Dropdown menu gone missing in System Preferences/Desktop option

[Dave_R]

In the Desktop/Screen Saver screen, the drop down menu showing 'center/tile/fit to screen' etc. options has suddenly gone missing.

I'm running El Capitan on an iMac.

This happens in any account.

I don't have 'Change Picture' ticked.
I've run First Aid in the Disk Utility and the disk is OK.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Dave Roberts

 

[toMACsh]

El Cap 10.12.4 or 10.12.5 ?

-0.1.0

 

[chscag]

El Cap 10.12.4 or 10.12.5 ?

No such version(s) of OS X.

 

[IWT]

@Dave_R

I may be the only one who's slightly confused, so bear with me.

I also run El Capitan (10.11.5).

In System Preferences > Desktop & Saver, I can't find any drop down menu.

Would you mind just taking us (well, me anyway!) through the steps you take to reach the Drop Down, so that I can mimic your actions and see what my Mac shows? Hopefully advise thereafter.

Ian

 

[Slydude]

@IWT do the following in El Capitan to see what the OP is talking about. From System Preferences>Desktop and Saver make sure you are in the Desktop section. If you are using one of the Apple provided desktop pictures/patterns use the menu at the left to select one of your won photos. When you click a photo to select it. I series of pictures may appear on the right side of the screen with the drop down menu just above it.

@Dave_R That menu seems to only appear if you are using something other than one of the Apple provided pictures/patterns. I suspect that whether or not the menu appears at all depends upon whether the image needs to be re-sided to fit the screen.

 

[IWT]

@slydude,

Got you. I only use Apple's selection at the moment — No drop down menu; but as you very correctly point out, if I select one of my own photos, then the tilt/fit/etc drop down appears.

@Dave_R. Moderator slydude is spot on - again!

Ian

 

[Slydude]

@slydude,

Got you. I only use Apple's selection at the moment — No drop down menu; but as you very correctly point out, if I select one of my own photos, then the tilt/fit/etc drop down appears.

Ian

Same here. I was about to post saying it wasn't there for me either when I vaguely remembered having seen the option in an earlier version of El Cap. Had to do a little poking around to find out what was happening.

@Dave_R I haven't investigated further yet to figure out if the size/resolution of the image has any effect on whether you see the drop down menu. In other words does that menu appear if one of your personal pictures (not one provided by Apple) is already the same size and resolution as the Apple provided pictures.

 

[Dave_R]

Many apologies for this very late response to your very helpful comments. I was trying to get some screenshots uploaded without any succes. Then I had a serious illness in the family which took my mind away from everything.

I'm still having a problem with uploading a png file but it does look as though the problem is to do with whether the system thinks a picture is an Apple picture or a user picture.

If I add a personal picture to an Apple folder the dropdown menu doesn't appear if it is chosen but does if it is in a user folder. So it looks as if the system only puts up the options based on the location.

 

[Slydude]

Sorry to hear that you have had a rough few weeks. Hopefully things are going a bit better now.

Nice piece of detective work there. I did't think to check whether moving a picture to the "Apple authorized location" made a difference.