In this article we are going to show you how to customize the Windows 7/8 login screen.
There are various methods to accomplish this, with and without
third-party software. I understand many people might not want to rely on
a third-party application, while others would appreciate a quicker,
safer route. First method is the more hands-on approach, and then the
third-party utility.
Method1 - Hands-on approach
This method will require you to modify the registry, and if that puts a knot in your stomach, you should move on to the next section.Open the Windows Start menu and enter regedit into the search bar.
Right click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and select Find.
Search for OEMBackground, which should be in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Authentication/LogonUI/Background. If the key does not exist, add a new
DWORD value with the name OEMBackground.
Double click on the entry OEMBackground, and change the value from 0 to 1.
Open Windows Explorer and go to the following path: %windir%system32oobe.
Create a new folder named info, and open it.
Create a new folder within info named backgrounds.
Rename your desired wallpaper as backgroundDefault.jpg and place it inside the folder backgrounds (images must be less than 245KB in size).
Method2 - Third-party software
If you are uncomfortable with manually tinkering with the registry -- or simply have better things to be doing with your time -- we understand. Various third-party applications can change Windows 7's default logon wallpaper, but our personal favorite is TuneUp Styler.The software is ridiculously easy to use, and it even has built-in tools to automatically resize and recompress your images while leaving the original file untouched. The TuneUp Styler also lets you quickly change your logon wallpaper back to the Windows 7 default.
Start by downloading the app here, and then unzip the executable. Run the program and it should present you with a preview of your logon screen along with a few self-explanatory options: "Change Logon Screen" lets you create new logon screen, "Test" will bring up your logon screen, "Revert to Default Logon Screen" reapplies Windows 7's original wallpaper.
No comments: