up vote 5 down vote favorite
share [g+] share [fb]

On school computers, I can log in with a user account stored on the school network (something like that, I have no experience in networking and this sort of stuff).

Everything is fine and dandy and totally works as it should, but there is one thing that I find annoying.

Apparently for some reason I can't change my background to anything more than a couple of different solid colors with our school's logo still stuck in the middle. (the original background is a white logo on black background. If I change it to a different color, the central 6x6 inch black/white logo still remains, only the surrounding color is changed.) It may have been set by school administrators or something, I don't really know. I've tried to set it to something else (a picture, etc.) multiple times to no success.

I'm asking since I don't know much about group policy or anything and just why this is the case. If it's something about the school not wanting me to change the background I won't.

I find this really ugly. Is there any way to change a setting so that I can set the background to any picture I wish? (like on a home pc...)

Thanks.

link|improve this question
85% accept rate
1  
not really your place to try and change that...they have that in place for a reason... – studiohack♦ Apr 15 '10 at 3:17
1  
In before underage b& – ta.speot.is Apr 15 '10 at 3:23
ok. I wasn't sure who/what/why this would be the case... I was hoping that it wasn't the school administrators but it seems as if they are the only ones who could do this so I won't mess with it. :) – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 3:25
1  
@Nano8Blazek: changed my vote from -1 to +1 when I saw your intentions... :-) – studiohack♦ Apr 15 '10 at 3:57
@studiohack: Thanks. :) – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 4:01
show 2 more comments
feedback

3 Answers

up vote 9 down vote accepted

Your school's IT administrators are using either group policy or a third party program to restrict what you can do with your background.

I'd say that's a smart policy for them to implement, considering what many high school students might choose to use as their background when they have access to the web or USB flash drives. (I'm assuming high school based on the age in your profile).

Trying to find a way around this is equivalent to defying the administration's decisions, so you're probably safest not trying to get around their rules. I've gotten into enough trouble doing things I obviously wasn't supposed to be doing, and now that I do some light IT work I see how some restrictions like these make everybody's lives easier.

link|improve this answer
I see. If if was the administrators who decided to do this, and if the administrators did this for the reason you mentioned (I thoroughly agree... considering some of my classmates...), I don't mind not messing with it, and I'll just leave it alone. I just don't know much about group policy, etc. etc. which is why I asked. :) – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 3:21
4  
@Nano I assume you can log onto any computer at school and see the same thing? This is because when you log in, the computer talks to a server in the school, checks your password, etc, and lets you log in. The group policy is a bunch (and I means thousands and thousands) of settings that the administrators can set that can control almost every aspect of what you can and can't do on the computers. Now you know a little more about group policy :). – Jared Harley Apr 15 '10 at 3:26
@Jared: Yep I can use any computer. About the policy stuff... I see. :) Thanks for the info! I was wondering how they did things. – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 3:27
feedback
up vote 3 down vote

At my school our backgrounds were also locked, but this is how we got around it.

Windows button + R and type in Regedit, go HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Control Panel > Desktop then scroll down until you find Wallpaper, open it and insert the filename of the picture you want. (This will set the wallpaper for only your user and not the computer itself.)

PS: If your school IT admin has blocked Regedit, it gets more complicated...

link|improve this answer
If you are able to change registry entries as normal user... something about the security went terribly wrong... – Diskilla Apr 15 '10 at 13:11
Then Im glad it did :) – Pie Apr 15 '10 at 13:14
I'll try and let you know. :D – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 16:45
It didn't work... regedit opened but the registry key was already set to the vista default background (yet the school background shows). – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 16:49
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

Go to your internet browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and find an image you want as your wallpaper, right click it, and choose "Use as desktop wallpaper" or similar.

link|improve this answer
1  
Thanks for answering, guess I forgot to make it clearer... The thing is I can't set the background to anything other than a couple solid colors, however hard I try. I've already tried with a ton of images. :) – Vervious Apr 15 '10 at 2:38
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.