How do I change the wallpaper of Windows 7 Starter Edition?

Is there a way to change the desktop wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter Edition? I wanted to do that on my new netbook, just to find out that there is no "Customize" option in the control panel. Microsoft obviously wants to keep the netbook users rather rigidly from customizing their machines.

It isn't even possible to edit the picture itself in the C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows\ directory, due to lack of rights. From what I can tell only the user "Trusted Installer" would have enough rights to do so...

Resetting permissions on the file and overwriting will not work, as shell32.dll has code which compares the image with a SHA-256 hash. The only option other than tampering with the files yourself in a hex editor is using Stardock MyColors, though you must use an entire theme.

Nope, Windows 7 starter will not let you change the background. You'll need to upgrade to Home Premium or higher

EDIT: I take that back, there is a way to do it, but you'll need to use a third-party tool like Windows Blind in order to do it. I wouldn't recommend it, however, because most netbooks are short on resources already. A third-party theme manager would just take up more of those resources

the simplest answer, without adding more downloaded-app cruft, without sending more money to Redmond, is

1. regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop

   1a. the usual warnings, back up the registry / registry key before changing stuff

2. temporarily change the permissions of the key to allow you to edit it; right-click the 'Desktop' key => permissions, give 'full control' to 'Everyone'

3. Edit the subkey Desktop/Wallpaper to contain the full pathname of the new wallpaper image file jpg, such as C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows\mypicture.jpg

4. Edit as necessary, Desktop/TileWallpaper=1 to tile; my Desktop/WallpaperStyle=2 although that may be non-essential

5. change the permissions of the Desktop/Wallpaper key to 'read only' for 'Everyone' it sounds as though some people had unresponsive computers when omitting that reversion, although I must say I simply got 'no background image'

6. restart the desktop, simplest is to return to the password screen rather than restarting windows

7. Laugh at the EULA when it's quite clear that no jury in the world would think of depriving someone of for instance a picture of their family as desktop background :) it could even be said that Microsoft trying to prevent that is in itself offensive

As far as I know, there's no hash key comparison happening, although you need to set the registry key permissions right to make it work

more details at answers.microsoft.com

you may need to change the permissions of C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows, I seem to have 'special permissions' as well as read/write permissions, for admin