Start Screen - Change Background Color and Image

How to Change Your Start and Sign in Screen Background and Color in Windows 8 and 8.1
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   Information

This tutorial will show you how to easily change your Start screen background image and color, modern UI accent color, and your sign in screen color in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

There is still currently no known way to set a custom wallpaper as the sign in screen background.

EXAMPLE: Start and Sign in Screen Background and Color

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OPTION ONE

Change Your Sign in and Start Screen Background Image and Color in Settings Charm in Windows 8.1

   Note

This option will show you how to change only the background image (desktop or default) and color of your Start screen, and only the color of your sign in using PC settings in Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1.

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1. While on your Start screen (Start or Apps view), open the Settings charm.​

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NOTE: This will not work if done from your desktop.​

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2. Click/tap on Personalize. (see screenshot below)​

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3. In the top background images section, click/tap on one of the 15 image thumbnails you want set as your Start screen background. (see screenshot below step 5)​

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   Note

The bottom right corner thumbnail is for setting your Start screen background to be the same as your current desktop background. When selected, the Background color option in step 4 below will only change your Sign in screen background color and not your Start screen.

   Note

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If you select any of the other image thumbnails as your Start screen background, then the selected image will be inlayed on top of the Background color option you selected in step 4 below for your Start screen background color.​

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4. In the middle Background color section, click/tap on a color family you want in the bottom bar, then click/tap on a color shade above the bottom bar to set (check) as your Start and Sign in screen background color. (see screenshot below step 5)​

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   Note

If you selected the desktop background thumbnail in step 3 above, then this will not change your Start screen background color, and will only change your sign in screen background color instead.

   Note

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Examples of items that use the background color would be:​

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• Start screen background unless as per above.
• App highlight box on Start screen (Start and Apps view).
• Arrow button background on bottom of Start screen (Start and Apps view).
• Sign in screen background.
• Charms flyout background.
• Charms menu title header background
• etc....

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   Tip

Your background color is stored as a hex value of the StartColor DWORD at the registry location below.

   Tip

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Accent​

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5. In the bottom Accent color section, click/tap on a color family you want in the bottom bar, then click/tap on a color shade above the bottom bar to set (check) for all of your modern UI screens accent color. (see screenshot below step 5)​

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   Note

Examples of items that use the accent color would be:

   Note

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• Start button (ex: taskbar, charms bar) when hovered on.
• Selected menus on the left side in PC settings.
• Slider colors in PC settings.
• Menu titles in PC settings.
• etc....

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   Tip

Your accent color is stored as a hex value of the AccentColor DWORD at the registry location below.

   Tip

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Accent​

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6. When finished, you can click/tap on an empty area on Start to close the Personalize flyout.​

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OPTION TWO

Change Your Sign in and Start Screen Background Image and Color in "PC settings" in Windows 8

   Note

This option will show you how to change only the background image and color of your Start screen, and only the color of your sign in using PC settings in Windows 8 and Windows RT.

If you like, you can use this option to change the color of your sign in screen background, and also use OPTION THREE below to use a custom image on your Start screen background.

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1. Open PC settings, click/tap on Personalize in the right pane, and Start Screen in the left pane. (see screenshot below)​

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2. From here, you can choose an image for the Start screen background, and/or choose a color for the Start and sign in screen background. (see screenshot above)​

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   Note

If you use OPTION TWO below, then it will override the image and color selected here on your Start screen.

   Note

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The color you select will only be applied to your Start and sign in screen, and not to the default sign in screen that shows all users.​

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

OPTION THREE

Change Your Start Screen Background using "Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer"

   Note

This option will show you how to change your Start screen background to any custom image you like. If you like, you could also select more than one picture to have a slideshow on the Start screen.

Once you have the picture selected, you could adjust the Start screen opacity and tiles opacity separately to display how transparent or solid you would like.

For more information about how to use the free Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer program, please also see: codigobit apps

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1. If you have not already, then you will need to download the latest version of the portable or installer Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer .exe file at the link below.​

NOTE: If you download the portable executable, you will need to extract ModernUIStartScreen.ex_ and rename it to ModernUIStartScreen.exe.​

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Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer Free Download​

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2. Unblock the ModernUIStartScreen.exe (portable) or Win8StartScreenCustomizerEN.exe (installer) file, then run the .exe file.​

NOTE: You would need to use OPTION ONE at this link to unblock the .exe.​

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3. From here, you can select to use your current desktop wallpaper or load a picture to use on your Start screen. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: If you choose to Load Picture, then you will also need to drag the select box borders to include what you want to be displayed from the loaded picture. Only what is inside the select box is what will show on the Start screen.​

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4. If you would like to have a Start screen slideshow, then use Select Pictures to select more than one image, check Slideshow, select the change picture interval time, and select if you want the selected pictures to display randomly in the slideshow. (see screenshot below step 3)​

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5. You can also adjust the sliders for the Start Screen Opacity and Tiles Opacity for how transparent or solid you would like them to be. (see screenshot below step 3)​

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6. Check the Run at startup box. (see screenshot below step 3)​

NOTE: If you do not check this box, then the Start screen picture will go back to default like in OPTION ONE whenever you restart the computer or sign out.​

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7. When finished, click/tap on the Apply & Save button. (see screenshot below step 6)​

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8. This will take you to the Start screen to see how your selected picture(s) look. Click on the Desktop tile to go back.​

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9. Make any other changes you may like in Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer, and repeat step 7 until you have the Start screen how you like.​

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10. When finished, either click/tap on Exit or the Hide button. (see screenshot below step 6)​

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   Note

When you click on the Hide button, the program will stay running in the background and have an icon in the taskbar notification area (systray).

   Note

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When you click on Exit, the program will close. The Start screen picture will still remain displayed until you either restart the computer or sign out unless you checked the Run at startup box in step 6 above.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Force a Specific Background and Accent Color in Windows 8.1 Modern UI
• How to Set a Default Start Background Image for All Users in Windows 8.1
• How to Change the Color of Window Borders and Taskbar in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Show your Desktop Background on Start Screen in Windows 8.1
• How to Change Background Color of Default Sign-in Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Enable or Disable Changing Start Screen Background in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change Lock Screen Background Image in Windows 8 and 8.1
• Change Your Desktop Background and Slide Show in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• Change Number of Apps Rows on "Start" Screen in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• How to Download a "Start" Screen Shortcut in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Set Windows 8 to Require Users to Sign in with User Name and Password
• Set Desktop, Lock, and Start Background to Show Image or Solid Color in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create a "Personalize Modern UI" Shortcut in Windows 8.1
• How to Display Information about Previous Logons during User Sign-in to Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[robinb9]

I have them both, I like classic shell better for the start menu because you actually have more options over Start08 and it is free
I like Dec08 even though it is $4.99 because it gives you lots of nice options for the metro IU
I had to purchase Start08 on one of my Windows8 computers only because for some reason classic shell did not work there but on my laptop and my other Windows 8 computer classic shell works great

 

[qwetymikey]

hi,

how can i change the background again to default :S

 

[Brink]

Hello Mikey,

If you mean when using OPTION TWO, you could either select the default color and background, or uncheck Run at startup in the program, exit the program, and restart.

Hope this helps.

 

[qwetymikey]

Hello Mikey,

If you mean when using OPTION TWO, you could either select the default color and background, or uncheck Run at startup in the program, exit the program, and restart.

Hope this helps.

yea, i restarted and everything went back to normal, i feel stupid -,-

but i noticed that before the pc restarted there was a message saying waiting to close the apps or something like that (that appears when you restart the pc before closing everything) and it sayd keyboard? what is that? is it for my keyboard? lol because I remember seeing the notepad many times when i left it open before restarting, but keyboard??

 

[Brink]

Great news.

It sounds like just something that was hanging at shutdown before it was forced close to allow the PC to restart.

 

[qwetymikey]

Great news.

It sounds like just something that was hanging at shutdown before it was forced close to allow the PC to restart.

thanks, do you happen to know if there is a log of this saved somewhere? :S im talking about this

http://techdows.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/force-shutdown-windows.png

 

[Brink]

That issue would be best posted in a new thread to get better help with and keep this thread on topic.

 

[aar407]

... Or wait until Windows 8.1 is out

 

[balubeto]

Excuse me, but, now, when I log into my local account, and I perform the Win (or click on the Start button on the desktop), Win-i and Personalize commands, I can change the background color of the login screen and no more that of the Start screen. How come?

Thanks

Bye

 

[Brink]

Hello Balubeto,

You'll need to do Option One while you are on your Start or Apps screen. You won't have the Personalize option available if you do it from your desktop.

 

[balubeto]

Hello Balubeto,

You'll need to do Option One while you are on your Start or Apps screen. You won't have the Personalize option available if you do it from your desktop.

Clearly, my sequence of commands mentioned above started from the desktop. So, how come I can not change the background color of the Start screen?

Thanks

Bye

 

[Brink]

Because the "Personalize" option for the modern UI is only available if you do this from the Start or Apps screen.

Open your Start screen, then try it.

 

[balubeto]

Because the "Personalize" option for the modern UI is only available if you do this from the Start or Apps screen.

Open your Start screen, then try it.

Starting from the Start screen, I press Win-i, and I click on the Personalize item. Right? To me, at this point, the color palette pertinent to the background of the Charms bar and the last user sign in screen is displayed. How come? So, how do I change the background color of the Start screen?

Thanks

Bye

 

[Brink]

That's correct, you would click on Personalize in the Settings charm winkey: + I).

Do you see the screenshot under step 5 in Option One at this point?

If so, the "Background Color" you select is what is used on the sign in and Start screens.

 

[balubeto]

That's correct, you would click on Personalize in the Settings charm winkey: + I).

Do you see the screenshot under step 5 in Option One at this point?

If so, the "Background Color" you select is what is used on the sign in and Start screens.

Ok, now it works.

Thanks

Bye

 

[Brink]

Perfect.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

I couldn't get it to work until I read the tutorial again -- It explicitly says you have to do it from the Start screen NOT the desktop !!!!!!. Now it works.

Incidentally I needed to add the personalisation key mentioned in the tutorial - and not set the other two options. Running Windows Enterprise 8.1 X-64 with Intel HD graphics so no probs of "Contrast ratio".

Thanks --Now I've got rid of that hideous blue.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[jagwar]

In regards to Windows 8 start screen customizer, is it possible to change the start screen background without having this software load with Windows every time on startup? If it doesn't load with startup then it won't apply the wallpaper when you restart your computer.

 

[Brink]

Hey Maj,

I'm afraid not.

If you like, you could use OPTION ONE instead to have your Start screen be the same image as your desktop background.

 

[jagwar]

Hey Maj,

I'm afraid not.

If you like, you could use OPTION ONE instead to have your Start screen be the same image as your desktop background.

that's too bad, startup impact seems to be Medium