Changing Windows Login Screen Background

Sometimes I need to change the standard Login Screen background to for example a corporate logo.

Windows 7

We can easily do this from a SCCM task sequence during OSD.

First we need a jpg file with the image we want to use, this file must not be greater than 256 KB and called backgroundDefault.jpg

Next create a package with only the jpg file in SCCM.

Windows 7 will use our new background if we do these two steps in our task sequence:

First we create the registry value HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background\OEMBackground and set it to a dword value of 1.

Registry example:

We can do this using the command:

reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background /v OEMBackground  /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

SCCM Task Sequence example:

Then next we need to copy the file to the local Windows 7 installation, using the package with the jpg file:

File copied to the local folder:

Windows 7 login screen with custom background:

Windows 8

On windows 8 we can use Group policy Settings or a local policy.

Computer Configuration – Policies – Administrative Templates – Control Panel – Personalization – Force a specific default lock screen image

We can use a UNC path or a local path, if we are using a local file the file must of cause exist on the computer. Deploy this with the OSD task Sequence just like Windows 7.

Computer Configuration – Policies – Administrative Templates – Control Panel – Personalization – Prevent changing lock screen image

Settings enabled in the GPO:

 

Please note that Windows 8 requires Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 cumulative update: November 2012 as explained here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2787100/en-us

It also looks like Windows 8 must be activated before this will work.

Windows 8 lock screen with custom background: