How to Create a 'Desktop Background' Shortcut in Windows 10
Information
Your desktop background (also called wallpaper) can be a picture from your personal collection or included with Windows, a solid color, or a slide show playing selected pictures randomly on all displays.
Windows 10 now has you changing your desktop background in the Settings app. This helps to make it easier to do on small screens or touch screens, but it no longer has an option to set a picture for separate monitors like in the Desktop Background settings.
This tutorial will show you how to download or create a Desktop Background shortcut to choose a desktop background for all or specific monitors for your account in Windows 10.
CONTENTS:
- Option One: To Download a Desktop Background Shortcut
- Option Two: To Manually Create a Desktop Background Shortcut
EXAMPLE: Desktop Background in Control Panel and Settings
1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .zip file you want below.
Control_Panel_Desktop_Background_shortcut
Download
OR
Settings_Desktop_Background_shortcut.zip
Download
2. Save the .zip file to your desktop.
3. Unblock the .zip file.
4. Open the .zip file, and extract (drag and drop) the shortcut to your desktop.
5. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.
6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .zip file if you like.
1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on your desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.
2. Copy and paste the location below you want to use into the location area, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
(Control Panel)
explorer shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} -Microsoft.Personalization\pageWallpaper
OR
(Settings)
explorer ms-settings:personalization-background
3. Type Desktop Background for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You could name this shortcut anything you would like though.
4. Right click or press and hold on the new Desktop Background shortcut, and click/tap on Properties.
5. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, and click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
6. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", copy and paste the location below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
7. Select the icon highlighted in blue above, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: You could use any icon that you would like instead though.
8. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 5)
9. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Change your Desktop Background in Windows 10
- How to Turn On or Off Desktop Background Image in Windows 10
- How to Add Desktop Background File Location context menu in Windows 8 and Windows 10
- How to Add Desktop Background to Control Panel in Windows
Create Desktop Background shortcut in Windows 10
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New #1
Was missing my Desktop Background. About the only thing I use Bing Desktop for, download beautiful pics to rotate thru the desktop. I couldn't figure out a way to do that thru the screen saver, or Theme settings.
I'm sure there must be a way to do that, perhaps Slideshow? But then I need to know where Bing is placing the themes.
Thanks Shawn
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New #3
Found it:
C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\BingDesktop\themes
& now I can use Slideshow.
Should have tried a little harder before posting
Create Desktop Background shortcut in Windows 10
How to Create a 'Desktop Background' Shortcut in Windows 10Published by Shawn BrinkCategory: Customization
14 Apr 2020
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