{"id":12733,"date":"2020-01-22T11:15:53","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T10:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/159.69.82.204\/win\/?p=12733"},"modified":"2020-02-07T22:14:29","modified_gmt":"2020-02-07T21:14:29","slug":"windows-7-update-kb4534310-causes-a-black-desktop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/borncity.com\/win\/2020\/01\/22\/windows-7-update-kb4534310-causes-a-black-desktop\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 7: Update KB4534310 causes a black Desktop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"win7\"[German<\/a>]With the January 2020 patchday, Microsoft delivers again a botched update for Windows 7 SP1 users. Update KB4534310 destroys a centered background image so that only a black desktop appears. Here is some information about this.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"The information about this issue has been since January 15, 2020, within my German blog as user comments to the article Patchday: Updates f\u00fcr Windows 7\/8.1\/Server (14. Januar 2020)<\/a>. But I'm preparing it here as a separate post (in English) so that it can be found in the search if necessary.<\/p>\n

Windows 7 Update KB4534310<\/h2>\n

The Monthly Quality Rollup Update KB4534310<\/a> for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 contains security fixes from October 2019, improvements, and various bug fixes. Microsoft only lists the following:<\/p>\n

Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Storage and Filesystems, and Windows Server.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First reader feedback on Windows 7<\/h2>\n

Shortly after my blog post was published, blog reader Andreas B., who is using Windows 7 SP1 Starter, posted this comment<\/a>: diesem Kommentar<\/a> gemeldet:<\/p>\n

Windows 7 (Starter) SP1: For me the update (Monthly Rollup, MSRT, Netframework) had a strange effect. Desktop wallpaper gone, desktop black. The miniature applications (clock and calendar) remained. Looks ugly! – With \"Starter\" (the smaller home version for netbooks) you can't change the wallpaper, but none at all and only pitch black is not nice for long term …<\/p>\n

The file C:\\Users\\[user name]\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Themes\\Custom.theme
\nappears unchanged, but the default image entered there is no longer loaded, although it still exists. – The following Servicing Stack update I had not yet done.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In Windows 7 Starter a user can't change the desktop background. Shortly after, user fre4kyC0de confirms this effect<\/a> on Windows 7 Home Premium (x86), Pro (x64) and Ultimate (x64).<\/p>\n

Cause and workarounds<\/h2>\n

A few hours after my blog post, and shortly after these two feedbacks, user RaBe contacted us with a workaround<\/a> that provides an explanation:<\/p>\n

No, nothing broken. Simply set the background image to \"centered\" once in the background image settings, then go back any way you like, done.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With the update KB4534310, Microsoft has simply broken the feature to center and stretch a background image on the desktop. User fre4kyC0de confirms<\/a> this via the following comment.<\/p>\n

In short, the \"stretched\" option is not functional. If this is selected, the desktop is black. All other options work. However, this does not always apply; while the standard background (original resolution 1920\u00d71200) is scaled correctly, this is not the case with other images (original resolution 800\u00d7600 or 1600\u00d71200; i.e. 4:3 in each case).<\/p>\n

As a workaround, I now scale my backgrounds to my screen resolution using GIMP, then this should work for now. But this is not a nice solution.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

German blog reader Andreas B. SH has posted a solution<\/a> for his Windows 7 SP1 Starter in this comment (there the background image cannot be changed). But I found it interesting that German blog reader Dekre reports<\/a> that the bug is already there on his systems since October 2019.<\/p>\n

It's silly that the support for Windows 7 SP1 will end on 14.1.2020. So there will probably be no fix from Microsoft for this problem, which will be distributed to the masses. Well, a background image is not vital (eats up resources unnecessarily anyway). But some people are bothered by the bug.<\/p>\n

\n

Final Windows 7 Update Breaks Desktop Wallpaper Functionality – by @LawrenceAbrams<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/iQahR1vzvi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BleepingComputer (@BleepinComputer) January 21, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n