steven36 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Suitable attire, seeing that it's dead Microsoft has given Windows 7 users a parting gift with its last update as some holdouts are reporting existing desktop wallpaper being replaced by a sombre black screen – presumably in mourning for the veteran OS. Others have also called out problems on Windows 10, but it is the venerable (and potentially vulnerable) 7 that is generating the most heat. The issue, which is causing debate on the likes of Reddit, appears to have kicked off following last week's monthly roll-up, KB4534310 or the security-only update KB4534314, the last for those on Windows 7 and not enrolled in the Extended Security Update (ESU) programme. The problem seems to afflict those with stretched wallpaper and, more worryingly, appears to have also hit organisations with "wallpaper set by group" policy. Users aren't keen on change, and we can imagine a good few BOFHs receiving calls from customers distressed by the disappearance of the usual company logo and the arrival of something a lot darker, almost... funeral-like. The Register has contacted Microsoft to find out if this is a known issue. The company did warn users not on ESU, domain joined or kiosk versions of Windows 7 to expect to see an out-of-support nag screen, but switching off a beloved kitten or puppy backdrop is perhaps a step too far. Users have performed their own sleuthing and discovered that wallpapers pop back to life if the offending patch is removed. This is unfortunate, since there are some important fixes in there that really should be installed. Others have suggested not using the stretch option (and so manually ensuring images fit) or firing up the good old Aero theme. A Register reader got in touch to tell us the problem had hit computers at his organisation, where wallpaper is enforced by policy. Others have donned the tinfoil conspiracy hats, muttering that the borkage is part of a dastardly Redmondian scheme to rip the beloved OS from their hands. Right. To complicate things further, not all stretched images are affected. However, if your screen has suddenly turned black, we'd suggest trying out some different image sizes before throwing in the towel. We will update this story if Microsoft responds. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexBosch Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 On 1/21/2020 at 9:13 PM, steven36 said: We will update this story... There are two ways to fix this problem. The first step is to remove the KB4534310 package, but this is not recommended because it contains important security updates. The second method assumes that after setting the Wallpaper with the "Stretch" option, the user will take a screenshot and save the resulting image. After restarting your PC, when the black screen of your desktop appears, you can use the image you created earlier as your Wallpaper. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhjohns Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 54 minutes ago, alexBosch said: There are two ways to fix this problem. Three actually. The third method is to do what you should have done years ago, and upgrade to Windows 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlston Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 21 hours ago, dhjohns said: The third method is to do what you should have done years ago, and upgrade to Windows 10. That just replaces one problem with several others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhjohns Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 3 hours ago, Karlston said: That just replaces one problem with several others. No issues here with Windows 10! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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