Error 'can't change desktop wallpaper' on Windows 10, this is how to fix it

By default, on Windows 10 users can easily change Desktop wallpapers.Just right-click any image file and click the Set as desktop background option to set it as a background image.Or alternatively you can navigate to Settings => Personalization => Background to select an image as a desktop wallpaper.

If you can't change the desktop wallpaper or can't set a new image as a desktop wallpaper, you can easily enable the option to change the background wallpaper by tweaking Group Policy or Registry.

If the Personalization section of the Settings window displays the 'Some settings are managed by your organization' message , it is because of the option to change the desktop wallpaper that has been disabled on Group Policy or Registry.

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1. Check the activation status of Windows 10

The first and important step before taking the next steps is to check if Windows 10 status is enabled. If the copy of Windows 10 has not been activated, you cannot change the desktop wallpaper via Settings settings.

And even when you right-click on an image and choose Set as desktop background , you can't set it as wallpaper.

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Follow the steps below to check if the copy of Windows 10 is enabled.

1.1. Method 1

Step 1 :

On Windows 10, click the Start button, then click the Settings icon in the left pane of Start Menu to open the Settings window.

Or alternatively press the Windows + I key combination to open the Settings window.

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Step 2 :

On the Settings window, find and click Update and security (Windows Update, recovery, backup).

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Step 3 :

In the left pane, click on Activation .

Step 4 :

Next in the right pane you will see the Windows 10 version and the activation status of Windows 10.

If Windows 10 is enabled, you will see the Windows is activated message displayed on the right side of the Activation section.

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1.2. Different ways

Step 1 :

Open the System window by pressing the Windows key combination + Pause / Break key .

Or open File Explorer (Windows Explorer), then in the left pane, find and right-click this PC icon and click Properties to open the System window.

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Step 2 :

Scroll down here to find Windows Activation.

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Step 3 :

If the copy of Windows 10 is activated, you will see the message Windows is activated.

2. Activate the wallpaper change option on Group Policy

The reason is because Group Policy is only available on Pro and Enterprise versions, so if you use the Home version, users cannot use Group Policy but must use the Registry.

If using Pro or Enterprise version, follow the steps below:

Step 1 :

Enter Gpedit.msc in the Search box on Start Menu or on the Taskbar and then press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor window.

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Step 2 :

On the Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the key:

User Configuration => Administrative Templates => Control Panel => Personalization

Step 3 :

In the right pane, find and double-click the policy called Prevent changing desktop background to open the Properties window.

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Step 4 :

On the Properties window, click Not Configured or Disabled to activate the option to change the desktop background image.

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3. Enable the option to change the wallpaper on the Registry

Step 1 :

Open the Registry Editor window by entering Regedit in the Search box on Start Menu or in the Taskbar and then pressing Enter. If the UAC window appears, click Yes to continue to open the Registry window.

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Step 2 :

On the Registry window you navigate to the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows CurrentVersionPoliciesActiveDesktop

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Step 3 :

Double-click the value named NoChangingWallpaper and set the value in the Value Data frame to 0 to enable the option to change the desktop wallpaper on Windows 10.

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Refer to some of the following articles:

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Good luck!