Get Windows 8 Style Picture Password (Pattern Login) In Windows 7

Picture Password is one of the lesser known features present in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. This unique feature lets you use a picture as your user account password, hence the name Picture Password. You can use a combination of three gestures (circle, straight lines, and taps) to sign-in to your account, and according to Microsoft, Picture Password is more secure when compared to a traditional password.

If you’re on Windows 7, Vista, or XP, and like the idea of signing-in by making gestures or forming patterns, you can now get a similar feature in Windows 7 and previous versions with the help of a third-party tool. Pasqui, the developer behind popular Modern App Link (the tool that lets you create Modern app shortcuts on desktop), has released a new software to add pattern login support to Windows 7, Vista, and Windows XP.

Modern Login enables you add Windows 8/8.1-style lock screen as well as picture password (pattern login) to your Windows 7 or previous versions. Although Modern Login is a screen saver and gets activated after a specified period of inactivity (just like any other screen saver out there), support for pattern login is what makes this screen saver stand out from other screen savers.

However, unlike Picture Password in Windows 8/8.1, you can’t use Modern Login (pattern login) as a replacement for your existing password.

The other important thing to notice is that you can’t use this pattern login as your actual user account password. Because of the fact that pattern login or Modern Login is a screen saver and third-party one, if you have protected your user account with Windows password, you will have to use that Windows password to sign-in to your account. Moreover, you will get to see this pattern login screen only after some pre-defined period of system inactivity. So, you won’t see pattern login screen when you boot up your PC.

To start with, you can select your own background picture, set your own pattern, and select tile color for pattern login. Modern Login also lets you customize its lock screen by allowing you customize text color on the lock screen, time format, date format, and even select a closing sound.

How to install and use pattern login:

Step 1: Head over to this page (it’s a non-English site, scroll down the page to see Download button), download Modern Login zip file, and extract it on to the desktop to get a .scr file.

Step 2: Right-click on the .scr file, click Install button to install it.

Step 3: Next, right-click on .scr (screen saver) file again, and this time click Configure button to see options to customize lock screen and set pattern login.

Step 4: Once configured, right-click on desktop, click Personalize to open personalization window, click Screen Saver to open Screen Saver Settings dialog box, make sure that Modern Login is set as current screen saver, set the wait time, and finally click Apply button.

Step 5: From now on, you’ll see Windows 8-style lock screen on your screen after a specified period of inactivity. Slide up the lock screen to see the pattern login screen. Form the right pattern and then click next arrow to see your desktop.

Please note that there is a hidden bug in the current version of Modern Login using which one can sign-in without forming the right pattern! Check out the screen saver and let us know if you come across that hidden bug.