Logon screen background image

Topic

New Reply

I’ve asked this question on Microsoft Answers and haven’t gotten a reply yet…

Where does Windows 7 store the background image file for the logon screen? It is not WindowsSystem32oobebackground.bmp. I’ve changed that image, but it has no effect.

I know the registry entry and the oobeinfobackgrounds method and the jpg sizes and I can (and have) change the logon background that way, but I would rather change the image file that Windows uses.

What I am asking is the name of the image file and where it is stored; if I can find it, I can change it. All the searches I’ve tried so far have proved fruitless.

Does anyone know where the file is, and its name?

>>> edit: I found it; it’s \Windows\System32\imageres.dll <<<

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

Replies

Why bother with that. Here is an app that will do it for you: http://www.julien-manici.com/windows_7_logon_background_changer/

Reply | Quote

Why bother with that. Here is an app that will do it for you: http://www.julien-manici.com/windows_7_logon_background_changer/

Please read my post. I want an answer to my specific question, please.

And for anyone else who reads my post, I would very much appreciate any reply that is directed toward my question, but I don’t need any links to any apps that do what I can already do (and have already done) myself.

Thank you very much.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

Why bother with that. Here is an app that will do it for you: http://www.julien-manici.com/windows_7_logon_background_changer/

Ok . . . this is looking more and more like a virus. I click on the “download” button on that page. It takes me to a different page with a DL button. That one takes me to an even different DL page, and then finally I have to wait 30-something seconds to get a free “download manager”. I don’t need a DL manager. What am I doing wrong? How do I actually get the logon screen changer?

Thanks;
Artie

Edit: Ok, I found it, but they sure do bury it in a mountain of spam.

Reply | Quote

I think the default is in a dll. You need to use the registry change method or a third party app.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

I think the default is in a dll. You need to use the registry change method or a third party app.

Joe

Do you know which dll? If I can find it, I can change it.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

Is your background different while signing on, than at other times? Mine is the same. The image is “backgroundDefault.jpg”, I think.

Reply | Quote

Yep, that’s it.
I was getting the bg now-named Xbackgrounddefault.jpg on both logon and all other times. I created the girl pic, renamed X…. and named the girl backgrounddefault.jpg, so now she is the logon bg and the old one still shows up at all other times. Darned if I know why!!!
Here’s a pic with the location, etc.:
27460-logonBackground

Be careful to type the filename exactly, or the .bmp file shows, instead. The capital D doesn’t seem to matter.
Now, someone please tell me why the grayish thing still shows on regular backgrounds.

I wanted this skateboarder pic for my logon bg, a year ago when I got the PC, and via some menu, I changed the logon picture, but it only changed that little pic right above my password entry area, instead of the big background. So, this is cool.

If this is not what the OP was looking for, maybe it will help others. For those who don’t know about all this, if I made my new pic 1920×1200 like the old one, it got squished down on my 1920×1080 screen, so I resized it to fit exactly. Also, I think I read on a search that it had to be less than 256k; I didn’t try a bigger one.

Reply | Quote

BBearren, Check here: C:WindowsGlobalizationMCT. This is where the backgrounds for the desktop are stored, for example if you choose slide show for your background, this is where those come from.

27461-Desktop-Backgrounds

As you can see I have added a few to the default. I have also combined some of the different country landscapes into one folder so I do not have to change my slide show to see more pics.

As a side note to change the Image displayed while entering your password I use a 3rd party app called Tweaks Logon Changer, which works very well. In checking it does appear cws has found the exact location of the Log On Image. This is my Image (My no kids at home any more, just the wife and I toy).

27462-My-Logon-Pic

Reply | Quote

I thank all for the further education, learn every day ! Jean.

Reply | Quote

BBearren, Check here: C:WindowsGlobalizationMCT. This is where the backgrounds for the desktop are stored, for example if you choose slide show for your background, this is where those come from….

I don’t have that ‘logonbackgrounds’ folder, so that must be created by the ‘slide show’ process. So, I’m still not sure where my normal background is coming from.

EDIT: I found it, in Windows/Web/Wallpaper/Dell. I thought the name had “black” in it, but it was “chrome”. Duh!

Reply | Quote

Check the other folders in GlobalizationMCT under the various mct folders. This is where many of my various landscapes came from. I also believe the slide show must create the logonbackgrounds folder.

Reply | Quote

the answer to my question? There is nothing new to me in any of the posts in this thread. I can make slideshows, I can edit Windows Themes, I can use the registry tweak and make a default background jpg and everything else that has been mentioned so far.

What I want to know is the location and name of the file that Windows uses for the logon background; the blue with the bird and the viney wispy twig. There are a number of locations in Windows where that background.bmp can be found, and I have changed each and every one of them that I can find to my own image with the same dimensions and file size.

Windows does not use any of those images for the default logon background. I want to find the image that Windows does use.

Does anyone know?

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

the answer to my question? There is nothing new to me in any of the posts in this thread. I want to find the image that Windows does use.

Does anyone know?

“B”
Hello… This is probably not the answer that your looking for but… This is not just a “Background” …It has the ability for input…So maybe that’s the clue you need… must be a small program…with the “Image ” contained within .. Hey it’s past my bedtime…Just a thought:cheers: Regards Fred

Reply | Quote

”B”
Hello… This is probably not the answer that your looking for but… This is not just a “Background” …It has the ability for input…So maybe that’s the clue you need… must be a small program…with the “Image ” contained within .. Hey it’s past my bedtime…Just a thought:cheers: Regards Fred

Steve1951 was right; it’s in imageres.dll. Now all I need is some time, if I can find some…

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

I believe the image is stored in imageres.dll

Reply | Quote

icame across it this morning it is in C:WindowsSystem32oobe its just called (background) it should be right in front of your face when you open (oobe) i dont know if replacing it will change the logon backgrond haven’t tryed it yet.

Reply | Quote

icame across it this morning it is in C:WindowsSystem32oobe its just called (background) it should be right in front of your face when you open (oobe) i dont know if replacing it will change the logon backgrond haven’t tryed it yet.

Nope.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

Try this (and read the whole post first before responding). Download Process Monitor from sysinterals (google it), and then download and install the logon background changer app I mentioned earlier. Start up both of them. Configure Process Monitor to monitor events only from the logon background changer app. Then use the app to change the logon background. Process Monitor should then tell you which files the changer app wrote. One of them should be the file you are looking for.

Reply | Quote

did you try changing the file format to .bmp

Reply | Quote

did you try changing the file format to .bmp

That should not be required. On my system the logon background image is a JPG file. Though the file must be < 250KB in size (and BMP files are usually huge because they are not compressed).

Reply | Quote

I’ve asked this question on Microsoft Answers and haven’t gotten a reply yet…

Where does Windows 7 store the background image file for the logon screen? It is not WindowsSystem32oobebackground.bmp. I’ve changed that image, but it has no effect.

Does anyone know where the file is, and its name?

“B”
Hello… Thought that you might be interested in this Windows 7 Files[/url] I found this site (as of now I’m using (fooling with) XP-Pro) to “Hack” XP into “7” or The Vista Sidebar. This is a very interesting web site …Hope you find this as useful as i…. :cheers: Regards Fred

Reply | Quote

This is a very interesting web site …Hope you find this as useful as i…. :cheers: Regards Fred

Thanks, Fred. I’ve bookmarked it for further study.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

Okay. To answer the question is to ask another one. Do you care where Windows 7 stores its default image, or do you want to change the image that is displayed on logon/logoff? If your goal is to change the default logon/logoff image, you need to enable the feature that allows customization of the images. This is done in the registry. Browse to HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAuthenticationLogonUIBackground, double click on the item named OEMBackground and change its value to 1(Hex). If OEMBackground does not exist, create it as a new DWORD with a value of 1(Hex). A Value of 1 enables this feature, a value of 0 disables it. Also you can just delete the OEMBackground DWORD to have windows use it’s default images. Once you have made these changes, you need to create a couple of folders on your system.
In C:WindowsSystem32oobe create a folder named Info, and then in
C:WindowsSystem32oobeInfo create a folder named Backgrounds.
In the C:WindowsSystem32oobeInfoBackgrounds folder, put in a JPG file with a size of less than 256 kb in this folder and rename it to backgroundDefault.jpg. This file will be stretched to fit the screen. Select an image that matches your current resolution for best results. If all goes well, when you press CTL/ALT/DEL, you will see your new logon/logoff screen.

Reply | Quote