Lock Screen Slide Show - Turn On or Off in Windows 8.1

How to Turn On or Off the Lock Screen Slide Show in Windows 8.1​

   Information

Windows 8.1 introduces a new feature to be able to set your lock screen to play a dynamic slide show of shuffled images from your selected SkyDrive, local (This PC), library, homegroup, or network folders.

This tutorial will show you how to turn on and setup or turn off playing a slide show on your lock screen in Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1.

   Note

In Windows 8 and 8.1 there are two "Lock" screens. One is set by the user that is displayed only when they are signed in. The other is the default Lock screen image that is displayed when there are no users signed in.

The lock screen slide show will not play when there are no users signed in. For example, at startup.

Each user has their own specific lock screen. The lock screen that shows depends on the user the is signed in and locked the PC.

   Warning

Be sure to have the Windows Search service enabled and running.

EXAMPLE: Lock Screen

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OPTION ONE

Turn On or Off Your Lock Screen Slide Show in PC settings

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1. Open PC settings, and either click/tap on Lock screen on the right side or click/tap on PC & devices on the left side. (see screenshot below)​

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2. Click/tap on Lock screen on the left side of PC & devices, and do step 3 or 4 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below step 3A or 5A)​

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3. To Turn Off Your Lock Screen Slide Show​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

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A) On the right side under Slide show, move the Play a slide show on the lock screen slider to the left, and go to step 12 below. (see screenshot below)​

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4. To Turn On Your Lock Screen Slide Show​

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A) On the right side under Slide show, move the Play a slide show on the lock screen slider to the right.. (see screenshot below)​

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B) Continue on to do any one or all of steps 5 to 12 below.​

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5. To Add a Folder to Use Pictures from to Display in Slide Show​

NOTE: This setting will only be available if you did step 4.​

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A) Under Use pictures from, click/tap on + Add a folder. (see screenshot below)​

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B) Navigate to and open a SkyDrive, local (This PC), library, homegroup, or network folder (ex: Wallpapers) that you want to use pictures (images) from to select it, and click/tap on Choose this folder. (see screenshot below)​

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   Note

SkyDrive folders must be set to "Make offline" to be available (synced and copied) on your PC to be able to use with the lock screen slide show.

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   Tip

How to Navigate:

   Tip

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A) Click/tap on This PC/Libraries to open a root folder to have it's subfolders open in the main window.​

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B) Click/tap on a folder in the main window to open it's subfolders in the main window.​

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C) During this, you can click/tap on Go up to go up one folder level in the main window.​

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C) Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

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6. To Remove Folders to No Longer Use Pictures from in Slide Show​

NOTE: This setting will only be available if you did step 4.​

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A) Under Use pictures from, click/tap on an added folder (step 5), and click/tap on Remove. (see screenshot below)​

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7. To Turn On or Off to Include "Camera Roll" Folders from this PC and SkyDrive​

NOTE: This setting will only be available if you did step 4.​

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A) On the right side under Include Camera Roll folders from this PC and SkyDrive, move the slider to turn on or off. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: This is turned off by default.​

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8. To Turn On or Off Your Lock Screen Slide Show when on Battery Power​

NOTE: This setting will only be available if you did step 4, and if your PC runs on a battery.​

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A) On the right side, move the Play a slide show when using battery power slider to turn on or off. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: This is turned off by default.​

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9. To Turn On or Off to Only Use Pictures that Fit Best on Your Screen​

NOTE: This setting will only be available if you did step 4. This setting will optimize photo selection by having Windows only use pictures that best fit on your screen from within the added folders (step 5 in the slide show.​

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A) Under Only use the pictures that will fit best on my screen, move the slider to turn on or off. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: This is turned on by default.​

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10. Turn On or Off to Show Lock Screen Instead of Turning Off Screen when PC is Inactive​

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   Note

This setting will only be available if you did step 4.

   Note

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The amount of inactive time before turning off screen or showing lock screen can be set in the tutorial below.​

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How to Set to Turn Off the Display after Specified Time in Windows​

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A) Under When my PC is inactive, show the lock screen instead of turning off the screen, move the slider to turn on or off. (see screenshot below)​

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11. To Set When to Turn Off Screen(s) after Slide Show has Played​

NOTE: This setting will only be available if you did step 4.​

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A) Under Turn off screen after slide show has played for, click/tap on the drop down menu, and click/tap on how long you want until your display screen(s) automatically turn off after the lock screen slide show has started playing. (see screenshot below)​

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12. When finished, you can close PC settings if you like.​

OPTION TWO

Turn On or Off Your Lock Screen Slide Show in Registry Editor

   Note

You will only be able to add or remove folders to use pictures from to play in the lock screen slide show in OPTION ONE in PC settings, and not from the registry.

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1. Press the :winkey: + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter.​

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2. If administrator, click/tap on Yes if prompted by UAC.​

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3. In Registry Editor, navigate to the location below.​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen​

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4. In the right pane of Lock Screen, double click/tap on the DWORD name listed in the table below that you want to modify it's data value setting for.​

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   Note

If a DWORD name you want to set is not listed in the right pane of Lock Screen, then right click on an empty area in the right pane, click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value, type in the DWORD name listed in the table below that you want to set, and press Enter.

   Note

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   Tip

The amount of inactive time before turning off screen or showing lock screen for the When my PC is inactive, show the lock screen instead of turning off the screen setting can be set in the tutorial below.

   Tip

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How to Set to Turn Off the Display after Specified Time in Windows​

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Setting	DWORD Name	Data Values
Play a slide show on the lock screen	SlideshowEnabled	0 = Off 1 = On
Include Camera Roll folders from this PC and SkyDrive	SlideshowIncludeCameraRoll	0 = Off 1 = On
Only use the pictures that will fit best on my screen	SlideshowOptimizePhotoSelection	0 = Off 1 = On
Play a slide show when using battery power	SlideshowEnabledOnBattery	0 = Off 1 = On
When my PC is inactive, show the lock screen instead of turning off the screen	SlideshowAutoLock	0 = Off 1 = On
Turn off screen after slide show has played for	SlideshowDuration	1800000 = 30 minutes 3600000 = 1 hour 10800000 = 3 hours 0 = Don't turn off

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5. Select (dot) Decimal, type in a data value from the table above (step 4) for what you want to set it with, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

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   Warning

If you wanted to enable the lock screen slide show, then be sure to set the SlideshowEnabled DWORD to 1 to turn on the lock screen slide show for the other settings to work.

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6. When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Set to Turn Off the Display after Specified Time in Windows
• How to Change Your Desktop Background and Slide Show in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change Your Lock Screen Background Image in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Set a Default Lock Screen Background Image for All Users in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Enable or Disable Lock Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• Enable or Disable Changing Lock Screen Background Image in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change Lock Screen Timeout Period in Windows 8 and 8.1
• Require Users to Sign in with User Name and Password on Lock Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add "Lock Computer" to the Desktop Context Menu in Windows 8
• How to Add a "Power" Cascading Desktop Context Menu in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove "Lock" from User Tile Menu on Start in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove Lock Computer from CTRL+ALT+DEL Screen
• How to Enable or Disable Using Camera on Your Lock Screen in Windows 8.1
• How to Create a "Lock Screen" PC Settings Shortcut in Windows 8.1

 

[SebasSmits]

Lock screen win 8.1

Hi,

I had a small question about the new lock screen properties of windows 8.1

When new changes in windows 8.1 leaked out some said the lock screen had multiple images changing next to each other like this:





But now in windows 8.1 the only thing you can do is making a slide show on your lock screen. But only one by one photograph. While the image above shows multiple photo's changing randomly.
How do they do that?

 

[Brink]

Hello Sebas,

It still does that in Windows 8.1 for the lock screen slide show. It will do it automatically, but you will need to let the slide show play for a bit before you will see multiple images on the screen, and images panning with animation as well.

Here's what I have mine set to for this.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[SebasSmits]

I see,

Thanks for the quick respond and answer to my question

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[Dick Jagger]

Brink, is there anyway to trigger this slideshow immediately? I'd like to get up from my computer and then activate the slideshow right away without waiting for the set time (15 mins.) for the dsplay to turn off and begin the slideshow.

 

[Brink]

Hello Dick,

If you have the lock screen slide show turned on, then you should be able to lock winkey: + L) the computer to see the lock slide show play when you like.

 

[Dwoot]

Hello Brink,

I've been having some issues trying to change my screen image whenever I "Switch Users". I understand Windows 8.1 have two lock screens, but I cant manage to change it. I used to have one by default, but I went into C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\LockScreen_Z then proceeded to replace that image, but every time it changed to a solid blue whenever I switch users.

P.S I tried the second option from this post http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...ault-background-image-change-windows-8-a.html but it only works when every user is signed out.

 

[Brink]

Hello Dwoot, and welcome to Eight Forums.

The default lock screen from the tutorial link in your post will only show when no users are signed in. Option One there would have been much easier to use though.

When you switch users, you are actually seeing the sign in screen instead of the lock screen. That will only be a solid color. Like the lock screen, there are two sign in screens as well. One that shows your account, and the default that shows all users.

(your)
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2678-start-screen-change-background-color-image.html

(default all users)
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15554-sign-screen-change-background-color-windows-8-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Dwoot]

Thanks for your fast reply Brink.

I'm not referring to the screen with the user logins. When I switch users I get to this screen with an image, date and time in the bottom left corner, and just after clicking or pressing any key I get to the user login screen. I found that particular image comes from C:\Windows\Web\Screen\img100.png

When I deleted it from C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\LockScreen_Z it no longer showed.

Sorry, I'm so confused about all this.

 

[Brink]

In that case, see if using OPTION ONE in the tutorial below to use the image you want instead may help.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...ault-background-image-change-windows-8-a.html

 

[Dwoot]

Option one did the trick! Thank you very much Brink.
I thought it required installation which I wanted to avoid, but it didn't.

Thanks so much again.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[Dick Jagger]

Brink, I'm trying to add media folders with my photo albums with this method (Step 5), but I cannot browse to anything. Selecting "This PC", presents no files or folders.

 

[Brink]

Hello Dick,

Odd. Did you move your user profile and libraries to another location? That could explain why they are not there.

 

[Dick Jagger]

No, not that I'm aware of. This is a newer laptop about two months old, with the 8.1 update. My media folders are on an external hard drive. I don't think there are libraries.

 

[Brink]

When you click on This PC at the top in your screenshot and click on This PC in the menu, do you get anything else to select then?

 

[Dick Jagger]

Nope. There is nothing to select.

 

[Brink]

Odd. Are you able to navigate to the "C:\Users\(user-name)" folder location in File Explorer?

You might see if restarting the PC may sort it.

 

[Dick Jagger]

Under network, any path I type in, I get a message saying there's a problem with the network path. I have this same problem whenever I try to sync my windows phone... nothing is available to select from "This PC", only "OneDrive" seems to ever be accessible.