"Override wallpaper image" not working

[Ikyion ♥]

As the title says, it just doesnt work.
Overriding lockscreen image works as expected

[Biohazard]

Please share this log: https://help.wallpaperengine.io/debug/scantool.html

If you have multiple monitors, can you try disabling them except for the primary monitor and try it once to see if that might be related to the issue?

[Biohazard]

Thanks. Does the Windows wallpaper not change at all or does it turn into a black image or similar?

[Biohazard]

Please open this path in the Windows Explorer, you can copy and paste it in the address bar of the explorer and hit enter:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes

Do you see the generated wallpaper and lockscreen there? The files should be called

WallpaperEngineLockOverride.jpg
WallpaperEngineOverride.jpg

[Biohazard]

Hm that's odd, so it's really only not able to set them but they are created properly.

You have stardock curtains installed, could this maybe also be overriding the wallpaper image?

[Biohazard]

I'm not sure what could be causing this, can you check if the two images that Wallpaper Engine creates for Windows are still correct? They should update a couple of seconds after the wallpaper changes.

These ones from before:

WallpaperEngineLockOverride.jpg
WallpaperEngineOverride.jpg

[Muffin]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

I'm not sure what could be causing this, can you check if the two images that Wallpaper Engine creates for Windows are still correct? They should update a couple of seconds after the wallpaper changes.

These ones from before:

WallpaperEngineLockOverride.jpg
WallpaperEngineOverride.jpg

I have the same issue only for the lockscreen, it happened after a sudden shut down for the pc, the screen is blank in lockscreen while these two jpgs are in a good condition, i deleted the backup files within the same folder, checked the firewall thing, even reinstalling WP, but still nothing solved, any fixes in mind?

[Biohazard]

Perhaps try picking any other normal image as a lockscreen through Windows.

If the image files there get updated normally, then there is almost nothing else left. It's really just the step where Windows is being told to set the lockscreen image that seems to fail.

[Muffin]

Well yeah unfortunately that's apparently the case.
I put any random picture and it works as intended but when only overriding the lockscreen only a blank screen shows, the aero color only with no background, even though the pictures are indeed being updated in the Themes folder and desktop overriding works perfectly; I find this issue pretty sad since I was very delighted with this great feature in WP since I use the lockscreen a lot, I really hope you find a solution for it. May you ask any WP fella you know and maybe you'll have a clue about it
And thanks for the help.

[Biohazard]

Apparently this feature is just not really reliable for desktop apps in Windows (a Microsoft employee commented here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56935486/cached-image-not-being-updated-with-lockscreen-setimagefileasyncfile#comment100576490_56935486 ) and seemingly still not fixed, since there is a comment from 2021.

So perhaps it will just have to be fixed by Microsoft first.

We can try to check if it produces the same unexpected error as in that thread and then at least it's clear what the problem is.

[FirmHandShaker]

Also having this issue, but only since updating to Windows 11. Can confirm the override files are produced and even show up in the Windows settings preview on the "Personalization" page but that the changes are ultimately not applied.

[Biohazard]

Originally posted by superbrar:

Also having this issue, but only since updating to Windows 11. Can confirm the override files are produced and even show up in the Windows settings preview on the "Personalization" page but that the changes are ultimately not applied.

The beta version now has logging messages for this: http://steamcommunity.com/app/431960/discussions/2/350544272219415004/

So you could try this out and after it failed a few times, you could share this log with us: https://help.wallpaperengine.io/debug/scantool.html

But your case sounds different, if they show up on the personalization page in the recent section (I assume you mean that?) then there is probably no error going to be logged. Sounds like the program ran through then, but Windows just didn't fully complete the operation internally or there is some other setting possibly overriding the wallpaper?

[Tboned]

In my own case. The override for wallpaper is working, but not the lock screen. When I look at the personalization settings, the background is showing the proper image selected for the override. But, in the lockscreen menu, its showing a black image with no lock screen image selected at all.

[Biohazard]

Originally posted by Tboned:

In my own case. The override for wallpaper is working, but not the lock screen. When I look at the personalization settings, the background is showing the proper image selected for the override. But, in the lockscreen menu, its showing a black image with no lock screen image selected at all.

Please check my previous reply, can you please share that log shortly after the lockscreen should have been changed?

Your issue seems to be the same and unfortunately in Windows as well. If the image written by Wallpaper Engine is correct, then there is only one step left, which is Windows' function to actually change the lockscreen. If this isn't working then there is almost nothing we can do until Microsoft fixes it.

The only things we can do are random chance. Like changing the filename every time or reducing the resolution of the image. It's unclear what problem Windows has, but as I mentioned before, Microsoft has officially confirmed they have found a bug and it's not fixed yet.

[Biohazard]

Originally posted by Wahnfried1883:

The images are generated but only the lock screen image works.

I am not sure if there is maybe a typo, because this thread is specifically about only the lockscreen *not* working due to a Microsoft bug.

If your issue is with the Windows wallpaper image, not the lockscreen, can you please make a different thread and describe what happens? The issue with the lockscreen discussed in this thread is definitely not related then.

[Wahnfried1883]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Originally posted by Wahnfried1883:

The images are generated but only the lock screen image works.

I am not sure if there is maybe a typo, because this thread is specifically about only the lockscreen *not* working due to a Microsoft bug.

No, it was NOT a typo. I'm referring exactly to the title and the opening post that says:

Originally posted by mikotastic:

As the title says, it just doesnt work.
Overriding lockscreen image works as expected

So why is this different now? As I said in my (accidentally deleted) post on the topic, I have exact the same problem as the OP. Overriding the lockscreen image works as expected, overriding the wallpaper image doesn't. A temporary solution is to switch to a different wallpaper (desktop background) in the personalization settings in Windows and then immediately switch back to the image generated by the wallpaper engine.

Originally posted by Biohazard:

If your issue is with the Windows wallpaper image, not the lockscreen, can you please make a different thread and describe what happens?

Why? The issue is with the wallpaper image exactly as the OP says.