XP Logon Screen Personalisation

[jamesrobinson]

Me and My Colleague were just talking about how boring the normal windows xp logon screen looks. we were then wondering if there would be a way to edit the logon screen to work with ctrl alt del for multiple users to still use, username and password. any help would be much appreciated

[tommccann]

To put your favorite image or picture in the background of the logon screen :

 

Click the Start button and select "Run"

In the "open" field, type regedit and click ok

In the registry editor, navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP and double-click the string "wallpaper"

Enter the full path and filename of the .bmp image that you want to use as background (the image must be in .bmp format)

Click "ok" and close the registry editor

 

The changes take effect as soon as you log off and on again.

 

http://www.windows-help-central.com/image-files/customized-windows-xp-logon-screen2.jpg

[jamesrobinson]

Thanks, but is there any chance of changing the dialog box itself?

[tommccann]

Thanks, but is there any chance of changing the dialog box itself?

 

You have to reshack msgina.dll but its painstaking to say the least! personally wouldnt bother, have a read of this and im pretty sure you'll just think Nah!

Technet

[cpjitservices]

I think also changing the msgina is against Microsoft EULA, I'm not 100% but I'd double check that! and like tommccann said it's awful trying to reshack the login screen!!! A nice wallpaper would be the best option.

[Guest salan]

We have done the background and it looks good (well I think so lol), But every so often some machines revert back to the blank blue background. The file is there still but it seem to loose it. We then have to redo the reg key and its fine again.

Does any one know of a way to send the reg key on logon?

Say in the startup script?

Alan

[FN-GM]

Does any one know of a way to send the reg key on logon?

Say in the startup script?

 

You could use a statup script, a better way would be to set it in group policy preferences.

[Guest salan]

You could use a statup script, a better way would be to set it in group policy preferences.

 

I'm all ears! do tell. I could never find the right bit!

[tommccann]

Try using BgInfo

http://technet.microsoft.com

[bodminman]

Try using BgInfo

http://technet.microsoft.com

 

We use this and it's great.

[Guest salan]

We use this and it's great.

 

Yes it is, but how would that do the example above? Ie change the logon screen and not the users background?

Alan

Edited February 24, 2011 by salan
typo

[plexer]

You pick what background you want to apply it to.

 

Ben

[tommccann]

Yes it is, but how would that do the example above? Ie changwe the logon screen and not the users background?

Alan

 

You will need to tell BGinfo to modify the desktop background of the logon desktop (ctrl-alt-del screen). This setting will be stored inside the file c:\Temp\Wallpaper\MSH-DOM.bgi as soon as you select "File" -> "Save As" inside the BGinfo GUI.

 

So, launch BGInfo. Click on the button "Desktops" in the lower righthand corner.

 

Inside the "Desktops" dialogue box check your wallpaper modifications. There are three of them and each of these three items can have one of 3 settings.

 

The 3 wallpaper modifications are:

+ User Desktop

+ Logon Desktop for Console users

+ logon Desktop for Terminal Services users

 

The 3 settings for each modification are:

+ Update this wallpaper

+ Do not alter this wallpaper

+ Change this wallpaper to '(None)'

 

Assuming your system is not a Terminal Server, you will need to change the item Logon Desktop for Console users to the value Update this wallpaper.

Confirm by clicking on OK, then Apply. Save the modified settings to your BGI file as well.

[bodminman]

Yes it is, but how would that do the example above? Ie changwe the logon screen and not the users background?

Alan

 

Do you mean the background at the login screen or the login box itself?

 

I didn't suggest that we used it to change the logon box thingy, we just use it for the a) essential details and b) delivering the standard school logo background. As one of the previous posts suggested, tinkering with the logon box is a right pain in donkey and may or may not be acceptable under the terms and conditions of use or what ever they call it!

Edited February 24, 2011 by bodminman

[Guest salan]

I didn't suggest that we used it to change the logon box thingy, we just use it for the a) essential details and b) delivering the standard school logo background. As one of the previous posts suggested, tinkering with the logon box is a right pain in donkey and may or may not be acceptable under the terms and conditions of use or what ever they call it!

 

My aplolgies, I was not clear enough. No I meant the background of the logon screen not the logon box itself. We have a phoenix bird as the school logo and I have a background that the machines come up with on startup until the pupil logs in. but every so often that disappears and we have to go around and reset the reg key to get it back. so that is what I am after doing. Setting that every startup. someone said about using group policies, but I have never found the right section in there to do that.

Alan

[skell]

Whoops, completely wrong instructions there!

 

We changed one of the unused built in Windows backgrounds (Soap Bubbles) and imported our own over the top.

 

Try the attached as a GPO.

 

instruc.txt

Edited February 24, 2011 by skell