I recently reformatted my hard drive to see if it would help speed up my computer and I reinstalled a program that I use (Image Carousel II) that is a wallpaper changer. i have it set to change the wallpaper every hour. However, when I reboot the computer, it loads with just a black screen and the wallpaper doesn't change until the next assigned time. Is there any way to fix this (it used to do this way back when, but at some point it quit doing it.) Or, is there another good wallpaper changer that can have different folders of wallpapers that can be changed hourly (I have tried a bunch today that are complete crap.) Sorry if my explanation of the problem doesn't make sense

Some wallpaper changers rely on the Windows Desktop feature that allows the desktop to be an HTML document. Perhaps you need to enable that feature.

Another possibility is that there's a setting in Carousel that delays how long after bootup that the first change happens. Perhaps it's trying to make the change too soon and you need to add more delay onto it.

Hmmm... That sounds like Windows Genuine Advantage taking over. Tut tut.

Is the copy of Windows legit?

Wow, I didn't know about that "feature", but sure enough, that's one of the things that WGA does.

I think it's only a recently released "feature"

Also I like the way it's such a simple thing like changing the desktop to black specifically targetting Chinese users. Someone must have done some research - how much can we annoy Asian users in a simple fashion?

Whilst that article mentions it breaks some Office programs I personally doubt that it really does.

i.e. overall the PC works just fine still...

Your post implies that "black" is somehow specific to target Chinese users. I would think that the desktop would become black no matter where the user lived.

Are you saying there's some cultural significance to the color?

No - not my intention. Not really anything with black in particular. I don't know if black has any significance

I more meant that just taking away whatever the user had as their background was enough. I've seen enough machines in Asia with cutesy desktops etc

You telling me that only Chinese people use wallpaper and that blanking it out is a specific penalty towards them? Right...

There isn't any significance of black for Chinese people. If it was red or white then maybe but even so, nobody is going to be bothered about it.

The wallpaper changing is just something that makes it obvious something is wrong and it doesn't negatively impact its operation.

I have, not infrequently, set my desktop to black on purpose.

OS X has this feature built into the OS. Time to switch

I'm sure Mark will chime in and say it's available on Gnome or KDE too

To some extent specifically, yes:
http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=49186
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?gid=2&tid=618678
http://www.china.org.cn/china/national/2008-10/17/content_16630207.htm
http://virtualreview.org/tech/zoom/785585/microsoft-sued-in-china-for-black-screen-of-death

...and so on...

The average Western "pirate" is not going to care that much.

The Chinese users are pissed off that WGA is triggering on their pirated copy of Windows not that the wallpaper is going black. They're not that attached to their wallpaper.

My copy of Vista is a purchased one. I think the black background is a coincidence to those other ones......TFabris.what were you saying about activating the html feature?

What's "pirated" software? I don't understand...

All my desktops are black on purpose. I find it easier on the eyes and less painful trying to find desktop icons than if there is a picture or some other color behind it.

My desktops tend to be a solid (dark) colour, but not usually black.

I'm tempted to create a subtle gradient colour background...

Ah. You didn't say Vista before. The HTML desktop feature was something that could be turned on and off in earlier versions of Windows, but I don't see a way to do that in Vista, so it's not likely related.

Wasn't that called "Active Desktop"