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LeRouteur
Asked: 2020-10-09 00:45:47 +0800 CST

How to copy a wallpaper on a client and force the usage of it using GPO?

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I know there are a plenty of subjects like this, but I didn't found what I wanted, maybe I was looking at the wrong place.

I have an AD running a few GPO, and one is concerning a wallpaper that is being pushed to the client. Some users sometimes go off the site, and since the VPN connection isn't always loading, the wallpaper goes to a black screen.

What I want to achieve is to copy the file on the client, and then use a GPO to apply it. By copying the file, the users won't have the problem of the black screen (at least I hope).

I found out I can copy a file using the GPO editor, but if the user isn't connected to my network (in local or with VPN), would the GPO still applied and the wallpaper displayed? And what if the user computer reboots without access to the DC?

group-policy windows-server-2016

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I found out I can copy a file using the GPO editor, but if the user isn't connected to my network (in local or with VPN), would the GPO still applied and the wallpaper displayed? And what if the user computer reboots without access to the DC?

    Essentially yes, if the computer has the below GPO applied and is then unplugged or takes computer/laptop home the wallpaper/background would still apply.

    This is because the Client/Computer caches the GPO and still applies while turned on.

    To have this working you would need the following setup within your GPO

    1. Copy Wallpaper File to a set location on the Computer.
    2. Set GPO to Set the Wallpaper/Background to path where the file is stored on the local computer (This means when user is no on the network the GPO can still apply the Wallpaper/Background when the user has no connection)

    Hopefully this answers your question?

    EDIT/UPDATE: See below a .bat (Batch file) to copy the wallpaper to machines, you can probably run this at logon or computer startup? Whichever you prefer. You will need to set the first two variables.

    @ECHO OFF
REM ** YOU MUST CHANGE THIS TO THE FOLDER ON THE LOCAL MACHINE WHERE THE WALLPAPER FILE WILL BE SAVED **
set wallpaperloc=C:\wallpaperfolder
REM ** You must change this to the folder/path where the wallpaper file is located on the server which the computer has access to **
set copyfromloc=\\domain\NETLOGON\files\wallpaper.jpg
IF EXIST "%wallpaperloc%\wallpaper.jpg" (
EXIT
)
ELSE (
MKDIR %wallpaperloc%
xcopy "%copyfromloc%" "%wallpaperloc%" /k/y
)

    Then the GPO Below to set Wallpaper / Background

    Go to GPO - > User Configuration -> Policies -> 
Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> Desktop

Then Configure Desktop Wallpaper
Local Path where the Wallpaper where the file will be located and set Style
 (e.g. Fill, Stretch etc.)

    Thanks,

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