Knowledge Base » [540883] Why does my desktop pattern change or disappear when I host a session?

In order to provide the best possible performance, GP5 removes or suspends the current desktop pattern (wallpaper) on the hosting computer during a presentation.
The original desktop pattern will return when the presentation is ended and during a paused presentation.

If, however, GP5 exits or quits in an unexpected manner the desktop pattern will not return to it's original state.*
PC users will have the original wallpaper restored the next time the computer is re-started.
Unfortunately, Macintosh computers do not use the same methods to suspend the desktop image and users will not be able to recover the original wallpaper.

The image/pattern can be reset manually on either a Mac or a PC without restarting it by selecting the Desktop in the System Preferences or the Display in the Control Panel respectively.

* Unexpected manner includes ending the process on a PC, force quitting the application on a Mac, or a GP5 freeze/crash.

The less data that needs to be sent to the participants, the faster they will receive the screen updates from the presenter.
Most desktop patterns/images are very detailed which translates to larger amounts of data compared to a single colored desktop.
Since the main objective of most presentations is something other than the desktop image, it is disabled during the presentation.
If however, you do need the guests to see your original desktop image/pattern during your presentation, you can manually reset it while you are presenting.

Yes, but we do not recommend it unless you need it as part of the presentation as it can slow the performance to some extent.
To restore the original desktop during a presentation, simply use the System Preferences (Mac) or the Control Panel (PC) and select the desired desktop image/pattern while you are presenting.