Turns out Windows XP's iconic default desktop wallpaper is actually a photo of a real life hill in the Bay Area. I went and found the hill, plus the amazing 79-year-old man who took the photo.

SEE MORE The latest ugly holiday sweater from Microsoft features the Windows XP “Bliss” desktop image. (Microsoft Photo) The hills are alive on this year’s ugly holiday sweater from Microsoft.

A Windows XP desktop, with the “Bliss” image in the background. In 1998, photographer Charles “Chuck” O’Rear was driving from Sonoma County through Napa on his way to Marin County.

The iconic Windows XP default desktop wallpaper of a sloped green hill beneath a bright blue sky is one of the most viewed photos in the world, but surprisingly difficult to locate in reality.

Iconic Windows wallpapers in ultrawide 21:9 I will never get tired of the iconic Bliss wallpaper from Windows XP. (Image credit: Microsoft | Adobe) These wallpapers aren't old; they're retro.

“And I always had a camera with me.” "Bliss" hill, located in Sonoma, Calif. off Hwy 12, is the subject of one of the world's most viewed photos: Windows XP's default desktop wallpaper.

And though a jaw-dropping image of men golfing near an inferno in Washington last month was real, claims that the hill from the Windows XP desktop background is burning are a big, fat lie.

Microsoft purchased it in 2000. The picture known as "Bliss" soon became one of the most viewed photographs in the world when it was set as the default desktop background in Windows XP.

Sonoma’s default wallpaper, reminiscent of Windows XP’s famous “Bliss,” showcases Sonoma County’s picturesque mountains. MacOS version 14’s new default wallpaper features animated ...