Question

Group policy won't remove wallpaper

Asked by: elanops

I have no idea how it happened with the policies that are in place but somehow someone set a scanned document as the wallpaper on one of our 2 terminal servers.

I enabled the policy that allows for JPG wallpaper, then I enabled the policy that forces the wallpaper to my choosing (in my case, I used C:\windows\web\wallpaper\server.jpg, since it's a default one) and the image still exists.  I've gpupdate /force'd it a few times as well.

I ensured that the correct GPO was being configured.  I noticed some of the GPO's settings aren't actually applying as well (other settings).  I am a bit foggy on how rsop.msc works, but I think it's possibly useful here.  

In the group policy editor I am able to see that my policies are in fact in place (under the "settings" tab)

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Asked On
2009-11-04 at 16:04:54ID24873084
Tags

windows server 2008

,

group policy

,

active directory

Topics

Active Directory

,

Windows Server 2008

Participating Experts
3
Points
0
Comments
11

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Answers

 

by: mspieglerPosted on 2009-11-04 at 17:07:05ID: 25745891

You may have to log off/on after doing gpupdate for change to take effect... or reboot.. or you could use a vbscript script to change wallpaper or check HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper and see if it was changed there..

 

by: premglitzPosted on 2009-11-04 at 22:21:17ID: 25747130

Hi,
In server,
Start -> Run -> gpupdate \force

And Restart the client machine once then you can find the changes in the system.

 

by: nedramsayPosted on 2009-11-05 at 02:23:54ID: 25748083

Could it be the documents and settings cache held on your Terminal Server?

 

by: nedramsayPosted on 2009-11-05 at 02:27:47ID: 25748103

Just To Confirm:

When using MSTSC (RDP) to connect to a computer you can customize what is displayed as far as wallpaper, themes, etc. These settings exist under the "Experience" tab (Press "Options" to see the tabs).

Secondly, when a user chooses a JPG image to use a background image Windows will recreate that image as a BMP file and store it under C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Wallpaper1.bmp -- so you may have to delete this file because it is cached.

Lastly, which I assume you have already attempted. Group Policy: User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Control Panel, Display, "Prevent changing wallpaper".  

 

by: elanopsPosted on 2009-11-05 at 08:26:52ID: 25751093

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, but these are NOT desktop machines.  They a linux thin clients that only have the capability to RDP servers.  There is no MSTSC RDP here.

nedramsay: I was not able to even find a documents and settings folder on my server.  Server 2008 group policy as far as I know creates everything on the fly when the user logs on.  I'm not sure where it is storing the wallpaper or wallpaper setting.  I have changed that group policy as well, but as I stated before it seems some of my changes aren't applying as is..

 

by: elanopsPosted on 2009-11-05 at 08:29:01ID: 25751117

Also I was gpupdate /force ing it every time I made changes.

 

by: mspieglerPosted on 2009-11-05 at 08:38:48ID: 25751235

Make sure you're setting the group policy under User Configuration and not Computer Configuration.

 

by: elanopsPosted on 2009-11-05 at 08:47:03ID: 25751340

I found this:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft
but I cannot find any wallpaper.

 

by: elanopsPosted on 2009-11-05 at 08:47:52ID: 25751351

er.... weird.  my group policy decided to apply... several hours later.

 

by: nedramsayPosted on 2009-11-05 at 08:56:18ID: 25751474

so all working?

 

by: elanopsPosted on 2009-11-19 at 10:52:27ID: 25863579

Yes.  It applied almost immediately for users that logged on, and took a long time to apply to those who were logged on the whole time (the previous sys admin here designed it so several people use the same login... bleh..)

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