Windows 8 System Lock Screen Background

By Aergan
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Grand Master

Aergan

Posted
Posted

Hi,

Does anyone have any knowledge regarding changing the lock screen background in Windows 8 for when no user is signed in?

Currently it's defaulting to the cartoon city background and only changes to mine after I log in. Same applies to Windows 8 if you are in a multiuser/domain environment but there appears to be no way to customise it by default in the Windows GUI.

Technically the same situation applies to Server 2012 but that has a less eye offending light grey solid colour for a background.

Google is not producing anything meaningful at time of searching.

Proficient

nyolc8

Posted
Posted

Here's how I changed it on the first day when RTM came out in august:

  • You need to go here: "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\LockScreen_Z" (you'll need to make yourself owner and make full access permissions to all subfolders to access this folder)
  • You'll find there a file called "LockScreen___RESX_RESY_notdimmed.jpg" image. (RESX is you horizontal resolution, RESY is your vertical resolution.) (little extra info: when RTM came out, the "notdimmed" word was not in the filename, some windows update made that there.)
  • You need to set yourself owner and full access permission on this file too, then rename it to "LockScreen___RESX_RESY_notdimmed.jpg.bak"
  • Then you'll need an image which has the same resolution as your screen resolution. Rename your image to "LockScreen___RESX_RESY_notdimmed.jpg" (RESX is you horizontal resolution, RESY is your vertical resolution.) and copy it to this folder.
  • Then you need to set at least "read" permission for "System" user for this new image file.
  • You are done!

(Once I needed to redone this, after that "notdimmed" windowsupdate came out, but other than that it works perfectly.)

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