordano (Crash) wrote:
| >>
| >>> Howdy all...
| >>>
| >>> Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in
| >>> Display Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder
| >>> wherever it is or wherever those images are stored.
| >>>
| >>> Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the
| >>> unused ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I
| >>> ended up with a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.
| >>>
| >>
| >> From Ramesh - Windows XP fetches image files from the following paths:
| >>
| >> BMP Files from C:\WINDOWS
| >>
| >> BMP, JPG, GIF, JPE, DIB, PNG, HTM files from the following locations:
| >>
| >> C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper
| >> C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\My Documents\My Pictures [& ALL
| >> THE SUB-FOLDERS]
| >> C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application
| >> Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
| >> C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes [*** & ALL THE SUB-FOLDERS ***]
| >>
| >> So now you know where to look and you can just move the images out of
| >> where they are or delete them, as you prefer.
| >>
| >> Malke
| >> --
| >> Elephant Boy Computers
| >> www.elephantboycomputers.com
| >> "Don't Panic!"
| >> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
|
 
Welp, you're right it's looking at My Pictures folder. If I move all my
images out of My Pictures, it will default to the default images. Is there a
way fix this other than to not keep my pictures in My Pictures?


| Thanks guys...
|
| Malke,
| What I mean is..Background choices are lots and lots of images (mine) from
| My Pictures and subfolders (there are so many I cannot possibly check all
| the paths). What is NOT listed in Background are the normal default ones
| that come with XP...the sandune, etc. These are on my machine but not in
the
| folder that Background is indexing. I can manually browse to the folder
and
| install the Sandune etc.
|
| Wesley,
| I thought for sure it was a job for regedit...but:
|
| desktop.ini in My Pictures is exactly as you described except of course it
| has my name in Owner=
|
| Prior to running wallpapernuclear I checked out the registry entry...it
was
| loaded with MRU's. Ran wallpapernuclear and then rebooted the machine this
| cleaned out the registry mess.... But, still have tons of images from
other
| directories and not the default windows xp ones. It's indexing the wrong
| folder obviously, but I have no idea how to reset this. Gotta be a
registry
| thing right?
|
| Thanks!
|
| Rob
|
|
|
| || What Malke posted from Ramesh is correct. However...
||
|| This can happen if the desktop.ini file is missing from My Pictures
| folder.
|| And maybe if the desktop.ini file is messed up, don't know that for sure.
||
|| desktop.ini is a Hidden System file.
||
|| To display Hidden files and folders...
||
|| Start | Settings | Control Panel | Folder Options | View tab
|| Check:
|| Display the contents of system folders
|| and
|| Show hidden files and folders
|| UNCheck:
|| Hide extensions for known file types
|| and
|| Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
|| Click Apply | Click OK
||
|| When you uncheck: Hide protected operating system files,
|| you will get this message...
||
|| Warning
|| ----------
|| You have chosen to display protected operating system files (files
labeled
|| System and Hidden) in Windows Explorer.These files are required to start
| and
|| run Windows. Deleting or editing them can make your computer
| inoperable.Are
|| you sure you want to display these files?
|| ----------
||
|| Click YES.
||
|| [[Hidden files and folders will appear dimmed to indicate they are not
|| typical items.]]
|| -----
||
|| Now look through My Pictures and see if there is a desktop.ini file. Can
|| you find the desktop.ini file?
||
|| Here's what it should have in it:
||
|| [DeleteOnCopy]
|| Owner=Name Here
|| Personalized=39
|| PersonalizedName=My Pictures
|| [.ShellClassInfo]
|| [email protected],-12688
|| IconFile=%SystemRoot%\System32\mydocs.dll
|| IconIndex=-101
|| -----
||
|| See also...
|| 144. Clear Wallpaper Most Frequently Used List
|| http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
||
|| wallpapermruclear.reg is the file that you want.
||
|| wallpapermruclear.reg deletes the registry key:
|| HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
|| CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpaper\MRU
||
|| --
|| Hope this helps. Let us know.
||
|| Wes
|| MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
||
|| In || Rob Giordano (Crash) <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
|| > This is weird, it's pulling images from all different directories, none
|| > seem to be in the ones you listed below.
|| > C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper contains only what it should.
|| >
|| >
|| > || >> Rob Giordano (Crash) wrote:
|| >>
|| >>> Howdy all...
|| >>>
|| >>> Dunno how I ended up with hundreds of extraneous image files in
|| >>> Display Properties, but I'd like to reset or clean out that folder
|| >>> wherever it is or wherever those images are stored.
|| >>>
|| >>> Ocassionally I use different images for my Desktop, but usually the
|| >>> unused ones are cleared out and the default ones stay, but somehow I
|| >>> ended up with a bunch of image files in there that I've never used.
|| >>>
|| >>
|| >> From Ramesh - Windows XP fetches image files from the following paths:
|| >>
|| >> BMP Files from C:\WINDOWS
|| >>
|| >> BMP, JPG, GIF, JPE, DIB, PNG, HTM files from the following locations:
|| >>
|| >> C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper
|| >> C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\My Documents\My Pictures [& ALL
|| >> THE SUB-FOLDERS]
|| >> C:\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application
|| >> Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
|| >> C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes [*** & ALL THE SUB-FOLDERS ***]
|| >>
|| >> So now you know where to look and you can just move the images out of
|| >> where they are or delete them, as you prefer.
|| >>
|| >> Malke
|| >> --
|| >> Elephant Boy Computers
|| >> www.elephantboycomputers.com
|| >> "Don't Panic!"
|| >> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
||
|
|
 
Rob said:
Welp, you're right it's looking at My Pictures folder. If I move all
my images out of My Pictures, it will default to the default images.
Is there a way fix this other than to not keep my pictures in My
Pictures?
Click to expand...

No. But there is no particular reason to keep pictures in My Pictures
anyway. I keep my extensive collection of desktop pictures in a folder
cleverly called "pictures". Browsing to the folder is no big deal.

Malke
 
Ah..yep. I guess I'll just move my images to a folder called My Pix and
leave images that I may want to use for desktop in My Pictures...duh!

Thanks guys!...funny how ya get stuck thinking IN the box...or folder as it
may.

:-)


| Rob Giordano (Crash) wrote:
|
| > Welp, you're right it's looking at My Pictures folder. If I move all
| > my images out of My Pictures, it will default to the default images.
| > Is there a way fix this other than to not keep my pictures in My
| > Pictures?
|
| No. But there is no particular reason to keep pictures in My Pictures
| anyway. I keep my extensive collection of desktop pictures in a folder
| cleverly called "pictures". Browsing to the folder is no big deal.
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
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