Install set of theme or wallpaper/today background

[thjelmstad]

Does anyone know how to programmatically set the theme or wallpaper during an install or from a program for PPC 2003? We have a ton of PPCs purchased for field sales and want to initially set the today background. I've tried setting the registry keys and copying the jpeg over the current wallpaper (using 2bp) and it doesn't work.

Any ideas or directions to look would be appreciated.

Thanks,

:?: :?:

[tachishoben]

go to start -> settings -> today select browse and choose your image. I have also used theme switcher which can modify your image and theme then you just drop that file into the "My Documents" folder and it will show up in the today screen image pick list. Incidently not the way you want to go, but you could set up a group policy for them to authenticate to a windows 2k or 2003 server and force them to have a specific theme all at once without much effort.

[thjelmstad]

I know, but that is a manual operation. I've automated the active synch install and the app software install we are using - the only manual op is setting the today backgroup or theme.

Microsoft states that it might vioate there agreements with the PPC vendors to tell us how to change this from either the install or through a program.

It seems to me there should be an API, or a program call with command line that would set this. We have bunches to do and would prefer to have just a single process to start which does everything.

[Kati Compton]

At some point, I too wanted to do this. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to pursue any PPC programming.

The furthest I got was that you need to replace tdywater.gif or something like that with your image, and "update a registry key or something". The information out there on this was pretty sparse in Nov/Dec 2002. Not sure if that's changed.

[thjelmstad]

I have tried either and both renaming and copying to the files tdywater.gif and default.2bp, as well as various combinations of copying, renaming, etc and using the registry key in hkey_CurrentUser\desktop\wallpaper.

None of these seems to actually "set" the wallpaper to change.

You can open a gif, bmp, jpg, etc and use tools to set as wallpaper. You can also use "settings' and "today" to set the wallpaper. I need to find the call to whatever these activate.

[Kati Compton]

If you do, let us know! :)

[juni]

I've been thinking about something like it too. I would like an .exe file which, when executed, puts the .tsk file in \my documents, the WA skin in the appropriate directory and the dashboard skin in its own directory and perhaps even asks the user if he/she wants to switch to the whole theme-suite.