How to Change Default Lock Screen in Windows 8.1/8

How to Change the Default Lock Screen in Windows 8.1/8

Windows 8 comes with the new feature of new "Lock Screen". It can show a nice background image which can be changed using PC settings. In Windows 8.1 and 8, there are two "Lock" screens: user lock screen and default lock screen. User lock screen is the one that displays when a user locks the PC while still signed in to Windows. Each user is able to change their lock screen background image to an image of their choice; Default Lock screen image is the one that displays when there are no users currently signed in to Windows.

While it's easy to change your lock screen image, Windows doesn't have an easy way to change the default lock screen image. So read this article to learn several options for how to change the default lock screen in Windows 8.

Before doing the process, make sure you sign in as an administrator to be able to do the steps as below.

Option 1: Change Default Lock Screen Using "Lock Screen Customizer" Program

• Download and run the same 32-bit or 64-bit version of the Lock Screen Customizer program by WinAero below for your 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.

  http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.211

• 2. Do Step 3 or 4 below for what you would like to do.
• 3. To change default lock screen background image.

  Click/tap on the Change background image link under "Default Lock Screen Appearance", select the .jpg image you want to use, click/tap on "Open", and go to Step 5.

• 4. To restore the default lock screen background image.

  Click/tap on the Restore default image link under "Default Lock Screen Appearance", and go to Step 5.

• 5. When finished, you can close the Lock Screen Customizer program.

  

Option 2: To Manually Change the Default Lock Screen

• 1. Copy and paste the folder location below into the address bar of File Explorer, and press Enter.

  %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows

• 2. First you will need to change the owner and permissions of the SystemData folder in the location above to be your user account's name.

• 3. Open the SystemData, and LockScreen_Z folders, and delete the image files inside the LockScreen_Z folder so it will be empty.

  Note: This is the cache of the current default lock screen image. It needs to be cleared to be able to use the image you added below.
• 4. In File Explorer, go to the folder location below, and open the Screen folder.

  C:\Windows\Web\Screen

  

• 5. Change the owner of the image100.img file to be the Administrators group, and set permissions for Administrators to have "Full control".

  

• 6. Rename image100.img to anything you like.
• 7. Copy a 1920 x 1200.jpg image you want as the default lock screen into the C:\Windows\Web\Screen folder, and rename it to be image100.img.

  

• 8. Sign out all users on the PC to see the new default lock screen.

Thus, you have learnt how to customize default lock screen on Windows 8.1/8 successfully. As for other more Windows Tips, you can click here to know.

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