#ELINKS FORCE REFRESH UPDATE#
So far, we have simply demonstrated that’s technically possible to update a desktop wallpaper without having the user performing an logoff/logon operation. Executing the above script was basically updating the user settings in the loaded session and the wallpaper was changed accordingly…. So, when the GPO to set the wallpaper was updated,after running the “gpupdate /force” command on a target machine, the desktop wallpaper wouldn’t be updated automatically. $imgPath="\\Domain.lab\netlogon\Wallpaper.png" $code = using namespace Win32 add-type $code #Modify Path to the picture accordingly to reflect your infrastructure #-# ScriptName : SetWall.ps1 # Description : Force a Desktop wallpaper Refresh # Credits : Unknown (if you know original creator, let us know) # Date : 01 July 2020 #-# We have tested this script manually and we had 100 % success each time the Desktop Wallpaper GPO (and thus image) was modified…. After gathering information from multiple Internet sources, we came up with the following short Powershell Script.
#ELINKS FORCE REFRESH WINDOWS#
Option 2 – Powershell Script (always working)Īgain, searching through internet and gathering information about this specific topic, we discovered that it would be possible to use some specific windows dll that could be loaded into a Powershell script. More specifically, the command was working inconsistently which make it unusable in this really specific scenario…. After some research on internet, we have found that it was possible to use a command line that would theoretically refresh the desktop wallpaper Option 1 – Rundll.exe & UpdatePerUserSystemParameters (inconsistent results) RUNDL元2.EXE USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters 1, Trueįor us, this command didn’t really work. refresh the desktop wallpaper quickly even if user would not logoff/login). We had to come up with some options or workarounds in order to meet the customer requirement (i.e. Also, locking/unlocking screen wouldn’t update the wallpaper. In fact, as long as the user does not perform a logoff/logon, the desktop wallpaper would not update.
![elinks force refresh elinks force refresh](https://paddles4less.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/E-force-Full-Line-Apocalypse-Heatseaker-3-Lethal-Reload-Invasion-X-Racquetball-Rackets-scaled.jpg)
However, the new Desktop wallpaper was not showing up even after multiple gpupdate /force command execution. So, customer expectation’s was that the new selected desktop wallpaper would be displayed on the screen. We have run the resultant Set of Policy (rsop.msc) mmc console to ensure that the new GPO (and thus the new file) was effectively applied on the system. It’s possible to force the refresh of a Group policy by issuing the following command After some time, the GPO would be automatically applied to the target users (or machines). The existing GPO was modified accordingly. This customer decided to deploy a new Desktop wallpaper through the GPO. The following screenshots shows the really basic settings that needs to be configured at GPO level in order to set desktop wallpapers The IT Team was using a dedicated group policy to set,manage and deploy the Desktop wallpaper. A user would not need to open his mailbox to know about new policies to be followed. Updating the Desktop Wallpaper was a quick and efficient way for that customer to share important information and guidance through the organization.
![elinks force refresh elinks force refresh](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e7/d2/24/e7d2243da5da7a36b4f4751e70469da4.jpg)
With the COVID-19 Crisis, new desktop wallpaper needed to be distributed and displayed on the user’s desktop.
![elinks force refresh elinks force refresh](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PokeoO1w1Lo/maxresdefault.jpg)
Overview Our scenarioĪs mentioned earlier, our customer was basically using Group policies to centrally manage and deploy Desktop Wallpaper on corporate workstations and laptops.
#ELINKS FORCE REFRESH HOW TO#
This post will quickly explain how to visualize the newly deployed desktop wallpaper without the need of logging off and login on… However, this specific customer discovered that as long as a user wouldn’t perform a logoff/logon operation, the desktop wallpaper wouldn’t be updated and will not show the latest desktop image distributed via Group Policies through the network. The customer wanted to update on regular base the wallpaper in order to communicate critical information and guidance to their users. The Desktop Wallpaper was centrally managed and distributed to users through group policies. This customer decided to use Desktop wallpaper as communication medium in order to distribute information, recommendations or instructions to be followed during COVID-19 Crisis while working at company premises. We have been asked by a customer to find a way to quickly update the Desktop Wallpaper.
![elinks force refresh elinks force refresh](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O6gMhKUlv_4/maxresdefault.jpg)
The idea of this post comes from a real case scenario. This post is investigating the possibility to refresh a desktop wallpaper without the need of a logoff/logon operation.