Windows 8 – Customizing the Default Lock Screen

Have you tried to change the default wallpaper on the Windows 8 lock screen? Now I live in Seattle and quite like the stylized picture of Seattle but in an enterprise environment you may want a more “corporate” image.

Until now you have not been able to do this without using an unsupported method of “hacking” file permissions and replacing the default wallpaper file.

Well this has now changed , the Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 cumulative update: November 2012  allows us to customize the start screen.

There is a new Group Policy that allows you to “Force a specific default lock screen image”. For all the details on using this group policy setting please refer to the following TechNet article - https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2787100/EN-US.

This post was contributed by Ben Hunter, a Solution Architect with Microsoft Consulting Services.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, confers no rights, and is not supported by the authors or Microsoft Corporation. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified in the Terms of Use .

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Jon, This won't work for windows 2008 R2 however here is what I do. I update the registry with to point at my custom wallpaper, here is a sample VB script that I use with MDT to perform this task: oLogging.CreateEntry "Attempting to locate the Info folder for the Logon UI Wallpaper",LogTypeInfo If Not oFSO.FolderExists(oEnvironment.Substitute("%WINDIR%SYSTEM32oobeinfo")) Then newFolder = oFSO.CreateFolder(oEnvironment.Substitute("%WINDIR%SYSTEM32oobeinfo")) oLogging.CreateEntry "Created the Info folder required for Logon UI Wallpaper",LogTypeInfo If Not oFSO.FolderExists(oEnvironment.Substitute("%WINDIR%SYSTEM32oobeinfoBackgrounds")) Then newFolder = oFSO.CreateFolder(oEnvironment.Substitute("%WINDIR%SYSTEM32oobeinfoBackgrounds")) oLogging.CreateEntry "Created the InfoBackgrounds folder required for Logon UI Wallpaper",LogTypeInfo end if end if oFSO.CopyFile oUtility.Scriptdir & "LoginUIBackgrounds*.*", oEnvironment.Substitute("%WINDIR%SYSTEM32oobeinfoBackgrounds"), True oLogging.CreateEntry "Copied the Logon Wallpaper files to the local machine - now setting the registry keys",LogTypeInfo oShell.Run "reg add ""HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAuthenticationLogonUIBackground"" /v OEMBackground /t REG_DWORD /d 1",0,TRUE Thanks, Ben

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    We have 4 domain controllers. 3 are 2008 R2, 1 is 2012. on the server 2012 DC I have run the 2779017 update but still cannot see the Force Specific default Lock screen image GPO. Am using the server 2012 GPMC. Any Ideas?

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Tomi, Is the machine domain joined? Thanks, Ben

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Ed, This is a cumulative update for patches released in the month of December only, not December and November. Thanks, Ben

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Alex, You can change the user picture and user lock screen in the personalize screen in PC settings. The start screen picture can also be changed here however you must used one of the built in backgrounds. /Ben

  • Anonymous
    December 12, 2012
    This is a great first (small) step. Figuring out how to customize the pre-login screen is my holy grail! social.technet.microsoft.com/.../82e7ae0f-1b6e-4d04-ae05-8278911af3e2

  • Anonymous
    December 12, 2012
    Fast question. Is the December 2012 cumulative update include the November 2012 CU? If so, why doesn't the DEcember CU KB mention it?

  • Anonymous
    December 23, 2012
    hi i installed that update on my ultimate version of win8 and its not working! please help me! i am going to hate that image

  • Anonymous
    January 16, 2013
    Is there any way to change this pre-login screen if you have Server 2008 R2?  The cumulative update is only for Server 2012.

  • Anonymous
    January 21, 2013
    Ben - are you suggesting above that the WIndows 7 OEMBackground = 1 setting works in Windows 8? We have not been able to get it working if that is the case. The problem with Microsoft's new Windows 8 group policy "Force a specific default lock screen image" is that we can only specify a SINGLE image - but all our client workstations have different resolutions so this can't work as well as the old oobeinfoBackgrounds folder. Comments?

  • Anonymous
    February 11, 2013
    Ben, I can't change my user picture,lock screen picture or start screen picture..they seems hidden in PC settings..help me..I dont know what to do..Im a beginer in win 8

  • Anonymous
    March 21, 2013
    Hi, I used the photo app to change the lock screen. If you right-click on the image and click on "Set as", it allows you to set the lock screen..

  • Anonymous
    June 09, 2013
    Anon 21 Mar 2013 11:05 AM "Hi, I used the photo app to change the lock screen. If you right-click on the image and click on "Set as", it allows you to set the lock screen.." I don't think you get what he is saying. There is your user lock screen and a default one that comes up when you aren't logged   in, it happens often. The photo app changes your user's lock screen.

  • Anonymous
    November 19, 2013
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    December 17, 2015
    Defaults to screen lock