Users of Windows 7 who preferred the simplicity of solid color backgrounds over more elaborate wallpapers experienced a perplexing delay during startup. This issue, which emerged shortly after the operating system’s launch in June 2009, lingered for approximately four months, capturing the attention of Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen in his recent blog post on The Old New Thing.
Understanding the Startup Delay
Chen, a long-time advocate of solid color desktop backgrounds—specifically a soothing bluish-green hue—has maintained this preference since the days of Windows 95. He recalls a time when he, too, believed that opting for minimalist backgrounds would ease the burden on his system’s RAM and hard drive. However, this assumption proved incorrect during the early months of Windows 7.
The root of the startup delay for those who favored solid colors was surprisingly straightforward. The Windows 7 logon system was programmed to wait for the loading of the desktop wallpaper bitmap, along with a confirmation that this process was complete. Consequently, users who opted for a plain background found themselves subjected to a timeout period of up to 30 seconds before the Windows Welcome screen would transition.
In his blog, Chen elucidates the technical misstep that led to this inconvenience. “The code to report that the wallpaper is ready was embedded within the wallpaper bitmap code,” he explains. “If you don’t have a wallpaper bitmap, the report is never generated, and the logon system waits in vain for a notification that will never come.” This oversight not only affected solid color enthusiasts but also those who chose to hide their desktop icons, inadvertently extending their startup time.
It’s important to clarify that the absence of a wallpaper or desktop icons did not directly add 30 seconds to the startup time. Rather, the Welcome screen remained visible for the full duration of the timeout, regardless of how quickly the system was ready to proceed—whether that took five seconds or twenty-five seconds, depending on individual system performance.
