Is it possible to write-over the default image with the beach arch?

Marscaleb · 04 Aug 2021

Okay, the default Windows 10 lock screen image, the one where you are looking out a beach from a cave.
Is there a way I can permanently write-over that with a different image?

I hate that image. Every time I see it I am reminded of the time I nearly drowned at the beach. I hate seeing it, and I hate the way it shows up whenever I shut down my computer and it restarts.
Yes I know that you can customize the lock screen and most of the time I see other pictures that I like much better. But it still shows up sometimes when it boots from a power off or has a major update. I want to not just see other images, I want to permanently write-over that image so that whenever this computer gets called to display it I see something else.

Is it possible to over-write it? Or is Windows just going to restore it the next time it check for updates?

AddRAM · 04 Aug 2021

You can make the lock screen anything you want.

I have this on the X299

I found this to delete them, if you want to.

Where are the Windows 10 lock screen photos from?

Windows 10 stores them in a less-than-obvious place. To find the wallpaper and lock screen images, open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows|web.

Pejole2165 · 04 Aug 2021

Start menu, settings, personalisation, lock screen....set it to your choice or turn off the image. Updates shouldn't reset it, build/ feature updates also shouldn't reset it, I've had the same custom lock screen since build 1909, now on 21H1, however a clean install will.

Marscaleb · 07 Aug 2021

I found the file, but I can't actually change the image. It won't give me access to replace the file.

I thought I could be sneaky by booting into windows 7 and then editing image through a different OS, but it still gives me an error saying I don't have access. It says I need permission to perform that action, but it won't give me an option to "run as administrator" or anything like that.

AddRAM said:

You can make the lock screen anything you want.

You know you SAY this, but yet every time I reboot my computer it still shows that default screen anyway; I have to log in before it changes to my settings.

AddRAM · 08 Aug 2021

Sounds like you are not going right into windows when you boot up. Why do you have to LOG in ?

If I log out of either one of my PC`s the same picture is there that I put there.

This is my Lock Screen picture on my Z170, and I added a small round picture of Grogu.

And you are using a Local Account aren`t you ?

Not a Microsoft Account, although I don`t think that matters.

Pejole2165 · 08 Aug 2021

You probably need to add Administrators to the list of permissions for the file in order to edit/ delete it, I would assume it is currently set to System and/ or Trusted Installer only.
Keep in mind that if the file is removed or altered then it is possible that Windows will replace it, if it is a protected system file, I believe there is a copy in the WinSxS folder used for this purpose. Are you by chance using the Windows Spotlight feature? If so turn that off first.
But all this should be unnecessary as simply changing the image using Windows Settings should work, it has remained changed on my system through numerous updates including build updates and repair installs.

AddRAM · 08 Aug 2021

Same here

Sometimes I`ll change it to this.

Bastet · 08 Aug 2021

If you go to Start>Settings>Personalisation>Lockscreen can you not change the default to another picture?

RickC · 08 Aug 2021

If you really hate it then just delete it. Note that if you try you'll get an error:

Is it possible to write-over the default image with the beach arch?-access_denied.png

So, here's the way to do it:

1. Download, unzip and run Sordum.org's PowerRun.

2. When the PowerRun dialog opens, double-click on the powershell.exe entry.

Is it possible to write-over the default image with the beach arch?-access_denied_power_run.png

3. This will open a PowerShell console. It will be labelled Administrator... but will really be running as System:

4. Copy/paste the following command into the console then press Enter:

Code:

Remove-Item 'C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Theme1\img1.jpg'

(I know the path in File Explorer shows C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows 10\img1.jpg but the Windows 10 part is an alias.)

Is it possible to write-over the default image with the beach arch?-access_denied_ps_cmd.png

That's it. You can close the PowerShell console and PowerRun dialog.

Hope this helps...

Marscaleb · 08 Aug 2021

AddRAM said:

Sounds like you are not going right into windows when you boot up. Why do you have to LOG in ?

Honestly I don't want to bother with that either. I've just tried to disable it, but I have my suspicions that it isn't going to work next time I reset my computer. I guess we'll see.

Edit: NOPE! Windows still requires me to put in a pin! It still doesn't let me bypass the sign-in, even though the settings for it are explicitly turned off!

AddRAM said:

And you are using a Local Account aren`t you ?
Not a Microsoft Account, although I don`t think that matters.

I am using a microsoft account, and the more I try to customize this computer to work the way I want it, the more I am finding that I regret that decision.
I am using a microsoft account on my surface and that has been fine. But it's applying various settings from that to my desktop which is not fine.
But that's really a different subject, and half of that I haven't even tried to tackle yet.

Pejole2165 said:

Are you by chance using the Windows Spotlight feature? If so turn that off first.

Honestly I don't mind windows spotlight; I've had that at my work (until it randomly stopped working) and a few other places and that's fine. But I'm not even getting windows spotlight on this computer, just that stupid beach-cave, every time.

Bastet said:

If you go to Start>Settings>Personalisation>Lockscreen can you not change the default to another picture?

Since I'm not even getting windows spotlight, my personal settings are not being accessed.

RickC said:

If you really hate it then just delete it. Note that if you try you'll get an error:
So, here's the way to do it:

...
Hope this helps...

I've already created a new image and named img100.jpg to replace it with. I suppose I would just replace that command at the end with a copy command to copy over the file?

Also, I've been searching around for a solution to this. Nothing I've tried yet will actually give me access to the file, and it looks like this file actually appears in multiple locations. Of course, I have not used any of the solutions I've seen that are running code or programs I'm not familiar with. I guess I could give your suggestion a shot, though