Desktop wallpaper keeps changing back to "Island at night".

Question

Desktop wallpaper keeps changing back to "Island at night".

Suddenly my Catalina version 10.15.3 (19D76) (MacBook Pro Retina, 15 inch, mid 2015) decides to show this picture when I log in during the evening. I tried to change to my own picture which was fine on one log in, but the next time it was back to this "island at night" again. This issue started two days ago. Anyone out there experienced the same thing?

Look, it thinks it is doing the right thing by showing my own chosen wallpaper (a Santorini image):

Posted on Feb 26, 2020 11:00 AM

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Answer 1

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Old Toad

Level 10

207,391 points

Feb 26, 2020 11:15 AM in response to mariafromnynäshamn

Boot into Safe Mode (Use Safe Mode to isolate issues with your Mac and Playing Safe: what does Safe Mode do?) and set the desktop picture to what you want. Reboot normally and see if it sticks.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

207,391 points

Feb 27, 2020 11:17 AM in response to mariafromnynäshamn

I'm able to access my Pictures folder for additional pics for the Desktop if so desired:

Have you tried adding folders from other parts of your hard driver just as a test? It could be a permissions issue. If that's the case this might be of help: Resolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Feb 26, 2020 1:32 PM in response to babowa

I have the light mode chosen. And the log in picture is the same island but always daylight-bright no matter when I log in. It is the working desktop (after the log-in) that now seems to be stuck at that silly night island (at least after 6 pm here in Sweden).

Thank you for your reply by the way 💚💜💙

/Maria

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Answer 4

Feb 26, 2020 1:38 PM in response to Old Toad

Oh, hmm, I must look into that!!! Thank you so much, I will take it one step at a time, as the old lady I am things like these feel a bit scary but I have to learn and get over my fears!!

(I have only tried the NVRAM but that didn't help)

Many hugs!!!!

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Answer 5

Feb 27, 2020 3:12 AM in response to Old Toad

Yes, the issue is on the second desktop, after the main/basic one.

I wonder if this is some feature that Apple has launched now in February, but they usually notify the users before updates.

Lunch time here in Sweden, the desktop I chose yesterday (from Apple's own gallery) still sits there. I wonder if the silly night island just waits in the background, ready to pop out if I log out and then log back in after 6 pm.

Well, whatever this issue might be I will not go back to PC/Windows again, I love my Mac.

Hugs again!!

/Maria

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Answer 6

Old Toad

Level 10

207,391 points

Feb 27, 2020 10:04 AM in response to LD150

So it's your actual working Desktop, right. Then make sure you don't pick a dynamic desktop picture but a static one:

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Answer 7

Feb 27, 2020 10:45 AM in response to Old Toad

Hey, this might solve the problem, I actually did choose a picture from the static gallery yesterday (the coastline one), and it was still on the desktop when logging in after 7pm today!!! Let's keep our fingers crossed!!!

This whole thing is a bit strange though, I don't really appreciate when my Mac behaves like some Windows machine and makes its own random decisions.

I do wonder if it has something to do with updates on the version 10.15.3 because on "about this computer" this little number (19D76) recently appeared.

Well, anyhow - thank you so much for your help and support!!!!

Many hugs and greetings from Sweden

💜💚💙🧡💛

/Maria

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Answer 8

Feb 27, 2020 11:17 AM in response to Old Toad

Yes, those are just great!!!!

Hmm, a final thing on the desktop issue - the Mac obviously no longer support wallpapers from my own folders, only during daytime, hahah. This is strange since the option to choose any picture as a background is possible. Only Mac's own suggestions seem to be safeguarded from now on (the static ones i.e.). I really wonder why all this happened, I haven't made any changes in the settings.

Many hugs again!!!

💜💚💙🧡💛

/Maria

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Answer 9

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Feb 26, 2020 11:15 AM in response to mariafromnynäshamn

This is somewhat of a guess, but you appear to have dark mode chosen and your image may not be compatible with that mode? There are only three dynamic choices in the System Preferences.

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Answer 10

Old Toad

Level 10

207,391 points

Feb 26, 2020 2:09 PM in response to mariafromnynäshamn

The basic login window does not change. It's always the same. Only the Desktop picture can be changed.

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Answer 11

Feb 27, 2020 4:25 AM in response to Old Toad

Yes, I see now that I was un-clear in my first post about which one of the log-in desktops that the issue happened on (and it is on the second one) sorry for that 💛💜!!!

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