Persistent black desktop

[saikyan]

Windows 7 Professional 32 bit... My desktop wallpaper is solid black and won't take a different background. In the Personalization control panel, the theme previews all show the black background. If I click on "Desktop Background" the thumbnail icons are all totally blank.

How do I get my desktop to show?

-I understand the black desktop occurs on Microsoft OS's that fail to validate, but I am validated and running a legit license.
-Google yielded a few suggestions but none worked. Feel free to LMGTFY and ridicule if you find something obvious.
-This happened randomly, Auto-updates are off... I powered up and the desktop was gone.
-Ran MSE, SuperAntiSpyware and MBAM, cleaned some adware, no effect...
-Ran CCleaner, no effect...

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[bmathews]

Not sure what you have tried already. Have you tried this?
Right-click on Desktop and make sure "Lock Web Items on Desktop" option is not enabled in "Arrange Icons by" menu. If its enabled, then disable it and your problem should be solved.

I hope this helps!

Brett M,
Windows Outreach Team

 

[saikyan]

That submenu isn't in 7, its replaced by the View submenu. Not sure where they put the "Lock Web Items on Desktop" option but at least thats something to check up on

 

[alkastner]

> Thanks in advance for any suggestions![/quotemsg]

I had the same or very similar problem. It raised after installation of an application.
Today I have found some registry references in the binaries uDWM.dll and dwm.exe:
in HKLM\:
1. Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DWM\ did not exist, I have created it
2. Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows was completely without permissions and also had unknown owner, I have changed the owner to Administrator and permissions to SYSTEM - full, and Administrators - Read
Then I restarted my computer and the standard fixwed background Harmony have appeared. Then I downloaded some themes from MS web and installed (Narnia, Lighthouses etc.) and selected - OK !