The Desktop slideshow or desktop background slideshow is a handy feature available in Windows 10 to automatically shuffle desktop background picture at given intervals.
The desktop slideshow feature can be enabled and configured by navigating to the personalization section of the Settings app.
At times, the desktop slideshow feature might stop working on Windows 10. In other words, Windows 10 might not automatically change desktop wallpaper at given intervals, even when the desktop slideshow is enabled.
If Windows 10 is not automatically changing desktop slideshow, you can try out the following solutions to fix the desktop slideshow feature issue.
Method 1 of 7
Check if Desktop slideshow is turned off
Well, the desktop slideshow feature will not work if it’s turned off. So it’s important to make sure that the feature is enabled under Settings.
To check the status of desktop slideshow feature:
Step 1: Right-click on the empty area of the desktop, click Personalize and then click Background.
Step 2: Under the Background section, make sure that the Slideshow option is selected.
If the slideshow is selected, but if the feature is not working, please refer to the solutions 2, 3, 4, and 5 mentioned below.
Refer to our how to enable desktop slideshow feature in Windows 10 guide for detailed instructions for enabling and configuring the slideshow feature.
Method 2 of 7
Allow slideshow when on battery
With default settings, Windows 10 doesn’t automatically change the desktop background picture when your PC is running on battery power to improve the backup time. In short, the desktop slideshow doesn’t work when the PC is using battery power.
However, you can configure Windows 10 to allow slideshow feature when on the battery by following the given below steps.
Step 1: Right-click on desktop, click Personalize and then click Background.
Step 2: Turn on the option labeled Allow slideshow when on battery feature to force Windows 10 to automatically change the desktop background even if the PC is running on battery power.
There is another way to allow slideshow when on battery
Step 1: Type Edit power plan in Start menu or taskbar search box, and then press Enter key to open Edit plan settings window.
Step 2: Click Change advanced power settings link to open Power Options dialog.
Step 3: Expand Desktop Background Settings tree, expand Slideshow, and then select Available for On Battery. Click the Apply button and then click OK.
Note that when you allow slideshow on the battery using the above method, Windows 10 will allow the slideshow for the selected power plan only. If you want to allow slideshow when on battery for all plans, select another plan from the drop-down list in the Power Options dialog (refer to the picture above) and make the change.
Method 3 of 7
Check the number of wallpapers in the selected folder
As you likely know, while enabling the desktop slideshow feature, Windows 10 asks you to select a folder containing pictures that you want to use for the slideshow feature.
If the slideshow is not working, make sure that the folder you selected has at least two pictures as Windows 10 can’t automatically change the desktop background if there is only one picture inside the selected folder.
Method 4 of 7
Make sure that wallpapers are not in sub-folder(s)
While checking the desktop slideshow settings, make sure that the wallpapers are present in the root of the selected folder or not in sub-folders.
Method 5 of 7
Install a different desktop themepack
If the desktop slideshow feature is not working for a specific desktop theme (desktop themepack), install a different theme, and then check if the slideshow is working. Refer to our how to install and delete a theme in Windows 10 guide.
Method 6 of 7
Uninstall recently installed desktop customization software
If none of those mentioned above solutions fixing the slideshow issue, then it could be because of a recently installed or configured third-party desktop background customization software.
If you recently installed or configured a desktop customization software, please uninstall the same and check if the slideshow works after removing the third-party customization software.
Method 7 of 7
Restore Windows 10 to an earlier date
If the slideshow feature was working without any issues till recently, you could try restoring Windows 10 to a previous date. While restoring, select a restore point created on a specific date when the slideshow was working.
Good luck!
Curt says
Thank you!
Michael says
Thanks, I’m so stupid I forgot there is advance power setting for desktop background settings
XUN says
it worked, thanks
Raphaël Dufour says
My problem : Everytime my pc ic back from “sleep mode” the shuffle stops, I have to :
Open personnalize, Uncheck shuffle and then recheck it start working again. Else it just freezes the same wallpaper for ever. How do you fix this ?
neebet says
Was this article written by Captain Obvious?
Bill Crichton says
When I updated to 1903, my Slideshow disappeared. Tried switching to a solid color and back again to Slideshow but background still reverted to solid color. What worked was to switch to Picture mode, select a photo, and THEN switch back to Slideshow.
foz says
You have to choose a folder that does not have any subfolders.
All the pics must be in 1 map.
Laxman Ganapati says
None of the fixes posted on the web and Microsoft forum worked for me. After struggling for days, I stumbled across a solution purely by accident and for which I can’t offer a legit explanation.
I connected a USB flash drive and presto! The pictures started changing.
Lizzie Hutchings says
I figured out something that worked. I didn’ t work for me for a really long time, until after I set a slideshow background, then click “Next desktop backdrop” then it just started working, so yay.
dev says
None of these works.
Jo says
I have a suggestion for another solution to desktop slideshow issues, which I haven’t seen anywhere else:
My problem is that the settings menu crashes if I change the desktop background to a slideshow, or if I try to open the lock screen settings. (on Windows 10 Pro version 1803 OS build 17134.441).
My solution involves going into C:\Windows folders and may require advanced permissions, and is as follows:
1. In (C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper) create new folder and give it theme name.
2. Add desired images for slideshow, give them simple names like img1, img2, etc.
3. In (C:\Windows\Resources\Themes) right-click and open with notepad any of the Windows Theme Files (recommended to pick one you won’t be using again. Double click on the theme files to apply them to see which ones they are. I used the Flowers theme).
4. In the notepad file, under ([Control Panel\Desktop]) Wallpaper, change the location to an image from your created (C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper) folder. This will be the theme thumbnail.
5. Under ([Slideshow]) change the Items locations to your images. For example: (Item0Path=%SystemRoot%\Web\Wallpaper\Birbs\img1.jpg)
6. File > Save As and select Save as type: All Files. Give it a name and the extension (.theme)
7. You will be prompted to save in a documents/users folder instead of the \Resources\Themes folder, do so.
8. Copy the resulting .theme file and paste it back into (C:\Windows\Resources\Themes).
9. Double click the .theme file and your slideshow should be applied.