Question

Desktop Display Properties Disabled

Asked by: READER

I am using XP Home and my display properties have become disabled.

It all started when I clicked on a small down arrow box that mysteriously appeared on my desktop screen and the photo I had been using on my desktop disappeared. Everything had been running normal prior to that.

When I went into the Control Panel and selected "Appearance and Themes" I discovered that the "backgrounds" were all disabled on the desktop tab (Even though the background I was using was still active).I tried to re-select a photo that was listed from "customize desktop" and was unable to do that also.

I then tried to restore the system and that was unsuccessful.

Everything else is operating normal.

Any ideas?

More info added later .....................

More info:

On the "Appearance and Themes" screen in Control Panel, under "Pick a Control Panel Icon" the "display" button no longer shows up as it used too.

Also on this same screen under "Pick a Task", the Change the Background option no longer shows up.

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Asked On
2003-04-16 at 21:16:48ID20587790
Tags

properties

,

display

,

disabled

Topic

General Computer Systems

Participating Experts
2
Points
0
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: dxf224Posted on 2003-04-17 at 17:30:13ID: 8351891

Have you checked for viruses? Mysterious arrows don't sound all that healthy.

 

by: dxf224Posted on 2003-04-17 at 17:52:41ID: 8351963

Are you running any kind of a tweak utility that you might have enabled?...or installed anything lately that might be interfering?

 

by: READERPosted on 2003-04-17 at 18:25:42ID: 8352052

I ran Norton Virus Scan and no viruses. I also have Norton auto protect enabled.

I deleted tweakui right before the mysterious little arrow showed up. Could this have caused a problem?

I have since re-installed tweakui because I thought there might be something in there that could help but I couldn't find anything that addressed this problem.

 

by: READERPosted on 2003-04-17 at 21:54:29ID: 8352563

I have solved this myself and am going to request question be deleted. Thanks for your response dxf24.

Here is answer.

Its a registry setting at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\WINDOWS\CURRENT VERSION\POLICIES\ACTIVE DESKTOP

Need to set value to "0" to enable. ("1" to disable)

All is working now.

I found it here ... http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=6f5ici%24gvn%241%40basil.clues.com&rnum=2&prev=/groups%3Fq%3D%2522display%2Bproperties%2522%2Bbackground%2Bdisabled%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D6f5ici%2524gvn%25241%2540basil.clues.com%26rnum%3D2

 

by: dxf224Posted on 2003-04-18 at 07:16:18ID: 8354160

yeah..tweakui wasnt meant to be used for winxp.
Try xteq for that sort of stuff ...http://www.xteq.com/products/xset/index.html
(for tweakui complaints, go to download.com and check out reader's comments on xp vs tweakui)

 

by: READERPosted on 2003-04-18 at 07:33:23ID: 8354234

I also had xteq and deleted it the same time as I deleted tweakui. Maybe that was the problem.

Got it fixed anyhow.

 

by: SpideyModPosted on 2003-04-18 at 14:16:09ID: 8356240

PAQ'd and all 100 points refunded.

SpideyMod
Community Support Moderator @Experts Exchange

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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