Sync Desktop and Lock-screen Wallpaper?

YBH said:

Hello everyone,

My problem is that for my laptop's desktop I use the "Background Slideshow" option to cycle through my wallpapers every hour and I would really love it if my lock-screen used the same wallpapers as my desktop in a synchronized way.


I have searched through Windows native setting and the best I could come up with was the "Lock screen Slideshow" option. However, this is not in sync with my desktop and it cycles quickly through my wallpapers with special effects like a traditional PowerPoint picture slideshow.


The only solution I see is maybe using a third-party program, but I have yet to find any such thing. Also, I have tried asking elsewhere but have yet to get any answer for 2 weeks now; so here I am trying this forum now. :)


PS. I am setting this up for my low-spec ultrabook, so if I do have to use a program/app I would really like it to be light weight.

System: Windows 10 Home

Hi YBH and welcome to Tenforums!

Open settings / Personalization and in Lock Screen select Picture.

Click on Browse and (copy from here and paste would be easiest) type:

Code:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper

There could be some limitation - I just tried and it works for me and it should be, but have no idea how will it behave over time..

@YBH did it work?

Great, if it did. You can mark thread as solved, so others may benefit from it :)

YBH said:

@AndreTen Thank you for the quick reply and sorry for my late response. Unfortunately, following those instructions only sets the Lock-screen to the current desktop wallpaper. So after my background changes, the lock-screen does not follow and stays on that first wallpaper.

Oh, will try to investigate a bit more.

Here's tutorial (by Brink) with all the info about Background Wallpapers:

tutorials | 4966-change-desktop-background-windows-10

While searching for exact location of Lock screen file, I found this thread, describing exactly what you are trying to achieve.
So not going to change anything... User posting this is golddragon007

Edit: delete current file in command prompt (admin), before creating dynamic link with mklink.

Current wallpaper is stored here:

c:\Users\{User profile name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper

TranscodedWallpaper is a file. This place can be view easily with an user (some folders are hidden).

Current lock screen and login screen background stored here:

c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\{random string}\ReadOnly\LockScreen_{random char}\{lockscreen file name}.jpg

You need to take over the ownership on this folder c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\ then you need to add 'Everybody' to c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\{random string}\ReadOnly\LockScreen_{random char}\ folder, then you will be able to create a hard link to the previous file with a command line.

Note windows will restore permissions if you lock your screen, and I don't know how it will behave if the background will be changed when the screen is locked.

mklink /H LockScreen.jpg %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper

mklink /H LockScreen___1920_1080_notdimmed.jpg %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\TranscodedWallpaper

Note the second may be changed, like if you have different screen resolution.

YBH said:

Thanks, I'll give it a try but what do you mean by "delete current file in command prompt (admin), before creating dynamic link with mklink."?

There already is a file with the same name in this folder... But, it's not working for me. First picture is updated, pictures in folder are changing (mklink...), but there have to be another location (cache ..) for lockscreen.

Quick recap:

-MS likes to change the folder where Lockscreen images are located and therefore makes this simple goal hard to achieve ...

-There were some programs for making slideshow on Windows 8.1, but don't work (at least not reliably) on Windows 10.

-there is one app in MS Store Lock screen changer, that gives a bit more control about Lock screen slideshow. One could possibly synchronize it with wallpaper slideshow.

- Groove Music player does have possibility to set the same picture for wallpaper and Lockscreen (latest update)
tutorials | set-now-playing-artist-art-groove-music-lock-screen-windows-10
There is possibility to use this settings for your goal, but will take some imagination :)