How To Change Windows 7 Logon Screen Easily [Without Using Hacks & Tools]
Posted March 16, 2009 – 10:55 am in: Windows 7, Windows 7 TweaksFinally Microsoft has incorporated a new feature in the latest build (7057) of Windows 7 which supports the end user to change the logon screen background without using any hacks or third-party tools.
In previous version of Windows, user had to use third-parry tools like Tune-Up-Utilities to change the logon screen background easily. Windows 7 now supports customization of Windows 7 logon screen officially. Replacing the old logon screen is just another task like changing wallpaper (Desktop background). Thanks to withinwindows for finding out this excellent feature.
Follow the procedure below to change the Windows 7 logon screen.
1. Download the registry file from here. Extract the file and double-click on the file to enable this feature (Alternative method: right-click, select Merge).
2. Now, head over to the following folder:
C:\Windows\System32\oobe (“C” is your Windows Seven Installation drive)
3. Here, create a new folder named Info. Again, create a new folder inside the Info folder and rename it as backgrounds.
4. Copy your favorite image file to this folder and rename it as backgroundDefault. Note that the image must be in JPG format and the size should be less than 256 KB.
5. You are done. Reboot your system and see the change.
The following files (sorted by width-to-height ratio) are supported in C:\Windows\System32\oobe\Info\Backgrounds folder:
* backgroundDefault.jpg
* background768×1280.jpg (0.6)
* background900×1440.jpg (0.625)
* background960×1280.jpg (0.75)
* background1024×1280.jpg (0.8)
* background1280×1024.jpg (1.25)
* background1024×768.jpg (1.33-)
* background1280×960.jpg (1.33-)
* background1600×1200.jpg (1.33-)
* background1440×900.jpg (1.6)
* background1920×1200.jpg (1.6)
* background1280×768.jpg (1.66-)
* background1360×768.jpg (1.770833-)
Tags: Logon, Windows 7
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26 Comments
Or you could use this simple little proggy. Works
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 Win 7 build 7057 nd works on previous buils to.
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=222340
Original thread here
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=747098&st=105&start=105
the registry file link is die, can you post the other please !
Will this trick work on Windows 7 RC1 also? (Build 7100)
You can always type this string in RUN and you will always land in the currently installed Windows’ directories;
%windir%\System32\Oobe
Basically %WinDir% tells the current system to go to the currently installed Windows Installation Folder.
Great tip on changing the Logon Screen, that’s what brought me here anyway
Thanks.
^^
Yeah, if you’re dumb enough to change the default installation folder.
This worked perfect, it’s exactly what I wanted! Thanks!
does this work on windows 7 starter… im planning on buying a netbook…
@ aj
Yes. It should work fine.
Can you upload the rar file to another filehost site? the link you have for that file is constantly saying that its over its bandwidth use. Use 4shared.com or mediafire or something that wont have a bandwidth limit.
yeah, uhh… bandwidth issues. thanks anyway.
@Cheezehead
Link updated. You can now directly download it from our server only. Btw, thanks for notifying about the issue.
I have found this method doesn’t work on 7 rtm unless you go to Group Policy> Go to start menu and in the search box type gpedit.msc right click and click ‘run as administrator…click on Computer Configuration in Group Policy then Administrative TEmplates then Sysytem and choose ‘Logon’ near the bottom of Logon Double click ‘Always use custom logon background’ and choose ‘enable’ in this…it is set to ‘Not Configured’ by default.Then do the above tutorial and it should work! Hope this helps someone! Keith!
Now I just after realising that the Registry download link probably does this for you, anyway…if it doesn’t my last post will work!
Hi Keith,
Win7 can’t find gpedit. If have tried the oobe thing, but this doesn’t work here. Anyone else have ideas?
Seems gpedit is only available in Ultimate.
Thanks! Love to tweak!
Thanks for the tip. I’m so happy now since I no longer have to stare at the borring logon background that comes with Windows 7.
Great tutorial!
Curious, you can’t put an image that is bigger than ~256KB, why so, and is there a way to overide it?
And simple “deactivation”-deleteing the picture!
Excelent post! Got me to this site.
@John, it realy shoud have to find it! Did you wrote “gpedit” or “gpedit.msc”? If you write the full extension (the 2nd option) you will have listed on the top the application in “Programs” category.
hey buddy, its good but heres one more utility where u havent need to do all of this just select folder n then select picture ur logon screen automatically change…. utilty name is “windows 7 logon backgroung changer”
@ Keith Hanly: group policy editor (gpedit.msc) is only available to those with Professional or Ultimate editions.
@ Everyone else: If you have a home edition of Windows 7, you need to edit the registry.
you did say:
“without using any hacks or third-party tools”
and then immediately following described how to ‘hack’ the registration files…
respectfully this post is a fail.
here’s why:
although this trick may work, and I may end up trying and using it… it means manually editing the registry files *OR* downloading a program… which means this is *NOT* as easy as changing your background image. *AND* windows has *NOT* included changing your log-in screen easily.
the topic and title should have been:
“Change your Windows 7 log-in screen with a simple reg edit”
So easy, so quick, so nice!
!
Thanks a lot
When i try to copy jpg files there it says:
Target Folder is not available.
the info folder was already there too… with sony stuff in it.
Sorry to double post, please merge my posts.
I found a way to get a .jpg file in the folder, I open it with paint and save as in the backgrounds folder..
anyone knows how I can allow copying files in this folder?
This was working for me until today. I added another user account, and now I have the stupid flower/bird logon wallpaper (looks like something from the 70s)
.
Keith…thanks…I’m on Win7 Ultimate, just downloading the reg key didn’t work but it did after I edited the logon properties with gpedit.msc.
thanx
Tim