How to change Windows 8 lock screen image manually? do not use the Control Panel, thank you.
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System One
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- Windows 7
How to change Windows 8 lock screen image manually? do not use the Control Panel, thank you.
Why is it so important you avoid using PC Settings to do it? It doesn't make sense to me why anyone would fight so hard to avoid using a simple settings panel.
I don't know where the pic is stored, but the only reason I can think of that you're having the space needle show up at startup, is because you're using multiple user accounts or you're logging completely out of your current user account before shutting down.
My Windows 8 lock screen at startup matches what I chose in my PC Settings.
Are you using multiple users and/or using the Log Out function before shutting down?
Yes. Sometimes I login as admin. Sometimes I login as myself with admin privileges. I find that having admin privileges on my user account doesn't really give me full admin privileges. When I am done using the computer I use the shutdown command. When I start it up, there's the space needle. Sorry if I got a little obnoxious.
I don't know where the pic is stored, but the only reason I can think of that you're having the space needle show up at startup, is because you're using multiple user accounts or you're logging completely out of your current user account before shutting down.
My Windows 8 lock screen at startup matches what I chose in my PC Settings.
Are you using multiple users and/or using the Log Out function before shutting down?
That's done on purpose. Your user account is admin enough that you can elevate when needed, but by default you are limited. It's a security feature that's been around since Vista. Did you disable UAC?
Anyhow, I guess it uses the default space needle when multiple users are present as to not show favoritism towards any particular user. Though, to be honest, they could have just used the last used lock screen. Oh well, that's MS's weirdness for ya. I wonder if there's a way to modify the 'default' profile in Windows 8, I wonder if that's where the purple color and space needle pic is determined? Back in the day, the default profile was often modified by network administrators so that new users created in say, a college, would automatically have a certain look and feel and UI settings by default. Is this still true today in modern versions of Windows?
Thanks for the reply. I don't disable UAC because I like to know what is happening. I often just run the command prompt as admin to bypass the Win8 "security" features. I can see security being in place on a network for users without admin privileges. But admin privileges used to be called "super-user" privileges for a reason, and there should be no restrictions. I have no problem with warnings, but creating roadblocks that a user with admin privileges needs to work around is just ridiculous.
A unix admin on a multimillion dollar network can destroy the whole network and every server on it with just one command per server. When the servers reboot, they will be wiped.
I'll keep looking for the name of the space needle image. If I find it I'll post it. If anyone else does, I hope they will do the same.
That's done on purpose. Your user account is admin enough that you can elevate when needed, but by default you are limited. It's a security feature that's been around since Vista. Did you disable UAC?
Anyhow, I guess it uses the default space needle when multiple users are present as to not show favoritism towards any particular user. Though, to be honest, they could have just used the last used lock screen. Oh well, that's MS's weirdness for ya. I wonder if there's a way to modify the 'default' profile in Windows 8, I wonder if that's where the purple color and space needle pic is determined? Back in the day, the default profile was often modified by network administrators so that new users created in say, a college, would automatically have a certain look and feel and UI settings by default. Is this still true today in modern versions of Windows?
I can respond for myself .... it's because the picture on start up keeps reverting back to the space needle. The lock screen pic is only used if you lock the screen after you logon. I don't want to see that ugly space needle pic ever. The only wy to accomplish that seems to be to find the pic on the hard drive and replace it with a pic I like, giving it the name of the old pic. That is why it's necessary to know where the pics are kept. Otherwise, my PC, with software I paid for, is going to have this ugly space needle cartoon pic displayed every time I start up the PC. What is that pic, a left over from a 1989 version of Microsoft Flight Simulator? I hate that pic.
Now if you don't know the answer to where is that ugly pic stored, or if you know it's in code and can't be changed because it's not an actual image (I kind of doubt that), why don't you just admit you don't know instead of questioning the OP's right to ask the question?
And if anyone here knows the answer, why don't you just give it?
Why is it so important you avoid using PC Settings to do it? It doesn't make sense to me why anyone would fight so hard to avoid using a simple settings panel.
@mbratchYou can also Google search on how to change the Windows 8 Login Background
bobspez, I think a lot of confusion is due to you not calling that screen the right thing. It's not the lock screen you're referring to with the Seattle pic. That's the login background. topgundcp has the link above to locate that file. You can also Google search on how to change the Windows 8 Login Background. Why MS chose not to allow a user to easily configure this is anyone's wild guess.