Change the logon screen on Windows 7

Be it screensavers, desktop wallpapers or font type and sizes, visual customization at the OS level is usually important to all kinds of users.
Finally Microsoft has incorporated a new feature in the latest build (7057) of Windows 7 which supports the end user to change the logon screen background without using any hacks or third-party tools.

In previous versions including Windows Vista as well users had to install a third party software like tune-up utilities to change the logon screen. This even slowed the booting time. But in Windows 7 changing the boot screen is as simple as changing the wallpaper..(ok..not that easy)..

Hands On approach:-

This method will require you to modify the registry, no need to freak out..this might be your first registry edit..viola!!


Step 1: Press (Windows Key) + R , to open the RUN dialog box.

Step 2: Type 'regedit' without the inverted commas and press Enter.

Step 3: See the left pane and navigate to:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->SOFTWARE->Microsoft->Windows->CurrentVersion->Authentication->LogonUI->Background

Step 4:If the key does not exist, add a new DWORD value with the name OEMBackground. (Right click->New->DWORD)

Step 5: Double click on the entry OEMBackground, and change the value from 0 to 1.

Your registry editor window should look like this.

Step 6: Open Windows Explorer and go to the following path: %windir%\system32\oobe.

Step 7: Create a new folder named info, and open it.

Step 8: Create a new folder within info named backgrounds.

Step 9: In this folder save any image(not larger than 256KB) you would like to appear at your logon screen. Once you save the image in this folder rename it to backgroundDefault.jpg .
I chose this image.

Step 10: Reboot your computer and this should do the trick.. Have fun..!!

I personally changed my logon screen. Here are the actual screenshots.

Try it out...