Set Wallpaper

Set images as desktop wallpaper or lock screen background using igcmd

ImageGlass provides command-line tools to set images as your Windows desktop wallpaper or lock screen background.

set-wallpaper

Set an image as the Windows desktop wallpaper with a specified display style.

Syntax

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper <imagePath> <style>

Parameters

imagePath · string · required

Full path to the image file to set as wallpaper

Examples:

• "C:\Photos\landscape.jpg"
• "D:\Images\nature.png"
• "%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\photo.jpg"

style · enum · required

Wallpaper display style

Options:

• Centered (or 0) - Center the image on screen without scaling
• Stretched (or 1) - Stretch to fill the entire screen
• Tiled (or 2) - Tile the image across the screen
• Current (or -1) - Use the current Windows wallpaper style

Exit Codes

Code	Description
0	Wallpaper set successfully
1	Administrator privileges required
2	Error (invalid style or file error)

Examples

Set Centered Wallpaper

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\landscape.jpg" Centered

Centers the image on the desktop without stretching or scaling.

Set Stretched Wallpaper

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\nature.png" Stretched

Stretches the image to fill the entire screen.

Set Tiled Wallpaper

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\pattern.jpg" Tiled

Tiles the image repeatedly across the screen (useful for patterns).

Use Current Style

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\photo.jpg" Current

Applies the image using whatever wallpaper style is currently set in Windows.

Using Numeric Style Values

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\image.jpg" 0
igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\image.jpg" 1
igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\image.jpg" 2

Wallpaper Styles Explained

Centered (0)

• Image displayed at original size
• Positioned in the center of the screen
• No scaling or distortion
• Background color visible if image is smaller than screen
• Best for: Icons, logos, or images you want to preserve exactly

Stretched (1)

• Image scaled to fill entire screen
• Maintains aspect ratio (may crop sides)
• No background color visible
• May distort if aspect ratios don’t match
• Best for: Photos, wallpapers designed for your screen resolution

Tiled (2)

• Image repeated across the screen
• No scaling applied
• Creates a pattern effect
• Best for: Small patterns, textures, or repeating designs

Current (-1)

• Uses the existing Windows wallpaper setting
• Useful when you want to change the image but keep the same display style
• Best for: Scripts that rotate wallpapers without changing user preferences

Advanced Usage

Random Wallpaper Script

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set "folder=C:\Wallpapers"
set /a "count=0"

for %%f in ("%folder%\*.jpg" "%folder%\*.png") do (
    set /a "count+=1"
    set "file[!count!]=%%f"
)

set /a "random=(%RANDOM% %% count) + 1"
igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "!file[%random%]!" Stretched

if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
    echo Wallpaper changed successfully
)

Wallpaper Rotation Schedule

@echo off
rem Run this script via Task Scheduler

set "wallpapers[0]=C:\Wallpapers\morning.jpg"
set "wallpapers[1]=C:\Wallpapers\afternoon.jpg"
set "wallpapers[2]=C:\Wallpapers\evening.jpg"
set "wallpapers[3]=C:\Wallpapers\night.jpg"

set hour=%time:~0,2%
if %hour% LSS 12 set idx=0
if %hour% GEQ 12 if %hour% LSS 17 set idx=1
if %hour% GEQ 17 if %hour% LSS 21 set idx=2
if %hour% GEQ 21 set idx=3

call igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "!wallpapers[%idx%]!" Stretched

PowerShell Wallpaper Changer

$images = Get-ChildItem "C:\Wallpapers" -Include *.jpg,*.png -Recurse
$random = $images | Get-Random

& "C:\Program Files\ImageGlass\igcmd.exe" set-wallpaper $random.FullName Stretched

if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
    Write-Host "Wallpaper set to: $($random.Name)" -ForegroundColor Green
}

Error Handling

Check for Invalid Files

@echo off
set "image=C:\Photos\wallpaper.jpg"

if not exist "%image%" (
    echo Error: File not found: %image%
    exit /b 3
)

igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "%image%" Stretched

if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 2 (
    echo Error: Invalid image file or style
    exit /b 1
)

echo Wallpaper set successfully

Handle Administrator Requirements

@echo off
igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "C:\Photos\image.jpg" Centered

if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 (
    echo Administrator privileges required
    echo Please run as administrator
    exit /b 1
)

---

set-lock-screen

Set an image as the Windows lock screen background.

Syntax

igcmd.exe set-lock-screen <imagePath>

Parameters

imagePath · string · required

Full path to the image file to set as lock screen background

Exit Codes

Code	Description
0	Lock screen set successfully
1	Administrator privileges required
2	Error setting lock screen

Examples

Basic Usage

igcmd.exe set-lock-screen "C:\Photos\lockscreen.jpg"

With Error Checking

@echo off
set "image=C:\Photos\lockscreen.jpg"

if not exist "%image%" (
    echo File not found: %image%
    exit /b 3
)

igcmd.exe set-lock-screen "%image%"

if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
    echo Lock screen updated successfully
) else if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 (
    echo Administrator privileges required
    exit /b 1
) else (
    echo Failed to set lock screen
    exit /b 2
)

PowerShell Example

$lockScreenImage = "C:\Photos\lockscreen.jpg"

if (Test-Path $lockScreenImage) {
    & "C:\Program Files\ImageGlass\igcmd.exe" set-lock-screen $lockScreenImage
    
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
        Write-Host "Lock screen updated" -ForegroundColor Green
    } elseif ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 1) {
        Write-Host "Administrator privileges required" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    } else {
        Write-Host "Failed to set lock screen" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "Image file not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Automated Lock Screen Changes

Daily Lock Screen Update

@echo off
rem Add to Task Scheduler to run daily

set "folder=C:\LockScreens"
set "date=%date:~-4%%date:~3,2%%date:~0,2%"

for /f "delims=" %%i in ('dir /b /a-d "%folder%\*.jpg" ^| findstr /i "%date%"') do (
    igcmd.exe set-lock-screen "%folder%\%%i"
    goto :done
)

rem Fallback to default
igcmd.exe set-lock-screen "%folder%\default.jpg"

:done

Random Lock Screen

# PowerShell script for random lock screen
$images = Get-ChildItem "C:\LockScreens" -Filter *.jpg
$random = $images | Get-Random

& igcmd.exe set-lock-screen $random.FullName

Write-Host "Lock screen set to: $($random.Name)"

Requirements and Limitations

Windows Permissions

• May require administrator privileges depending on system configuration
• Uses Windows Runtime (WinRT) APIs
• Requires Windows 10 or later

Image Requirements

• Supported formats: JPG, PNG, BMP, and other standard image formats
• Recommended resolution: Match or exceed your screen resolution
• File size: No strict limit, but smaller files load faster

Lock Screen Behavior

• Immediately applies the new background
• Overrides Windows Spotlight if enabled
• Persists until changed again
• Synchronized across user sessions

Security Considerations

Administrator Privileges

If exit code 1 is returned:

# Run as administrator
PowerShell -Command "Start-Process igcmd.exe -ArgumentList 'set-lock-screen','C:\Photos\image.jpg' -Verb RunAs"

File Access

• Ensure the image file is accessible to the SYSTEM account
• Avoid using network paths or removable drives
• Use local, permanently available paths

Combined Script Example

Set both wallpaper and lock screen:

@echo off
set "image=C:\Photos\background.jpg"

echo Setting wallpaper...
igcmd.exe set-wallpaper "%image%" Stretched
if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
    echo Failed to set wallpaper
    exit /b 1
)

echo Setting lock screen...
igcmd.exe set-lock-screen "%image%"
if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
    echo Failed to set lock screen
    exit /b 1
)

echo Background updated successfully!

See Also

• CLI Overview
• All Commands
• File Associations