Bing Wallpaper Not Changing the Desktop Background [Solved]

Clearing the app data usually does the trick

Windows 11 » Repair

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by Kazim Ali Alvi 

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bing desktop background not changing

Microsoft’s official Bing Wallpaper app automatically sets the image from Bing as the desktop background every day. But for many of us, the Bing desktop background is not changing or stops updating!

If you are wondering why the Bing wallpaper is not changing, it’s likely due to a bug in the app or OS, corrupt system files, misconfigured settings, missing privileges, or incorrect date and time.

To start with, make sure you have the Bing Wallpaper app, as Microsoft has discontinued the older Bing Desktop app. Also, verify that you have a stable Internet connection and reboot the PC!

What can I do if Bing Wallpaper’s desktop background is not changing?

1. Add Bing Wallpaper to startup apps

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager and go to the Startup apps tab.
  2. Select BingWallpaper.exe from the list of applications, and if it reads Disabled under the Status column, click on Enable.enable startup to fix bing desktop background not changing
  3. Restart the computer and check whether Bing Wallpaper is still not updating.

2. Set the correct date and time

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, go to Time & language from the navigation pane, and then click on Date & time.date & time
  2. Choose your time zone from the Time Zone dropdown menu, and click the Change button to manually set the date and time.
  3. Set the correct date and time, and click on Change to confirm.correct time
  4. Reboot the PC for the changes to come into effect and check for improvements.

3. Clear the Bing Wallpaper’s cache

  1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, and navigate the following path, where Username is the active profile name:C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\BingWallpaperApp\WPImages
  2. Press Ctrl + A to select all the files, then hit Delete, and choose the appropriate response in case a confirmation prompt appears.delete Bing Wallpaper cache
  3. Now, press Windows + S to open Search, type Internet Options in the text field, and click the relevant result.
  4. Click the Delete button under Browsing history.delete browsing history
  5. With Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History ticked, again click on Delete at the bottom.delete to fix bing desktop background not changing
  6. Reboot the PC and check for improvements.

When Bing Wallpaper is not updating the desktop background automatically every day, you should clear the app data. Often, this data goes corrupt, and subsequently, Bing Wallpaper stops working!

4. Modify OverrideWallpaper in Registry

Tip icon Editor’s tip
Before you start making changes to the Registry, create a restore point. This way, if you inadvertently modify the wrong keys, there will always be the option to revert the PC to the previous stable configuration.
  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type regedit in the text field, and hit Enter.registry editor
  2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  3. Paste the following path in the address bar and hit Enter: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\BingWallpaperApppath
  4. Double-click the OverrideWallpaper entry on the right.
  5. Enter 1 under Value data and click on OK to save the changes.modify to fix bing desktop background not changing

If the Bing Wallpaper’s Daily wallpaper refresh setting keeps turning off, setting 1 as the Value data for the OverrideWallpaper string should do the trick!

5. Reinstall the Bing Wallpaper app

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type appwiz.cpl in the text field, and click OK.appwiz.cpl
  2. Select Bing Wallpaper from the list of apps, and click on Uninstall.uninstall to fix bing desktop background not changing
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the app.
  4. Reboot the computer to apply the changes.
  5. Finally, you can reinstall Bing Wallpaper from Microsoft’s official website.

For a few, a quick reinstall didn’t work, and they had to rely on a reliable software uninstaller tool to get rid of all leftover files and Registry entries before reinstalling Bing Wallpaper.

By now, you should have Bing Wallpaper properly running if it was not automatically changing the desktop background. If the problem persists, the only likely possibility is a temporary server issue or a bug in the app itself. For both of these cases, you should contact Microsoft support for more help!

Before you leave, discover our top picks for Windows 11 wallpaper apps, and see if any of these would be a perfect fit for your PC.

Which fix worked for you? Share with our readers in the comments section.

More about the topics: bing, desktop background, wallpaper

Kazim Ali Alvi

Kazim Ali Alvi Shield

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He's specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem. Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He's also one of our experts in Networking & Security.