How to change default user lock screen?

By Spyder
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Grand Master

Spyder Veteran

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Does anyone happen to know offhand how to do this?

Just to clarify - I'm not talking about the per-user lock screen picture. I'm talking about the lock screen for the default user. aka the one that is displayed if all user accounts on the PC are signed out.

Thanks!

I tagged the thread but just to clarify - i'm talking about Windows 8

Grand Master

Intersect

Posted
Posted

i assume thats a piece of software? i'd prefer just to make a manual registry change if possible. Do you know where to look by chance?

google is your friend

http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/03/15/windows-7-to-officially-support-logon-ui-background-customization/

Grand Master

Spyder Veteran

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the default user lock screen is the cartoony Seattle one

I scanned through the registry for LockScreen and found a path that points to

C:\programdata\microsoft\windows\systemdata\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\

Not sure if the S part is different for different PCs. Anyways, in that theres 2 folders called LockScreen_U and LockScreen_Z.

In LockScreen_U, it has the pic I've selected for the lockscreen on my user account

In LockScreen_Z, it has the pic related to the default user lockscreen (the seattle one) - the file is called LockScreen__1024_0768.jpg

to look at any of this, I had to force ownership of the folders and files.

I'm working in a virtual machine right now to figure this out so I'm going to start with just replacing that jpg to see if that works. I'm holding out hope theres a much more simple way (like changing a path in the registry to a different .jpg file)

Grand Master

Spyder Veteran

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Ok replacing it worked.

To recap, on my virtual image, the default user lock screen image was found here:

C:\programdata\microsoft\windows\systemdata\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\LockScreen_Z\LockScreen__1024_0768.jpg

It appears Windows automatically resizes and names the picture based on your PC resolution. (thus the 1024x768 in the filename for my virtual image)

Whatever pic you want to use would need to be previously sized to match your resolution for it to look right. Just make sure the new pic has the correct filename that you have that location.

I don't really like this solution since, like i said, I had to force ownership just to get at the location. It does work though. I'm hoping someone else discovers a more elegant solution rather than my current brute force method.

Lo Tec - I'm not savvy enough with batch files to know how to do it that way as I believe it would need to use command line entries to force ownership.

  • 2 months later...
Proficient

Mainer82

Posted
Posted

That didn't work for me, instead what happens is the screen is all blue. I suppose that's better than the ugly Seattle image but I'd like to be able to brand that locked screen with our company logo. I think for now, I'll disabe the lock screen via group policy.

Edit: I wonder if this is due to being on a domain? I'll have to try it while not joined to a domain.

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cluberti

Posted
Posted

It's easier to just change the file out from the original .WIM file before you install, but once you've installed this is where the file lives (and it's not easy to get to, as you found out, as Windows has really locked down those locations). Until someone writes a tool to do this automatically (Microsoft or otherwise), this is the way. I generally recommend changing the files out on the original source install.wim file, of course, as it's a heck of a lot easier (although you still need to take permission of the folder itself).

If you use dism to mount the WIM file, the files are located in <mount dir>\Windows\Web\Screen, and named img100.png - img105.png. Obviously, whatever is named img100.png gets to be the default lock screen when you install Windows from this WIM.

Proficient

Mainer82

Posted
Posted

I found this article, it's very similar to your guide Spyder but with a few extra steps. It seems to have worked for me. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/36515-TUT-Customize-Windows-8-User-Account-picture-Lock-Screen-when-unactivated

  • 2 months later...
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