My desktop background keeps turning black, and restarting Explorer brings it back. Can I put a .cmd or .bat file on the desktop to do that with a click?
Can I restart Windows Explorer with a batch file?
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Wumple
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Yes. Open Notepad and put these two commands on separate lines, then save the file as restart-explorer.cmd. Choose All Files in the save dialog so Notepad doesn't add .txt to the name.
taskkill /f /im explorer.exestart "" explorer.exe
Double-click the file to run it. The taskbar and desktop will briefly disappear while Explorer restarts, and any open File Explorer windows may close.
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I'd also check where the wallpaper file is stored. If it's on a network share or removable drive, try copying it to a local folder in your user profile and setting it again. A Pictures folder can be redirected, so check its actual location too.
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The batch file is a handy workaround, but a daily black background is worth investigating. Check for Windows updates, and consider running sfc /scannow and DISM's RestoreHealth repair if you suspect damaged system files. Unstable hardware settings are another possibility, not a diagnosis on their own.
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If Explorer has already stopped and you just need it back, press Windows+R, type explorer.exe and press Enter. That's a quick manual option without opening Task Manager.
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Wumple:
Does the first command restart Explorer by itself?
puddleproof_plans:
No, taskkill just stops it. The second command starts it again.