System.SetWallpaper: why does it copy my pictures?

from Stardock Forums
So I'm using drag and drop to get the file path to my pictures. I store the file path in object.persiststorage. Then, system.setwallpaper calls on object.persiststorage and
changes the wallpaper to whatever is in object.persistorage. (I hope you're still with me here). Now, when I go to My Pictures there is a copy of every picture that has been set as my wallpaper. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
desktopx
4,400 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Someone on the WCdx forums said they were having this problem as well. He also said that it was probably either DX or Windows that insists on using bmp. I tried a bitmap picture and it did not make a copy.

Does anyone here have any suggestions?

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
rename everything to have .bmp instead of .jpg, .png or whatever they are.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
You mean I have to go through ALL of my pictures; changing them to bitmaps?

(Note, that I do not put the actual file name in the script. I use drag and drop to get the filename.)
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You're right - it WILL create a copy of the file because Windows must use a Bitmap image as the wallpaper. When setting a JPEG or png image as a wallpaper normally, Windows converts it internally and stores it as a Bitmap format temporarily.

What I have done to compensate for this in my wallpaper changer (Porthole: http://www.deviantart.com/view/34946883/) was to set up a check to see if there is a copy first in the original format and second in the bitmap format. If it comes back true then it deletes the bitmap copy before moving on the next image.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Hi, Sranshaft.

I downloaded your object. I see the icon in my system tray but I can't seem to figure out how it works.

If I'm understanding correctly, your script checks to see if WINDOWS has already made a copy internally, and if it has, it then it deletes the copy DX makes? ( I'm a scripting amateur so this gets a little confusing sometimes.)

You wouldn't be interested in posting that code would you?    I should probably note that I plan on releasing this widget I'm making. So if you don't want me to use your code I'm fine with that.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I'll take that as a 'no'.  

Alright, Garibaldi99 over at the WCdxforums has been great at trying to help me out. He gave me this code :

Dim fso, sourcefile
Set fso = CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set windowspath = fso.GetSpecialFolder(0)
Set sourcefile = fso.GetFile(Object.PersistStorage("picpath"))
sourcefile.Copy windowspath & "\wallpaperfile.jpg",True
system.setwallpaper windowspath & "\wallpaperfile.jpg",1


He said that it would copy the file to the windows directory before setting it as a wallpaper, and overwrite it each time.

I tested it and now it does not change the wallpaper. I'm sure it just needs a little tweaking somewhere in there but if I knew how to do that I wouldn't be here asking around.

This is my full script (with the additional code):

Sub Object_OnScriptEnter
d= weekday(date)
call Checkday
End Sub

Sub Object_OnDropFiles(files)
Dim path

path= Split(files, "|")
newpath= LBound(path)
newpath2= path(newpath)
object.PersistStorage("picpath") = newpath2
object.ToolTipText= (object.PersistStorage("picpath"))

call Checkday
End Sub

Function Checkday
d= weekday(date)
Select Case d
Case 1
Dim fso, sourcefile
Set fso = CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set windowspath = fso.GetSpecialFolder(0)
Set sourcefile = fso.GetFile(Object.PersistStorage("picpath"))
sourcefile.Copy windowspath & "\wallpaperfile.jpg",True
system.setwallpaper windowspath & "\wallpaperfile.jpg",3
End Select
End Function

-----------------

So, does anyone here have any ideas or suggestions? Here's my post at the WCdxForums:https://forums.wincustomize.com/index.aspx?ForumID=37&AID=122752#960933