Microsoft introduced Desktop Slideshow feature with Windows 7 OS, and the feature is present in the latest Windows 10 as well. As all of you know, Desktop Slideshow feature lets you have a slide show of your favorite wallpapers. The feature supports the changing of the desktop wallpaper at intervals ranging from 10 seconds to 1 day.
Hundreds of theme packs (set of wallpapers) are also available as a free download from the Windows personalization gallery and Windows 10 Store. The only problem with the feature is that you need to manually right-click on the desktop and then click Next desktop background option to switch to the next background in the slideshow.
Sure, you can set the interval in Personalization window (not present in Windows 10) but wouldn’t it be nice if there was a shortcut to quickly switch to the next background in the pipeline, without having to open the desktop context menu.
Of course, when you on desktop, you can press Shift + F10 keys followed by N key to switch to the next desktop background, but we have a better solution that automates clicking above keys and lets you switch to the next background with a click.
Windows 10 users who love to have themes will be glad to know that it’s actually possible to create a shortcut to switch to the next desktop background. Just follow the given below steps to create a shortcut to perform “next desktop background” action.
Create a hotkey to switch to the next desktop background in Windows 10/8/7
Step 1: Open the Notepad application and then paste the below code in the Notepad.
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
Step 2: Save the file with any name but with .vbs extension. That’s it! You can now do a double-click on the newly created .vbs file to switch to the next desktop background. Users who would like to have a keyboard shortcut need to follow the next two steps as well.
Step 3: Right-click on the newly created .vbs file and click Create shortcut option to have a shortcut of the the file on the desktop.
Step 4: Do a right-click on the shortcut, select Properties. Switch to the Shortcut tab, and then enter a hotkey in the Short Key box. Click the Apply button.
That’s it! From now onwards, you can use this new shortcut key to switch to the next desktop background. Good luck!
Thanks to Ethan Tsai @TechNet forums for the tip.
Konstantinas says
In Windows 11 it seems there is a short delay (animation) when opening the context menu so for me to make this script work in Win11 I added a short sleep command in the script:
const MENU_OPEN_DELAY_MS = 150
const CTRL_SPACE_KEY = “^ ”
const SHIT_F10_KEY = “+{F10}”
const N_KEY = “n”
set shell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
‘Clear any selected shortcut – shortcuts usually dont start with an empty space
shell.SendKeys(CTRL_SPACE_KEY)
‘Open context menu on desktop
shell.SendKeys(SHIT_F10_KEY)
‘Wait for the context menu to open (in win11 there is short animation…)
WScript.Sleep(MENU_OPEN_DELAY_MS)
‘Select the “Next desktop background” option in the context menu
shell.SendKeys(N_KEY)
DIO says
WHAT ABOUT PREVIOUS BACKGROUND? someone has a script to enable this?
Andreas Coors says
had to add two things to get it to work on W10:
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.AppActivate “Program Manager”
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“{ENTER}”)
WildcatMidnight says
* Hi
@Admin, @Gangrena, @Ed, @Awais, @Yash, @Indika, @Notofinterest, @Rahul-Sahu
* After testing _ the-Final-result is:
– With the .Vbs(file) _ it Only-works when:
‘ The .Vbs(file) is (placed) at the Desktop;
‘ The Desktop must be Enable (option) “Show desktop icons”
(Activated-State)
– With the HotKey-combo (for Shortcut):
‘ There’s No-way working (it’s Invalid all the time)
* Ok (& Stop this Topic)
DANIEL says
A says……that{s the solution to the problem.
gangrena says
Made the bogus script to work but shortcut is still broken. Whenever I press the keys it does nothing then opens up a menu. This was a waste of my time.
Etienne Horn says
Someone already said this, but on Windows 10, just press ‘N’ then right-click on the desktop
Matic says
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
WshShell.SendKeys “{ENTER}”
Mikael says
Win 8.1 here.
For me it only works if I also add this line as the last line:
WshShell.SendKeys(“{ENTER}”)
Chathu says
@dmh2000
while pressing and holding “N” key and R.click is also the same as R.click on the desktop and selecting next background. If you are not clear about what I’m saying, if you R.click and press “N” also the same thing is happens. So in this way we are doing the same thing.
dmh2000 says
In Windows 10: Hold N key and Right-Click. This is built into Windows 10, after hours of searching I found this easy solution, forget the script.
dmh2000 says
In Windows 10: Hold N key and Right-Click. This is built-in in Windows 10, after hours of searching I found this easy solution, forget the script.
haseeb says
waoooooooooooooooooooooo….. thanks
Ed says
To make a hot key, you need to make a shortcut to the program. Keep in mind when reading this that your system may behave differently. For some systems you will need to have the shortcut on your desktop, you should seek the information for your particular machine. For Windows 10 I can keep them where I like to. I save special programs like this in a specific folder along with their shortcuts. Then open the shortcut’s properties, and click the “shortcut key” field and press the desired key combo. I suggest testing the shortcut before you make it to be sure there is not already one for that key combo.
Awais says
what for windows 10 it is also not accepting
yash says
how to make this thing work on windows 10?
Red_Hacker says
Use this Instead.100% working on all windows
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
Suresh says
For windows 8.1 users, just change the quotation marks to straight quotes in the script. Curly/smart quotes do not work. Everything else is same.
Sandip Pramanik says
Use this block of code::::
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
Gill says
opening the vbs file says have invalid character.
win7.
copy paste as it is to notepad its not working.
error code:800A0408
Rajan says
Does not work on window 8.1
(note, normal double quotes “):
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
Does not work on window 8.1
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
Ahmed Essam says
you can open the file vbs you put on the desktop if its name starts by “N” by pressing ( n + enter) that will work if the file is the only file starts with “N” on your desktop
Jason Sterling says
@Bill, you are a legend!
A says
@admin, because you used an editor to publish the solution, your double quotes are not the doublequotes that powershell will recognize, so a straight copy/paste the solution into notepad will throw an error.
Change your solution to (note, normal double quotes “):
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“^ “)
WshShell.SendKeys(“+{F10}”)
WshShell.SendKeys(“n”)
indika says
Great work, thanks, but how we use this shortcut, Coz it appear window like right click on desktop task bar :)
Notofinterest says
THIS IS NOT A WORKING SOLUTION
Both NEXT BACKGROUND and NEW starts with an N… Dooooh! as Homer would have put is..
Better try tings out before bragging about solution.
Muuuuu!
admin says
@ That’s a good one, Bill. Thanks.
Bill says
All you have to do is hold the “N” key and right click on the screen, and it will advance automatically, easier than all that mumbo jumbo you posted… :)
Rahul Sahu says
Sir, after creating shortcut key, and then using it then shows that list of options which are of task-bar (i.e. when we do right click on task-bar).
Rahul Sahu says
Sir, I have created “.vbs” file and created shortcut on desktop. I double clicked it and it works good. But now I created shortcut key also in properties but not working.
Then, what to do now?
Thanks in advance.