Desktop Background on a per Desktop basis?

Anyone else seeing this since 10.7.3.
I went into System Preferences->Desktop & Screen Saver and chnaged the desktop background. When I looked at all my desktops only the desktop I was in when I made the change was actually changed.
I'm sure prior to 10.7.3 the change affected all desktops. Or am I having a senior moment?
thnaks

Hi John,
Sorry, but I don't believe that's possible.

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How do I change what the desktop background is for new desktops?

I am on OS X Mavericks and I want to change my desktop background so that every new desktop I create has that background, but whenever I change the background, it only changes the background for the desktop I was currently in and all new desktops I create still have the old background. How do you change the background for new desktops?

Create a new Desktop and activate that desktop.
Control click to open the contextual menu>>Change background.
When it opens System preference/Desktop&ScreenSaver but takes you back to Desktop #1, simply drag the SysPreference window to the new Desktop to make the change. You can do this by mission control .

Some iphoto pictures not usable as desktop background

I want to set my desktop background as a slideshow of my favourite iPhoto'08 pictures. While experimenting, I've discovered that some of my iPhoto pictures don't seem to work as a desktop background.
Here's what I do (and note that I'm translating from a Swedish version of OSX here):
Right-click on the desktop, choose 'Change desktop background'. In the 'Desktop and Screensaver' dialog, Desktop tab, scroll down the left-hand side list of iPhoto albums (among other things), and select my favourite iPhoto album (Flagged). Wait for the previews to load. Select one of the pictures.
Now, what happens can be one of two things. Either I'll see a slightly bigger preview in the left upper corner of the dialog and I'll see the desktop background change to the picture in question. Or I'll only see the slightly bigger preview in the left upper corner, and the desktop background will turn a boring solid color.
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So, yeah, that gives me a potential workaround: Export my favourite album now and then, and use the exported folder as background slideshow source. I'd rather have a better solution, where things just work like they're supposed to.
The pattern I've noticed is that iPhoto-modified pictures work fine, non-iPhoto-modified pictures don't seem to work. (That is, if right-clicking on a preview in iPhoto has the menu item 'Show original file' active, the picture will work, if the item is greyed out, the picture won't work.)
A relevant detail in this may be that I've set iPhoto to not copy imported pictures into the library.
Any hints, clues? Now what?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
I think this relates to using a Referenced Library:
iPhoto-modified pictures work fine, non-iPhoto-modified pictures don't seem to work.
In other words, iPhoto will share the files it controls (the modifieds are inside the Library Package) and not the ones that it wont.
Simple test: Create a Managed Library (Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library', import a few pics and see if that works as expected.
Regards
TD

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How do I use one of my photos for the desktop background?

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Hi leduckmrb,
Are you talking about your computer desktop? If so, that isn't a Firefox thing at all. You'll have better luck looking at the [http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/display_change_desktop_background.mspx?mfr=true Microsoft documentation].
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Don't use "Set as Desktop". Use ''' "Save Image As..." ''' instead, and file it with your other "wallpaper" images so the operating system has access to those images.
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For some reason, I cannot change my desktop background no matter how many times I delete the "active" folder. It's as if it's locked. Any ideas how I can fix it?

For some reason, I cannot change my desktop background no matter how many times I delete the "active" folder. It's as if it's locked. Any ideas how I can fix it?

Yes it sounds like you have a corrupted preference file.
The setting you make in individual programs get saved to a Preference file in your Users/Library/Preferences folder.
All you have to do is drag out the old file to the desktop, reboot and load the program and the preference file gets rebuilt without your preferences which you reset.
For your case I beleive the preference file is
com.apple.desktop.plist

On Windows Server 2012 R2 the "Show my desktop background on Start" is grayed out

Hi
As shown below, the new 8.1/2012R2 function "Show my desktop background on Start" is not available on Windows Server 2012 R2.
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Hi,
I am trying to involve someone to further look at this issue. There might be some time delay. Appreciate your patience.
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Jeremy Wu
TechNet Community Support
Jeremy,
I, too, am facing this issue.
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With regards

On Windows Server 2012 R2 the option "Show my desktop background on Start" is disabled

Since this thread is
inactive, I am starting a new one.
On windows server 2012 R2, under the taskbar properties, the option to display desktop background on start is disabled and I have not found a way to enable the same.
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You should take a look at this thread. They still haven't figured it out yet though, I don't believe it is possible at the moment on server 2012 even with desktop experience installed.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/9e26b0d5-e586-45b6-91bf-540a72dd36fc/on-windows-server-2012-r2-the-show-my-desktop-background-on-start-is-grayed-out?forum=winservergen
http://WrinkleFreeIT.com/

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Does anyone know how to delete files out of system preferences>desktop & screen saver?
Some how when adding one photo to the file for the desktop background it took the entire photo file. So that instead of one photo for the file it has over 200 now. Read everything and tried everything. Still can't figure out how to delete that file from the list.
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Any ideas?

Doug,
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I'm just now upgrading from 10.6 to 10.7, and I'm having trouble with a script that I wrote that worked fine under 10.6. In part, it executes the following command:
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to change the desktop background image to one of two different files based on other conditions.
In 10.7, this command completes with no error code, but it only changes the background of one of my four desktops. Is there a way to programmatically change the background image of all of my desktops simultaneously? Failing that, is there a way to a) find out how many desktops I have and b) loop through them, setting each of their backgrounds in turn?
I did search the web and found the following suggestion:
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Unfortunately, that also changes only the current desktop's picture.
The larger script is in Perl, so I'd prefer a technology that works well with that language, but if I have to change to a different scripting language, that's not the end of the world.
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Actually, “repeat with k from 18 to (18 + N - 1)” was not a good idea, since it works only with N < 5, as I discovered after posting the script.
So here's an improved version of the previous script that should work with any number of desktops:
set theFile to POSIX file "/Library/Desktop Pictures/Isles.jpg" -- just an example
-- Find out how many desktops you have:
tell application "System Preferences"
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end tell
-- Loop through the desktops, setting each of their backgrounds in turn:
tell application "System Events" to key code 18 using {control down} -- Desktop 1
tell application "Finder" to set desktop picture to theFile
repeat (N - 1) times
    delay 1
    tell application "System Events" to key code 124 using {control down} -- ⌘→
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end repeat

I have an older Macbook pro with a dvi output and I want to watch movies on my tv. I have a dvi to hdmi cable but the only image I get on my TV is my desktop background. None of my movie players with appear on the TV screen. What am I doing wrong?

I have an older Macbook pro with a dvi output and I want to watch movies on my tv. I have a dvi to hdmi cable but the only image I get on my TV is my desktop background. None of my movie players with appear on the TV screen. What am I doing wrong?

Hi Maryan,
Open System Preferences > Displays > select the window for you external monitor > click on the Arrangement tab and check the box next to Mirror Displays. It may be slightly different in Lion, but the idea is the same.

I'm trying to hook up my Macbook Pro to my TV. I'm using the 'mini-display port to female HDMI" adapter. all i can see is my desktop background. no folders or icons and when i play a movie it goes blank.

I'm trying to hook up my Macbook Pro to my TV. I'm using the 'mini-display port to female HDMI" adapter. all i can see is my desktop background. no folders or icons and when i play a movie it goes blank.

Drag applications from your main desktop off the right side of the screen and they will appear on the TV. This is the extended desktop mode.
Regards,
Captfred

HT2478 how do you make the setting to change desktop background every time you shut down your mac

how to make setting to change desktop background every time you close your mac
because i want to make it if anybody tries to change my dekstop picture i want it to go backto set desktop picture

Don't let other people access your Mac in admin mode - they might change something a lot more important than the Desktop picture.
However you can use Automator: create an Application in it, and select 'Set the Desktop Picture' from the Library. Choose the picture you want. Save the application, then go to System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items and select the Automator application you just created. This will then run at startup and set your chosen picture.

How to block changes of desktop background image

I manage a 30-computer Mac lab in a public high school and I would like to prevent users from changing the desktop background image.
As far as I know, there are two ways to change the desktop background image: through System Preferences and by right-clicking an image and selecting Set Desktop Picture.
Blocking System Preferences is easily done through Parental Controls.
But how do I prevent the right-click, Set Desktop Picture method of changing the desktop image?
You can imagine the kinds of images that end up as desktop backgrounds in a high school computer lab.

You might try going to System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts. In the left pane select Services, then uncheck the item "Set Desktop Picture" under Pictures in the right pane. Once that's done, block that prefs pane.

Desktop Background on a per Desktop basis?

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