Windows 7 to officially support logon UI background customization

[Lord Ba'al]

I finally got the custom background working, but it was a real pain in the ass :pinch:

Editing the registry was easy, the key was already there, and I just changed it to "1"... but then the trouble started.

Created the folder %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds (which wasn't there). Made a login screen (254kB), named it backgroundDefault.jpg, put it in there and rebooted. Didn't work.

Ok, perhaps still too big. Made another, only 202kB, put it in there and rebooted. Didn't work.

Renamed the file to background1920?1200.jpg (with the proper '?', not the letter 'x') and rebootedDidn't workb>.

Ok, I thought, perhaps you need to use SysWow64 on x64, so I moved the folder there (%windir%\SysWow64\oobe\info\backgrounds) and rebootedDidn't workb>.

Now that was already strange. I now put it additionally in the system32 folder and rebootedDidn't workb>.

Now I was getting really mad. As a final attempt, I renamed both files (in system32 *and* SysWow64) back to backgroundDefault.jpg and rebooted for a last try. Miraculously, it finally worked.

Thus, I conclude two things out of this:

- when using x64, you need to have the files in the proper system32 *and* SysWow64 directories.

- background1920?1200.jpg doesn't work (not even with the proper '?'). Use backgroundDefault.jpg instead.

[Share.Corp]

Thus, I conclude two things out of this:

- when using x64, you need to have the files in the proper system32 *and* SysWow64 directories.

Srr but this is not true, im using x64 7057, just create folder %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds then put the picture inside and it works, did it on 3 computers

[Lord Ba'al]

Srr but this is not true, im using x64 7057, just create folder %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds then put the picture inside and it works, did it on 3 computers

No, doesn't work :no:

Tried it myself, no chance. I had to put it in *both* directories and name it backgroundDefault.jpg, otherwise it wouldn't work at all.

[winlonghorn]

No, doesn't work :no:

Tried it myself, no chance. I had to put it in *both* directories and name it backgroundDefault.jpg, otherwise it wouldn't work at all.

What you have to do is name the image backgroundDefault, but also make sure it is the exact same resolution as your monitor. :) Also, I wrote a program to make it much easier (a few simple clicks). If you want it, just let me know. I would be glad to provide it free of charge.

[hanko panko]

My 7057 x64 just needs one folder: %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds.

I copied the following *jpg images to therer:

- backgroundDefault.jpg; 96dpi; 24bit; 1440x900; 250kb

- background1920x1200.jpg; normal "x"; 96dpi; 24bit; 1920x1200; 250kb

Strange enough this didn't work the first time. I figured something might be wrong with my jpeg's. So I converted them to bitmaps, made sure it was 24bit color and 96dpi and then converted them back to jpeg. I still don't understand it but now it works!

Make sure your images are less than 256kb!

[coresx]

I hope Microsoft make Powertoys for Windows 7 that allow you easily to fiddle with this sort of stuff. Handy back in XP.

[rakeshishere]

Thanks GreenMartian . I'll try that now :)

[david]

Here ya go. Source included for the curious (and paranoid. NO MALWARE!)

Feel free to do anything with it.

Does all this in one go:

• Enables/Disables the registry key
  
• Resizes the selected image to your current rez (or any other size if you tell it to)
  
• Sets it to 96dpi 24bit
  
• Finds the highest JPG compression that would still keep it below 256kb
  
• Saves it as backgroundDefault.jpg in the correct folder (and create a backup if one is already in there)
  

Tested on 1 VM @ 1024x768 and 1 PC @ 1680x1050.

LogonChanger.zip

Program works fantastic.

[GreenMartian]

Program works fantastic.

Just found out all this also works on earlier builds. The article didn't say, but I (and I assume many ppl) thought it only applies to 7057.

[DerAusgewanderte]

Just found out all this also works on earlier builds. The article didn't say, but I (and I assume many ppl) thought it only applies to 7057.

yes, it was mentioned that this was already there in WinXP.

I suggest before people try and get too frustrated to get this to work to go to the original post because a lot of problems you encounter are already covered over there.

[david]

yes, it was mentioned that this was already there in WinXP.

I suggest before people try and get too frustrated to get this to work to go to the original post because a lot of problems you encounter are already covered over there.

This works on XP?

[GreenMartian]

This works on XP?

Then taken out in Vista. And we didn't hear anything about it being back in 7 until 7057 was released and people started complaining about the new logon pic.

[DiEMOS]

thanks a lot for the program! works great. I wish MS makes PowerToys for Win 7, but i highly doubt it.

[xJakex]

Program works great! You may need to run the program as Administrator if you get an error. :)

[Lord Ba'al]

What you have to do is name the image backgroundDefault, but also make sure it is the exact same resolution as your monitor. :)

Of course it is, do you think I'm a moron? :crazy:

Anyway, did some more testing and found out that the file size limit is even *below* 256kB! :blink:

After I had got it to work by copying "backgroundDefault.jpg" to both appropriate System32 and SysWow64 folders, I tried out another pic which was 253kB, and it wouldn't work anymore! :no:

After considering what to do, I finally decided to decrease the file size bit by bit. Finally, when I reached 246kB, it worked again :laugh:

Any bit more, and it wouldn't work. So the file size limit is actually 246kB. I think that should be updated in the first post to prevent further confusion why it doesn't work.

I seriously hope they still increase that tiny limit, doing good pics in 1920x1200 which aren't too heavily artifacted from too heavy jpg compression is quite difficult :(

[FiB3R]

@ Lord Ba'al, Just use the new app posted above "LogonChanger"

"too heavily artifacted from too heavy jpg compression" Have you seen your own sig? lol :p

[Fubar]

it's pretty easy todo even without the tool

[GreenMartian]

@ Lord Ba'al, Just use the new app posted above "LogonChanger"

:pinch: Did more testing with a bunch of different images, and found that in some rare cases the algorithm would result in an image waaay above the limit (I was sleepy, and didn't implement binary search properly :p).

Putting in a fix as we speak. I'd hold off any downloading if I were you :D

[FiB3R]

:pinch: Did more testing with a bunch of different images, and found that in some rare cases the algorithm would result in an image waaay above the limit (I was sleepy, and didn't implement binary search properly :p).

Putting in a fix as we speak. I'd hold off any downloading if I were you :D

Could you also add to option to open the background folder? :)

Another app I found, but have not tried.

windows7 logon screen changer [english]

http://rapidshare.com/files/210772304/W7LSC.rar

Edited March 19, 2009 by DARKFiB3R

[mdtaUK]

Here is mine, sorry for the low quality photo, the camera is playing up...

[GreenMartian]

New version. As usual, source included.

LogonChanger_1.0.1.zip

Changelog:

• Fixed major bug in calculation. I did an automated test of 100s pics. Seems to work fine now.
  
• Warning if not running as admin.
  
• Changed double click to single click.
  
• Opening the background folder by right clicking.
  
• Some error handling so you see nicer messages instead of dying with cryptic errors.
  

Could you also add to option to open the background folder? :)

Another app I found, but have not tried.

Already taken care of. As for the other app, it doesn't seem to resize & compress your pictures for you (haven't really tried :p)

it's pretty easy todo even without the tool.

It is. The tool's there to save people from the hassle of manually resizing & re-compressing their pictures. It gets annoying when you have a lot of them to try.

[FiB3R]

Awesome, thank you :)

I really wish I could code stuff some times.

[DiEMOS]

Pretty cool wall martinDTanderson

is that really yellow?

[UncleSpellbinder]

@ GreenMartian

Thanks so much. I've thrown 17 different wallpaper-sized images at it and all have worked. Thanks again!

[Penryn]

Nice tool. Would you add an option to reverse it back to the default. Thanks.