This can be an annoying limitation for many. Fortunately, there are a few workarounds that you can use to change wallpaper in Windows 11 without activation.
1. Set Wallpaper Using File Explorer in Windows 11
You can set any image as a desktop background using File Explorer. This is a handy to work around the limitation set by Microsoft on systems running an unactivated copy of Windows 11. Here’s how to do it.
Press Win + E to open File Explorer. Open the folder with the image that you want to set as wallpaper. Right-click on your preferred image and select Set as desktop background. If you want to set a desktop slideshow, then select multiple images, right-click and select Set as the desktop wallpaper option. Alternatively, select the image and then click on the Set as background option in the top-right corner.
2. Change Wallpaper on Unactivated Windows Using the Photos App
You can use the built-in Photos app to view and perform basic edits. However, a lesser-known feature of the Photos app is that it lets you set desktop background and lock screen within the app.
To set the desktop background:
Open the image you want to use as the desktop wallpaper in the Photos app. Next, click the three-dots menu in the top-right corner to open the Context menu. You can also right-click in the Photos app to access the menu. Next, go to Set > Set as background. This will change your current desktop background. Additionally, use Set > Set as Lock Screen to set the image as your desktop lock screen.
3. Change the Desktop Wallpaper Using Firefox
Firefox has many hidden features, and one of them is the ability to set web images as your desktop background. With this, you don’t need to download individual images and then use them as your wallpaper.
Instead, you can right-click on any image on the web and use the desktop background option.
To set the desktop background using Firefox:
Launch Firefox and open the image you want to use for the desktop wallpaper. Right-click on the image and select Set image as Desktop Background. Next, select the position (Center) and color. Firefox will only use this preference if the image’s resolution is lesser than your display resolution. Click Set Desktop Background to save the changes.
4. Change the Desktop Background Without Activation Using Paint
MS Paint is a built-in painting app that you can use to create drawings, edit and enhance screenshots, etc. Interestingly, the app comes with an option to let you set images as wallpaper within the app. To set desktop wallpaper using Paint:
Launch the MS Paint app on your PC. Press Ctrl + O to bring up the Open dialog. Here, select and open the image you want to set as the wallpaper. Next, click on File and select Set as desktop background. Then, select Fill, Tile, or Center for the image position.
5. Set Desktop Wallpaper Using Registry Editor
The Windows Registry Editor lets you modify your system registry entries to enable or disable many features of the Windows operating system.
To set an image as a desktop background using Registry Editor, you will need to create a new key and a String Value pointing to the image path. It is a bit tedious process, but you can do it, and here we show you how.
Note that incorrect modifications to the system registry can cause system malfunction. Create a restore point before proceeding with the steps below.
Press Win + R to open Run. Type regedit and click OK to open Registry Editor. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC). In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location. You can also copy and paste the following path for quicker navigation. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies Right-click on the Policies key and select New > Key. Rename the key as System. Right-click on the System key and select New > String Value. Rename it as Wallpaper. Right-click on the Wallpaper String Value and select Modify. Paste your desktop background image file path in the Value data field. Click OK to save the changes. To find your image file path, press Win + E to open File Explorer and navigate to the folder with the wallpaper. Right-click on the Wallpaper image file and select Copy as Path. Paste the copied path without quotes.
6. Set the Desktop Background Using Group Policy Editor
You can also change and set the default background using the Group Policy Editor. Useful for system administrator who wants to change the wallpaper for all the computers on their network.
Note that Group Policy Editor is only available on Windows 11 Pro, Edu, and Enterprise editions of the OS. If you are using Home, then follow our guide on how to enable Group Policy Editor in Windows Home edition.
To set the desktop background using gpedit:
Press Win + R to open Run. Type gpedit. msc and click OK to open Group Policy Editor. In Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following location: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop > Desktop In the right pane, locate and right-click on the Desktop Wallpaper policy. Select Edit from the context menu. Next, select Enabled and paste the background image file path into the Wallpaper Name field. Click the drop-down and select a Wallpaper Style. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
Bypassing Personalization Limitations On Unactivated Windows 11
Windows 11 makes it easy to tweak your personalization settings to match your style with different color schemes, taskbar alignment, etc. However, if your copy of Windows 11 is not activated, things can get a little tricky.
Alternatively, you can also use third-party customization apps for Windows 11. These apps let you change the different aspect of the OS and works irrespective of the activation status.
