How to change background on Windows 10 without activation

How to change background on Windows 10 without activation

Did you know you can change the background on Windows 10 without activation? Let’s check out how.

Let’s face it: activating a copy of Windows might not be a viable option for everyone since it could cost an arm and a leg for some.

On the other hand, if you’re using Windows 10 without activation, best believe that you will be facing some restrictions down the road.

One of these restrictions is not being able to apply a wallpaper of your liking. It’s definitely a bummer since the original Windows 10 wallpaper might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

And, what makes things even worse is that plenty of other personalization options have been locked as well for non-activated Windows 10 copies.

On the bright side, however, there are a couple of workarounds that will enable you to successfully change your background with ease.

We’re not going to have you waiting any longer, so let’s see how to change the wallpaper of a non-activated Windows 10.

Table of Contents

  1. How to change the background on Windows 10 without activation
    1. Workaround #1
    2. Workaround #2
  2. Wrap Up

How to change the background on Windows 10 without activation

As we mentioned earlier, there are two ways with which you can change your wallpaper even if you have a non-activated copy of Windows.

If you are thinking that these methods might be a tad difficult to pull off, you need not worry since they will be a piece of cake for even the least tech-savvy users.

Workaround #1

You need to rest assured that there is no simpler technique out there than this one when it comes to changing the wallpaper of a non-activated Windows 10 copy.

As a matter of fact, there’s a good chance that you would have used this method before for changing the wallpaper on any of your other systems.

  • The first step would be to open File Explorer, if your image is not located on your desktop. Afterward, head to the image that you want to set as your wallpaper;
  • As for the next step, you need to right-click the image so that you are presented with a menu;
  • One of the appearing options will include “Set as desktop background” and it is just what you need to select;
  • Right after doing it, the background of your device should immediately change. You can now head to your desktop to have a look at it.

Workaround #2

In comparison to our first method, you might find this workaround to be a bit more difficult. Nevertheless, it still gets the job done and we will teach it to you quite thoroughly so that you don’t encounter any issues.

  • For this method, you would need the help of Chrome, Edge, or any other web browser, you’ve installed. You can find an installed web browser under your Start Menu programs.
  • You should then copy the website link of your image. On the other hand, if you’re planning on setting the wallpaper as an image that’s on your system, you need to get its file path.
  • For that, right-click the desired image and go to Properties. The Properties dialog box should appear which will present you with the exact location of the file on your computer.
  • Once you’re done copying the image path, you then have to add “\<filename>” to that location. For example, it will be something like: “C:\Users\YourUserName\Desktop\Wallpapers\windowsbackground.jpg”. Paste it into the address bar of your web browser and hit Enter. The browser should open your image.
  • Now, you have to repeat the steps of Workaround #1. After right-clicking this image, you just have to select “Set as background” or “Set as wallpaper”, depending on your browser.
  • And, voila! Your background has been changed without you ever having to activate your Windows 10 copy.

Using your web browser, you can also set any image of your liking when you’re browsing the internet, as your desktop wallpaper. It’s simple!

Wrap Up

Just because you haven’t activated your copy of Windows 10 doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to personalize it to some degree.

If you follow any of our two workarounds correctly, changing the desktop wallpaper should be of no issue to you.

However, we fully recommend purchasing the Windows 10 copy and using it legally, since it’s worth every penny and can save you from future annoyances.

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