Seperate log-in and lock screen backgrounds

terryBernstein · 07 Oct 2018

I do not want to copy my lock-screen to my log-in screen. I want to place a different image on each one. There are numerous sites on the web telling us how to make the log-in screen appear on the lock screen ( or the other way round - I can never remember which is which, but the point remains the same). Even when an OP has been specific -different lock screen and log in screen - the instructions always come back as how to copy the image on one to the other and not if there's a way to have them different. Is there a way to put a picture on the lock-screen but have a different one on the log-in screen? A registry hack would be fine (Sometimes you just have to do it -like when you change the recycle bin icon and have to then edit the registry to make the image switch on emptying by adding ,0 ). Always backup registry first. I know.

cereberus · 07 Oct 2018

You either get the bog standard screen on login or lockscreen image.

You could of course try and source the default image and replace it I guess. Permissions are usually the problem.

terryBernstein · 07 Oct 2018

That's the point! It's my PC and I want a picture of my choice on the log-in. But I don't want the same one on the lock screen. And I don't think that's unreasonable to be able to do.

Does anyone then know the path to that image, size in (presumably) pixels and any registry keys needing to be pointed to the new one?
# is that the lock screen or the log-in I do get mixed up between them. I usually have to go to the change setting to work it out

Edwin · 07 Oct 2018

I have an idea but it will have to wait till I get home...

Stay tuned ...

terryBernstein · 08 Nov 2018

Sigh.
Nothing then. No solution.
Just another example of some stubborn Microsoft decision making that conflicts with reason, because someone likes it that way, I guess.

dalchina · 09 Nov 2018

Hi, first of course there's what's readily available:

Seperate log-in and lock screen backgrounds-1.png

Some things you need to live with. For example, you might want to buy a yellow car with red doors and a white boot. But that's not part of the range, nor is there a dashboard switch to change them.

Unfortunately it's not necessarily a matter of 'it's my PC, so I want to look like this and do this...' - MS has reduced flexibility and customisation from Win 7 progressively, in favour of having Windows available for a wide range of platforms.

Further, with the new build every 6 months, what worked as a hack, may not work with the next build.

That said, here's one way to achieve one part:

- using Winaero's free tweaker (with full explanation):

Seperate log-in and lock screen backgrounds-1.jpg

- and you need to make sure this is NOT true:
Show Lock Screen Background on Sign-in Screen in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

Log in screen: see

Change Sign-in Screen Background Image in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

- note it's always possible this may no longer work- you'll have to try it, cautiously. Especially if you have 1809.