# HELP! Graphic taken over my desktop! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398 "2003-05-20T21:42:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![goldilocksgirl4u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d6d6ee/32.png) [@goldilocksgirl4u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldilocksgirl4u)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/1 "2003-05-20T21:42:01Z")
I attempted to save a shortcut to my desktop for my banks homepage in order to make online banking a little faster. I found that after I closed the window and picture from the banks page had made itself at home on my desktop and now has taken up permanent residence. I’ve tried deleting the shortcut, and every other trick in the book I can think of, and I cannot get rid of this graphic. The bad thing is it’s a picture of some ridiculously happy man and woman, and it’s pasted itself right over the top of my desktop theme. Any ideas on how to get rid of this horrid thing? ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/2 "2003-05-20T21:47:10Z")
Try going in to C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP\ and see if you can find the picture in question. Delete if from there. Alternately, right-click on your destop and select “Properties.” You should get a dialog that allows you to change your wallpaper from there. ---
**Author:** ![goldilocksgirl4u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d6d6ee/32.png) [@goldilocksgirl4u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldilocksgirl4u)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/3 "2003-05-20T22:13:03Z")
Neither one of those suggestions helped. ☹ I guess I should explain that this graphic has imbedded itself OVER the current desktop theme and is about 2x3 inches in dimention. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/4 "2003-05-20T22:27:43Z")
Just guessing - could Active Desktop be involved? I really don’t know much about that, though - I tried it once, didn’t like it and turned it off. If my bank did something like that, I’d be extremely pissed. You could call them and get instructions on how to remove it. Then complain loud and long to management about how installing anything unwanted on a customer’s PC is a really bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/5 "2003-05-20T22:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rowrrbazzle \* > **Just guessing - could Active Desktop be involved?** That would be my thought. Right-click on the desktop, go to **Active Desktop** and uncheck **Show Web Content**. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/6 "2003-05-20T22:55:00Z")
Try right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Properties. Look at what file is being used as your background image. (You might want to go to the folder where that file is and open it separately, to see if the bank picture is in there.) If that’s the bank image, change the file name to something else or disable it. Delete the file. Write your bank a very nasty letter. (It’s best to write a true paper letter, for maximum consumer complaining effectiveness.) ---
**Author:** ![goldilocksgirl4u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d6d6ee/32.png) [@goldilocksgirl4u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldilocksgirl4u)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/7 "2003-05-20T23:05:09Z")
It WAS active desktop involvement. I unclicked “show web content” and it disappeared. Whew. Thank You…now my question is…how did it get there? Did I have to agree to active desktop icons in order for it to appear, or did the bank page set something when I added the shortcut? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/8 "2003-05-21T01:42:01Z")
My guess would be that you right-clicked in IE and hit **Set as background** by mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/9 "2003-05-21T02:57:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*My guess would be that you right-clicked in IE and hit **Set as background** by mistake. \*\* Except that would replace the current wallpaper, not add to it, as the OP explained. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-graphic-taken-over-my-desktop/176398/10 "2003-05-21T04:00:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fear Itself \* > \*\*Except that would replace the current wallpaper, not add to it, as the OP explained. \*\* It would, unless the **Picture Display** were set to **Center** and the default background or a simple Pattern were selected. Then the **Set as background** command would make the picture appear superimposed in the middle of the desktop.