How do I...change Windows b/g wallpaper

[sshrum]

I'm writing a companion app to my MercMon program ( http://www.shrum.net/code/mercmon ).

I located the registry value for wallpaper but I need to instruct windows to 'refresh' the desktop in order for the change to take effect and I don't know how to do that.

TIA

Edited August 24, 2006 by sshrum

[Xenobiologist]

Hi,

something like this?

$screensaver = RegRead("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "SCRNSAVE.EXE")
If FileExists($screensaver) Then Run($screensaver & " /s")

So long,

Mega

[sshrum]

No. Let me clarify. Specifically, I'm doing something like this:

regwrite ("hkcu\control panel\desktop",  "Wallpaper", "REG_SZ", "c:\kewl.jpg")

However, that isn't enough to trigger the actual wallpaper change.

I need to tell Windows to 'refresh' the wallpapere, read the wallpaper settings and pull the new file.

Granted, I'll set the util to pull from a folder of files or a specific file but that I know how to do.

Edited August 24, 2006 by sshrum

[NELyon]

You can simulate a right click-Refresh desktop

[sshrum]

I'd rather do a direct sort of call rather than that.

[xcal]

DllCall("User32.dll", "int", "SystemParametersInfo", "int", 20, "int", 0, "string", "PATH TO IMAGE", "int", 0x01)

Change path to image to, um, the path to the image. Images have to be a bmp when using this. I use pictview's commandline program to convert images in my wallpaper script.

You may also want to adjust the tile/center/stretch options, which are at...

$s_style/tile is a 1 or a 0.

1, 1 is tiled

2, 0 is stretched

1, 0 is centered

RegWrite("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "WallpaperStyle", "REG_SZ", $s_style)

RegWrite("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "TileWallpaper", "REG_SZ", $s_tile)

[sshrum]

Woot xcal, that works.

Sort of a bummer that you have to call to bmp files.

There has to be a way to convert the JPG to BMP natively as Windows is doing that already when you go thru the Display control panel.

Any ideas?

EDIT: no problem...figure I can copy the currently defined BMP to a folder (open.bmp/closed.bmp) and switch it back when the orientation is changed...this works better as the user won't have to do anythin in my app...just change the desktop thru the control panel.

Edited August 24, 2006 by sshrum

[ACalcutt]

Run("RunDll32.exe USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True") ;will refresh the desktop

[ACalcutt]

if i remember right i was able to set a jpg file in the registry and it would work...but when i copied the profile it didn't copy the wallpaper unless it was a bmp

RegWrite("HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop", "Wallpaper", "REG_SZ", $system_image)

[xcal]

No idea how windows does it natively, but it's simple and invisible with pictview's commandline app. Here's my function for applying walls:

Func applyimage($s_path, $s_style, $s_tile)
    $apply_type = StringRight($s_path, 4)
    If $apply_type = ".jpg" Or _
            $apply_type = ".gif" Or _
            $apply_type = ".png" Then
        FileDelete(@WindowsDir & "\xwall.bmp")
        RunWait(@ScriptDir & "\pvw32con.exe " & '"' & $s_path & '"' & " -w --oo " & '"' & @WindowsDir & "\xwall.bmp" & '"', _
                @ScriptDir, @SW_HIDE)
    Else
        FileCopy($s_path, @WindowsDir & "\xwall.bmp", 1)
    EndIf
    RegWrite("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "WallpaperStyle", "REG_SZ", $s_style)
    RegWrite("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "TileWallpaper", "REG_SZ", $s_tile)
    Sleep(250)
    DllCall("User32.dll", "int", "SystemParametersInfo", _
            "int", 20, _
            "int", 0, _
            "string", @WindowsDir & "\xwall.bmp", _
            "int", 0x01)
EndFunc

Really simple to add more $apply_type 's.

Edited August 24, 2006 by xcal

[sshrum]

if i remember right i was able to set a jpg file in the registry and it would work

Windows will display no wallpaper is the file is not a bmp file (I tried it and found that out)

[unceman]

What about this registry entry for using JPGs?

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "ConvertedWallpaper", "Reg_SZ", "C:\directory\kewl.jpg"

I had success with this registry setting back when I used AutoIt v2, however refreshing the desktop was my problem.

[unceman]

What about this registry entry for using JPGs?

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop", "ConvertedWallpaper", "Reg_SZ", "C:\directory\kewl.jpg"

I had success with this registry setting back when I used AutoIt v2, however refreshing the desktop was my problem.

Although its not a direct call, you can add the following to refresh the desktop...

Run("rundll32.exe"& " " & "shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL desk.cpl")
WinWait("Display Properties")
WinActivate("Display Properties")
Send("{ENTER}")

[darkshadow791]

If you can send a click to the desktop you can just do Send F5

[therks]

F5 does not work in this situation. At least, not in my experience. F5 only refreshes files on the desktop, not the wallpaper.

ACalcutt's suggestion of "RunDll32.exe USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True" seems to work fine for updating the desktop for me.

[HackerZer0]

you could just check the current window name, give the desktop focus, Send F5, revert focus...