Wallpaper changes automatically after restart in Windows 11/10

Windows 11 desktop background keeps changing? If you find that your Windows 11/10 PC reverts to an old or default wallpaper after a reboot, then this post may be able to help you. This usually happens only after a restart of their computer from a shutdown and is not affected by the Sleep or Hibernation options. In this post, we will see what you can do if your Wallpaper changes automatically after a restart on a Windows computer.

Fix Wallpaper changes automatically after restart in Windows 11/10

If your Desktop Wallpaper changes automatically after a restart on your Windows computer, follow the suggestions mentioned below.

1. Delete Slideshow.ini & TranscodedWallpaper and change the image in CachedFiles
2. Check if the Theme sync setting is enabled
3. Turn Off Slideshow in Personalization Settings
4. Lock wallpaper-changing ability
5. Check in Clean Boot
6. Configure Power Options
7. Perform System Restore

Let us talk about them in detail.

Windows 11 desktop background keeps changing

1] Delete Slideshow.ini & TranscodedWallpaper and change the image in CachedFiles

There are two files, Slideshow.ini & TranscodedWallpaper, that could be corrupted and are therefore causing this issue. Delete these two files and allow Windows to recreate them. To do the same, follow these steps.

• Open File Explorer by Win + E.
• Click on View > Show > Hidden items.
• Navigate to the following location.

  %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes

• Open Slideshow.ini, clear all its content, and save the file.
• Then, delete the TranscodedWallpaper file.
• Open CachedFiles and then change the image in that folder.

Once you have made all the changes, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

2] Check if the Theme sync setting is enabled

The setting to enable or disable Windows Sync settings is found at:

• Windows 11: Press Windows + I to open Settings > Navigate to Accounts and click it. > Click on Windows backup and toggle on the slider in front of Remember my preferences.
• Windows 10: Open Personalize > Personalize > Themes > Sync your settings

It’s recommended that you restart your PC after turning on this function.

3] Turn Off Slideshow in Personalization Settings

Open Windows Settings > Personalize > Background, and locate Personalize your background. Change the setting from the drop-down menu from Slideshow to Picture or Solid color.

4] Lock wallpaper-changing ability

Follow this post to prevent Windows from changing the Desktop Background, by editing the Registry or Group POlicy Editor.

5] Check in Clean Boot

You may also encounter the said issue if there is a third-party application interfering with the normal Windows processes and changing the wallpaper back to what it was before. In that case, you need to perform Clean Boot and then see if the wallpaper has got changed. If it has not, then some 3d-party process is causing this issue. You need to manually disable processes to find out which app is causing this issue.

Sometimes, master control software, the one that comes preinstalled with your computer, can cause this issue. Once you know which app is the culprit, either disable or uninstall the app and you will be good to go.

6] Configure Power Options

Next up, we need to configure the Power Options from the Control Panel to get rid of the issue. You need to pause the slideshow to stop the wallpaper from changing automatically. To make these changes, follow the prescribed steps.

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Set View by to Large icons.
3. Click on Power Options.
4. Then, click on Change plan settings associated with the plan that you have selected.
5. Select Change advanced power settings.
6. Expand Display background settings > Slideshow.
7. Change both On battery and Plugged in to Paused.

After making these changes, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

7] Perform System Restore

If you have a System Restore point, then this might be the right time to deploy it. There is a possibility that because of some misconfiguration your wallpaper is changing automatically. In that case, we need to deploy System Restore to resolve the issue. To do the same, follow these steps.

1. Hit Win + S, type “System Restore Point” and hit Enter.
2. Click on System Restore.
3. Select a System Restore point and click Next.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

We hope that after following these solutions you are able to apply whichever Wallpaper you want without it getting changed automatically.

Read: Windows desktop background changes by itself automatically

Why does my Windows 11 wallpaper keep changing?

If your wallpaper keeps on changing, first of all, check if your desktop background is set to Slideshow. To do the same, you need to go to Personalization > Background > Personalize your background and select the Slideshow from the drop-down menu. In case, Slideshow was not enabled but the wallpaper is still changing automatically, check out the solutions mentioned in this post to resolve the issue.

How do I stop my desktop background from changing in Windows 11?

If you are fed up with other users changing the desktop background and want to stop them from doing the same, To prevent this from happening, we need to configure the Desktop Wallpaper policy, create a registry, or use Windows Settings. If you want to use any of the methods, check our post on how to prevent users from changing the desktop background.

Also Read: Theme keeps changing in Windows 11/10.