Build version on Desktop.

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[DaveBRenn]

Help please.

I am now running W10 version 1909, build 18363.476.

On my desktop, lower right, it still shows Build 18362 19h1 release 190318. How do I remove this from my desktop? I have tried doing the regedit tweak but it stays the same.

Thanks

• This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by DaveBRenn.

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Dave – What regedit tweak did you use to ADD the info in the first place? This will determine whether the info has been added to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive, i.e. the desktops of ‘all users’ or to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive, i.e. just the ‘current user’ desktop.

There’s 4 different ways to remove the build info from just above the desktop’s taskbar on lower right depending on whether it’s been set for just 1) ‘current user’ or 2) ‘all users’ and whether it’s just 3) ‘display OS’ or 4) ‘display OS and windir’.

I’ve attached a ZIP file containing 8 REG files – 4 to remove the info and 4 to add the info:

Desktop – Display OS version (All Users) – REMOVE.reg
Desktop – Display OS version (All Users) – SHOW.reg

Desktop – Display OS version (Current User) – REMOVE.reg
Desktop – Display OS version (Current User) – SHOW.reg

Desktop – Display OS version and windir (All Users) – REMOVE.reg
Desktop – Display OS version and windir (All Users) – SHOW.reg

Desktop – Display OS version and windir (Current User) – REMOVE.reg
Desktop – Display OS version and windir (Current User) – SHOW.reg

add-remove-OS-info-on-desktop-reg-files

Alternatively, use the following which just amalgamates all 4 removal scenarios into just one REG file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Control Panel\Desktop]
"PaintDesktopVersion"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"DisplayVersion"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"PaintDesktopVersion"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"DisplayVersion"=-

Note that you’ll need to sign out/sign in or restart for the desktop wallpaper to be redrawn.

Hope this helps…

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Hi Rick,

I think I used HKEY_CURRENT_USER – Control Panel – Desktop –

PaintDesktopVersion where I changed the DWORD to 1. I tried changing

the value to 0 but it does not work.

Does this make a difference?

Thanks

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Dave – Either delete the PaintDesktopVersion registry entry or – from within the ZIP file – use the following REG file:

Desktop – Display OS version (Current User) – REMOVE.reg

It will delete the PaintDesktopVersion entry for you rather than change the entry’s value.

Sign out/sign in afterwards and let us know if it has worked for you.

Hope this helps…

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Rick, deleting the PaintVersionDesktop entry from the registry

did not help at all.

 

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Rick, the Windows.old file would not have any influence on this?

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No, Windows.old wouldn’t affect it. Are you sure it’s not a wallpaper?

Tell you what, try this from within the Registry Editor:

1. Right-click on HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop and export the key as hkcu.reg to your desktop.
2. Either post the contents of the REG file to your next post or attach it as a ZIP file.

Hope this helps…

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Dave, I’ve just used Nir Sofer’s RegScanner to find all instances of PaintDesktopVersion and DisplayVersion on a Win 10 1909 build.

It looks like MS are no longer using DisplayVersion for painting the OS version and windir info together on the desktop… and I have no idea how long that has changed.

It means that PaintDesktopVersion (a) should be the *only* relevant search string… and RegScanner picks up 4 instances (b) … only one of which relates to ‘current user’:

(The SID ending in 500 (c) is the Administrator account.)

You can try this yourself with RegScanner. It’s free and portable. Run it using Run as administrator then search for PaintDesktopVersion. Your search should pick up 3 because you removed the HKCU entry. We’ll put it back soon.

Hope this helps…

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Rick I also could not find that one.

I’m not sure how to get the key  for the HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

 

See attachment to see if it is a wallpaper

 

 

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Now I’m confused… your desktop is showing not just the OS version but also – underneath it – the windir info… and that’s always been the result of DisplayVersion in use under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows… which I cannot find on the 1909 device I’m looking at.

Hang on… I’m going to import the Desktop – Display OS version and windir (All Users) – SHOW.reg file to see if I can duplicate the desktop info that you’re seeing. (Nice photo, BTW.)

Back in a few minutes.

Hope this helps…

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Rick have no idea if this is correct.

 

 

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Rick I deleted the registry PaintDesktopVersion entry earlier.

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DaveBRenn wrote:

Rick I deleted the registry PaintDesktopVersion entry earlier.

We’re going to put it back as soon as the problem is sorted.

Or you can do it now… just merge the following as a REG file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"PaintDesktopVersion"=dword:00000000

This will put the entry back with the correct DWORD value.

Hope this helps…

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The REG file you attached was great… and confirmed that PaintDesktopVersion is *not* the entry you are looking for.

I’ve just successfully added the OS version and windir info to my 1909 laptop so I know that DisplayVersion is what you are looking for. All that’s needed is to determine whether it’s been added just to ‘current user’ or to ‘all users’.

Grab Nir Sofer’s RegScanner (make sure you get the right ‘bitness’ for your device from the download choices near the bottom of the webpage), unzip the download and make sure you run it using the right-click Run as administrator option.

Search for DisplayVersion and post what you find.

Hope this helps…

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Rick hope this helps.

 

rscan

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It sure does. It shows the ‘Display OS and windir’ set for ‘All Users’.

Find this HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows entry in RegScanner:

1. *Right*-click on the DisplayVersion entry and choose the option to Open in Regedit.
2. Amend the DWORD value from 1 to 0 then OK the change.
3. Close the Registry Editor and RegScanner.
4. Sign out/sign in or restart.

(Note: The reason that I asked you to run RegScanner using the right-click Run as administrator option was so opening Regedit from within RegScanner would open the Registry Editor as elevated as well, allowing you to make changes to data… which a non-elevated Regedit often cannot do in the HKLM hive, only HKCU.)

Hope this helps…

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Success Rick!

The build version no longer appears on the desktop.

Many thanks.

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Glad it all worked out for you. Thanks for letting us know.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DaveBRenn

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I want to see the version on the desktop and have been doing so for many years (using [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] “PaintDesktopVersion”=dword:00000001)

After updating to 1909 it still display the previous version (Build 18362.19h1_release.190318-1202). This data is present in several locations in the registry.

Is this a known bug?

BTW, results of registry changes for this display can be seen quickly by simply restarting Windows Explorer from Task Manager. No need to log off or restart.

 

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chrisb491 wrote:

After updating to 1909 it still display the previous version (Build 18362.19h1_release.190318-1202). This data is present in several locations in the registry. Is this a known bug?

I noted this anomaly in a post in another topic and a colleague posted back that it’s a fake registry version, i.e. it’s not a bug but deliberate. I’m not at all sure of the purpose but it’s one of the reasons why I prefer to use BgInfo instead, i.e. so i have more control over where the info is retrieved from.

I’ve been unable to find any MS documentation about it but AFAIK the effects of restarting Explorer are limited to the current user and the full registry isn’t re-read. As PaintDesktopVersion and/or DisplayVersion can be stored ‘per user’ in HKCU or for ‘all users’ in HKLM, i.e. in 2 different registry hives, and the OP wasn’t sure which method he had used, I thought it best to advise a sign in/sign out or restart… just in case.

Hope this helps…

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It does help. Thanks. I’ll try BgInfo.

 

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