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Heartbreak for Fans as Iconic Windows XP “Bliss” Landscape Changes Forever
It might be the most viewed photograph of all time, but fans of the legendary Windows XP desktop background are heartbroken to discover what the location looks like today.
Known in the software as “Bliss,” the image captured the rolling green hills and brilliant blue sky of Napa Valley, California, and became instantly recognizable worldwide.
However, social media users have shared images comparing the site over the years — 1998, 2006, 2020, 2024, and 2025 — revealing that the iconic grassy hills have largely disappeared, replaced by a vineyard.
“I used to stare at this for minutes and would wish I was there… it’s sad now,” wrote one disappointed viewer.
“This is what depression looks like,” commented another.
The Viral Reaction
In a viral Instagram post by @insidehistory, many users expressed disappointment at seeing the once-famous landscape altered.
On social media, people have been shocked to find that the green rolling hills have been replaced with a vineyard
“So, it’s ruined. Nice,” wrote one.
“Well that’s hideous,” said another.
“In ten more years it’ll be a parking lot,” feared one commenter.
Some mourned the loss of the once-vibrant scenery:
In the decades since the photo was taken in 1998, the Napa Valley location of ‘Bliss’ now looks totally unrecognisable
“The ‘spark’ the world used to have is gone, the once vibrant colorful world has turned dull approaching grayscale.”
Yet not everyone was upset. Some visitors defended the vineyard’s beauty:
“I’ve been there and I assure you it’s just as beautiful today. Breathtaking really,” said one.
“Beautiful vineyard,” wrote another.
Others pointed out that seasonal changes could explain some of the visual differences between photos:
“Every picture from 2006 on is just the same grapevines. Some are just during the dormant season and others during the growing season,” one observer noted.
The True History Behind “Bliss”
The original “Bliss” photo was taken by Charles “Chuck” O’Rear near the Napa-Sonoma County line. While driving, he noticed a field among vineyards that had been cleared the previous year due to an infestation by phylloxera, an insect that devastates grapevines.
O’Rear stopped and captured the legendary shot, which he initially titled “Bucolic Green Hills”. The field’s open green plains were actually an exception to the region’s usual vineyard-covered landscape, making the photo uniquely memorable.
After selling the image to the stock photography company WestLight (later acquired by Corbis Images, founded by Microsoft CEO Bill Gates), Microsoft selected the image for Windows XP in 2001, launching a $200 million advertising campaign.
O’Rear confirmed that the photo had not been digitally enhanced:
“It was all there. The clouds were there, the green grass was there and the blue sky.”
While the landscape has evolved back into vineyards, the iconic “Bliss” image remains one of the most widely viewed photographs worldwide, a symbol of nostalgia for millions of computer users.
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