Changing Desktop Wallpaper Problem

G'day All

I have an Inspiron 640m notebook, 1.83 Core 2 Duo processor with 2 GB ram and an Intel Calistoga 224 Mb integrated graphics accelerator. When I try to put a digital photograph as wallpaper on my desktop, it takes about 15 to 17 seconds. Other notebooks running lesser 128 mb shared graphics only take about 5 seconds with the same files! The photos range from 1 mb to 3.5 mb.

Sometimes I have noted that my notebook only takes about 5 seconds like the rest of them but there is no telling when it will decide to do this. I also noticed that when I resize the pic to the same resolution as my notebook's desktop, whatever it happens to be at the time, that it only takes 5 seconds to set as wallpaper, regardless of photo size. Also, it seems that for pics less than 400 kb that it changes wall paper almost instantly. I have tried opening the pic then right-clicking to set as desktop background, as well as using the appearances tap under properties that changes background. No difference.

I have done the following individual steps, which has not worked:

1) Ran a virus scan

2) Ran ad ware

3) Ran "Restore to factory setting." Computer still took 17 seconds to change the wallpaper immediately afterwards!

4) Deselected all startup programs and rebooting. Still did same thing!

5) Selected startup programs one at a time, then rebooting (yes, a lot of reboots). No Joy.

6) Dell Diagnostics software from the support site found nothing unusual

7) The 30-minute hardware scan (shutting down computer, pressing start while holding Function key) found all hardware and memory working O.K.

8) The extensive hardware and memory tests were done as well, taking a few hours, an it found nothing unusual

The only thing I did not do yet is format the hard drive and reinstall the entire operating system. I really don’t want to do this because the system did not come with the Dell software CD. All of this is on the drive, and it will be wiped out if formatted. But I am quickly coming to this!

Help! Can anyone suggest anything or has anyone experienced the same? This is so disappointing. I am quite depressed about this. I bought Dell so as to avoid all theses problems.

Thanks everyone

Shawn.