Locations where wallpapers were taken for Windows XP
Windows has undoubtedly been the most widespread and popular operating system for desktop computers since its inception. We have all worked with it in one form or another. And so we spent hours, days, and weeks looking at standard desktop wallpapers, especially when the Internet was not widely available and there was virtually no choice.
I decided to go through all the most famous Windows desktop wallpapers and find the locations where they were photographed. This is extremely interesting, especially if you ever want to visit these places.
As you already know, I set out to find the locations where the photos familiar to all of us were taken. These are wallpapers and sample images that come pre-installed in the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Windows XP
Released in 2001, Windows XP was a real breakthrough in the development of operating systems and held a strong position in the ranking of the most popular OS for many years. It came with a whole range of wallpapers and sample images that have become classics, including the standard “Hills” that we have all seen.
Bliss
This image of green hills greeted users immediately after installing Windows XP, from where it was then transferred to Windows Server 2003 and Windows Mobile. The famous shot was taken by Charles O’Rear in 1996, and for a long time, the location of the shot remained a mystery to the general public (YOUNGER, Carolyn. Windows XP desktop screen is a Napa image. Napa Valley Register [онлайн]. 18
января 2010 [дата обращения 25
января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_7703c8b2-03e9-11df-bb34-001cc4c03286.html)).
Location: Highway 121 in Sonoma County, California, USA. Coordinates — 38.25023369065652, -122.41075750646584.
Ascent
The author of the photograph is Mark Carras. It depicts Mount Rainier, Washington State, USA.
Autumn
Like many photos that were part of Microsoft’s brainchild, it was purchased from a photo stock site where it was uploaded by Peter Burian. In 2022, users raised funds to purchase it in 4K resolution. [1].
A group of enthusiasts spent over a year finding the exact location where the shot was taken.[2]: Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The point from which the photograph was taken. — 43.426322600207094, -79.9298335520244.
Azul
Bill Ross traveled to the Cook Islands in 1991 to take good photos of tropical islands for his stock agency. There, he took a boat tour and captured this shot on Fuji 50 film.[3].
Location: Aitutaki Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, Cook Islands. South of Aitutaki Island. Coordinates of the location — -18.939144141034387, -159.7357113351366.
Home
Taken by Greg Nikas in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Exact location — 35.67433115950585, -105.92434565168496[4].
Red moon desert
One of the most controversial wallpapers in Windows. It is believed that the image is a montage of several photographs, as the moon in it is upside down.
The footage was shot by Charles O’Rear, author of Those Green Hills, between 1998 and 1999. The location was Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, South Africa.
Interestingly, this image was originally planned to be used as the default wallpaper, but the idea was scrapped because testers saw… buttocks![5]
Stonehenge
Perhaps the easiest location to identify is Roger Resmeyer’s 1989 work. The stone archaeological monument is easily recognizable.
Location coordinates — 51.17891899222577, -1.8266227068376317. Salisbury, United Kingdom.
Sunset
The sunset photo in the “Sample Images” folder was also frequently set as desktop wallpaper. It was taken by Mick Rössler at Lake Pichola in Rajasthan, India.
Taken from approximately this point: 24.573472223840593, 73.68289165189564, with a view towards the Udaipur Safari Park.
Blue hills
Mark Carras, author of Blue Hills, took this photograph near Colville, Washington, USA. It shows hills in a national forest.
Forest coordinates — 48.68877193730361, -117.62398080644101
Wind
Another desert among the desktop wallpapers in the standard Windows XP build by Jeff Vanug. This sand dune was photographed in Namibia, but its exact location has not yet been determined.
Tulips
Bill Ross took another photo in addition to the palm trees in the ocean. Yellow tulips with a view of the blue sky in the clouds were photographed in 1991 in Washington State, USA.
Here in Skagit Valley, every spring there is a tulip festival, one of the most popular in North America.
Coordinates — 48.41954441732096, -122.33840977178416
Windows XP Media Center Edition
At the Arch
An example of an image from Media Edition. Its author is unknown, but the location can be easily found on the Internet using a search engine. This is Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah, USA.
Coordinates of the shooting location — 38.7438835403698, -109.49925938439901
- Finally. Windows XP’s Autumn wallpaper in full res, 4200×2800. Reddit [онлайн]. 12
января 2022 [дата обращения 25
января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://www.reddit.com/r/windowsxp/comments/s2i9ta/finally_windows_xps_autumn_wallpaper_in_full_res/[↩] - TOSCHES, Nick. Nick Tosches: Autumn and the Plot Against Me. Vanity Fair [онлайн]. 19
февраля 2007 [дата обращения 25
января 2025]. Режим доступа:
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/02/autumn200702[↩] - The Story Behind Azul. Reddit [онлайн]. 1 января 2020 [дата обращения 25 января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://www.reddit.com/r/windowsxp/comments/eiifox/the_story_behind_azul/[↩]
- Does anybody know on what street in Santa Fe or in what year the “Home” wallpaper was Taken? Reddit [онлайн]. 15
ноября 2024 [дата обращения 25
января 2025]. Режим доступу: https://www.reddit.com/r/windowsxp/comments/1gq893h/does_anybody_know_on_what_street_in_santa_fe_or/[↩] - CHEN, Raymond. Windows brings out the Rorschach test in everyone. The Old New Thing [онлайн]. 25
августа 2003 [дата обращения 25
января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20030825-00/?p=42803[↩]
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