Windows 7: Change logon background

Contributor Icon Contributed by TipzTV Date Icon July 24, 2010  
Tag Icon Tagged: Microsoft Windows 7  

Bored with your windows 7’s default logon screen? Here’s the quick way to change it!

Before we start, make sure your picture is in .jpg format and it must be smaller than 256kb. Be careful to pay attention to the different directions based on which Windows 7 system you have. There are combined instructions for both systems at the bottom of the article.

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For Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise users

1. Hit Winkey+R to open the Run box.

2. Type in gpedit.msc and click on OK to open Local Group Policy Editor.

3. Go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon.

4. Double click on Always use custom logon background.

5. A new window will pop up, now you can choose Enable to use your custom logon background. Click on OK to close the window.

6. Close Local Group Policy Editor.

(Finish by following the combined directions at the end)

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For Windows 7 Home (Premium) users:

7. 1. Hit Winkey+R to open the Run box and type in regedit and hit OK to open Registry editor.

8. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background


9. Double click on OEMBackground and change its value to 1. Click Ok to close the box.


10. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\

11. Right click on Windows, choose New->Key and name it System. (If you already have this key, simply skip to step 14)

12. Right click anywhere in the right panel, choose New->DWORD (32-bit) value. Rename it to OEMBackground

13. Double click on UseOEMBackground and change its value to 1 too!

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Change background ( For Windows Ultimate, Enterprise and Home Premium users)

14. Open Windows Explore and go to C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds (If you can’t see that folder, you may need to config system to view hidden files)

15. Replace the default picture with your custom picture. You must rename your picture to backgroundDefault.jpg .

16. Close windows, logoff or press Ctrl+Alt+Del to see the result.

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  • Ghost

    I had to create the Info and background folders in my installation of windows 7 ultimate to get this to work.

  • tipztv

    Strange. I use windows 7 ultimate too :D and i didn't have to creat any folder.
    Thanks for your feedback

  • Jermaine Young

    There is also a program out there by Stardock that does it much easier called Logon Studio. I believe its free and its failproof.

  • Nghia Dao

    What about Windows 7 Enteprise? How do you do it?

  • tipztv

    Hi :)
    Windows 7 Enteprise also has Local Group Policy Editor
    So you can do it by following the Windows 7 ultimate's steps ;)

  • ntd4578

    Thanks so much for your reply. For Win7 Enterprise, the last step, #15 do not show the …InfoBackgrounds folders eventhough the hide hidden system files was unchecked. I saw the “background.bmp(2.3M) there but not sure if this is the file.
    Thanks

  • tipztv

    Hi :)

    Don't change that background.bmp :D
    All you have to do is creat the info and background folders (like the structure:C:WindowsSystem32oobeinfobackgrounds)
    Put your image in there,rename it and it will work ;)
    Hope this help

  • BlackBack

    this only works for Logon screens, not background………………………….

  • BlackBack

    How do you do this?

  • tipztv

    Hi
    All you have to do is creat the info and background folders (like the structure:C:WindowsSystem32oobeinfobackgrounds)
    Put your image in there,rename it and it will work ;)

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