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Setting a Desktop Picture


I am attempting to set a desktop picture. I want to use a picture that is in my iPhoto library. I thought that the area I have delineated with the red rectangular border would give me access to all the photos that are in iPhoto but no - it is just a subset. I would say that about 30% of the photos are available in this window. What gives? How is it that I don't have access to all the photos in iPhoto in this window?

Big Sur

11.7.4

iMac 27″, macOS 11.7

Posted on Feb 24, 2023 10:08 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 25, 2023 6:42 AM

ttibsen wrote:

How is it that I don't have access to all the photos in iPhoto in this window?

I don't remember exactly, but it has something to do with setting up albums within the photos app.


but what I have been doing is a "workaround" rather than a solution. I just open the photos app, single click a picture, and then use the "share" menu to set my desktop wallpaper.


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3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 25, 2023 6:42 AM in response to ttibsen

ttibsen wrote:

How is it that I don't have access to all the photos in iPhoto in this window?

I don't remember exactly, but it has something to do with setting up albums within the photos app.


but what I have been doing is a "workaround" rather than a solution. I just open the photos app, single click a picture, and then use the "share" menu to set my desktop wallpaper.


Feb 25, 2023 8:10 AM in response to jeffreythefrog

Thanks Jeffrey - that worked except for the fact that the picture that I wanted didn't have the right (H x W) dimensions to be a proper desktop picture. But no problem, as now the picture - even though it still doesn't show up in the collection that I have shown in the red rectangle above - is the one displayed when you open up the Desktop and Screen Saver. So then it was a simple matter of choosing the proper option from this drop down menu -

to get the desired result. At any rate, I want to thank you for showing me this alternate path to getting the desired desktop picture. Now if we could only get all the photos in iPhoto to display in the Desktop and Screen Saver app we wouldn't have to use a workaround 🙂

Feb 25, 2023 8:16 AM in response to ttibsen

ttibsen wrote:

Thanks Jeffrey

you're welcome. :)

Now if we could only get all the photos in iPhoto to display in the Desktop and Screen Saver app we wouldn't have to use a workaround 🙂

there is actually a way to get that desired result. I just forget how to do it. I did have it working at one point. but then I wanted to do a clean install. and I neglected to back up my photos app, so I lost that ability. and rather than trying to figure it out again, I found it easier to just start using the workaround.

Setting a Desktop Picture

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