How to deploy Desktop Wallpaper through Group Policy in Server 2012

How to deploy Desktop Wallpaper through Group Policy in Server 2012 R2

In this post, we will learn the steps to deploy desktop wallpaper through group policies in Server 2012 R2. This policy can be used to deploy desktop wallpaper on user’s desktop and prevent users from changing the desktop wallpaper. Any JPG (.jpg) or Bitmap (.bmp) file can be used to deploy desktop wallpaper through Group Policy. By tweaking some settings, we can change Desktop Wallpaper for all the Domain users. Setting users desktop image through group policy is one of the simplest method. It is very important requirement coming from many Organizations who wants to show a same desktop wallpaper for their all users.

You must have seen in many Organizations where same desktop image is deployed on all the user desktops. It can be achieved by using Group Policies.

Pre-requisite:
Create an Organizational Unit
Create some users in the OU.
Some .JPG or .BMP file to be used as Desktop Wallpaper.

Steps to deploy Desktop Wallpaper through group policy are as follow:

1.  We have created an Organizational Unit (OU) naming “Finance” and added some users in the OU.

2. Open GPMC (Group Policy Management Console) console, right click on the OU “Finance” and then click on “Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here“.

3. On New GPO console,  enter the name of  group policy object. In this practical, the name of our GPO is “Set Desktop Wallpaper“. Click on Ok.

4.  To deploy desktop wallpaper through Group Policy, right click on the GPO “Set Desktop Wallpaper” and click on “Edit” to modify the GPO settings. Default Group Policy Objects are blank templates, we have to define the policy to make it work.

5. To Set Desktop Wallpaper via Group Policy, on Group Policy Management Editor Console, under User Configuration expand Policies then expand Administrative Templates. Under Desktop, click on Desktop to expand all policies. Now double click on Desktop Wallpaper to  open its settings.

6. Under Desktop wallpaper console, we have to give the fully qualified path and name of the file that stores the wallpaper image. If the specified file is not available when the user logs on, no wallpaper is displayed. Moreover, users cannot specify alternative wallpaper. Select Enabled to enable the policy and specify the UNC path \\dc01\share\wallpapers\wall01.jpg. You can also use the setting to specify that the wallpaper image be centered, tiled, or stretched.  Users cannot change this specification.

7. Now go to the client machine and login with the Domain User. You can see new Desktop Wallpaper would be deployed for the all the users created in Finance OU.

Note: While defining the path of .JPG or .BMP in step number 6, define the UNC path e.g.  \\ServerName\ShareName\FileName and not the local path e.g. C:\FolderName\FileName.

Do share your experience of deploying Desktop Wallpaper via GPO in your Organization. And your comments about this post.