From Newsgroup: rec.photo.digital

PSA:
Finally Irfanview has an option to NOT change the wallpaper by accident!
C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper

Anyone using Irfanview for as long as I have, has accidentally reset the Windows wallpaper to the current image a thousand times, or more, by now.

We've tried re-defining the keyboard-shortcut sequence, and failed.
We've tried unbinding Ctrl+Shift+W from inside IrfanView, and failed.
We've tried adding a [Menu] section to the ini file, and failed.
[Macro]
RemoveWallpaperMenu=1
We've tried blocking it with the Group Policy Editor, and failed.
gpedit.msc > User Configuration > Administrative Templates >
Control Panel -> Personalization
Enable "Prevent changing desktop background"
We've edited the registry, and failed.
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper
NoChangingWallPaper = 1 (DWORD)
We've tried denying write access to the TranscodedWallpaper file.
Right-click TranscodedWallpaper > Properties > Security > Edit
Select your user account > Deny Write > Apply
etc.

Most of us rarely fail at customizing Windows how we want it to be.
But I've always failed at this simple customization task. Until now.

Well, kind of sort of until now anyway.
Not until IrfanView 4.72 anyway, kind of sort of.
Which appears to have been released around May 12th, 2025.
<https://www.irfanview.net/history_old.htm>

Note this line in version 4.72 (Release date: 2025-05-12)
"A confirmation dialog is shown for the wallpaper change menus"

Finally. After all these years, what started in Irfanview 1.90 in 1996
"Set image as wallpaper"
Which was improved in 2.50 in 1997
"Improved 'Set as Wallpaper' (centered/tiled/restore)"
And moved in 3.85 in 2003
"Wallpaper save location changed (Folder: "Application data")"
With 3.90 command-line options in 2004
"=> Set 'c:\test.jpg' as wallpaper (centered)"
And more options in 4.23 in 2008
"New wallpaper menu: Stretched - proportional"
With randomization added in 4.27 in 2010
"=> set random wallpapers, see "i_options.txt" for examples"
And the festugenah hotkeys added in 4.28 later in 2010
New hotkey: CTRL + SHIFT + X = Set as wallpaper: Proportional
And a fill option in 4.44 in 2016
New wallpaper option: Fill (Hotkey: CTRL + SHIFT + F)
With the format in 4.50 changed to PNG for Windows 8 and up
Wallpaper save format changed to PNG (Win8 and later)
Evolving, finally, to 4.72's addition of a confirmation dialog.
A confirmation dialog is shown for the wallpaper change menus
And, lest there not be more, in 4.73, released on 2025-11-13
New Wallpaper menu: Span (image over all monitors)

It's not a solution.
But it's a workaround I can accept.

What about you?
--
Intelligent people can always come up with many solutions to any problem. Except this one.
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From Newsgroup: rec.photo.digital

croy wrote:

It's not a solution.
But it's a workaround I can accept.

What about you?

Never once had that problem.

Thanks for that information, as it won't affect everyone, as it happens
mostly when people make liberal use of "similar" Irfanview keyboard
shortcuts, and their fingers wander over to the "wrong" keyboard shortcut.

It happens because several of the wallpaper commands sit right next to
common navigation keys, and the hotkeys have been in the program since the 1990s.

For reference, these are the default wallpaper hotkeys
Ctrl+Shift+W = Set as wallpaper (centered)
Ctrl+Shift+X = Set as wallpaper (proportional)
Ctrl+Shift+F = Set as wallpaper (fill)
Ctrl+Shift+T = Set as wallpaper (tiled)

Those combinations are easy to hit when your fingers are already on
Ctrl/Shift for other shortcuts (zoom, rotate, next/previous file, etc.).
That's why so many people have triggered it unintentionally over the years.

If you search the IrfanView forums or old changelogs, you'll find plenty of users reporting the same thing. It's common enough that version 4.72
finally added a confirmation dialog specifically to prevent accidental wallpaper changes.

Thanks for letting us know your experience, as a lot depends on which
keyboard combinations you type frequently, e.g., I make liberal use of
Ctrl+W (close window)
Ctrl+Shift+W (accidentally becomes "Set as wallpaper")

Ctrl+X (cut)
Ctrl+Shift+X (accidentally becomes "Set as wallpaper: proportional")

Ctrl+F (find/search)
Ctrl+Shift+F (accidentally becomes "Set as wallpaper: fill")

Ctrl+T (new tab in browsers/editors)
Ctrl+Shift+T (accidentally becomes "Set as wallpaper: tiled")

All four wallpaper shortcuts are Ctrl+Shift+<letter>
All four letters (W, X, F, T) are common everyday shortcuts without Shift

When our fingers drift, or we hold Shift for another action, we hit the wallpaper command instead. But, as you noted, if you don't use the keyboard combinations, or, if you're more accurate with your typing, you won't see
it.

Thanks for your input! This is a team so all experiences matter.
--
Usenet is kind-hearted intelligent people helping each other do things.
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