Customize Windows 8 User Account Picture / Lock Screen

I installed Windows 8 Release Preview early to setup everything up, and it was not fully activated and only permanent trial. Then I got tired of not being able to customize anything so I found where Windows stores various images and here they are.

Tools: Download TakeOwnership.zip

User Account Picture:

1. Go to Drive C:

2. In the ribbon, go to "View" tab and choose "Options" > In the new windows go to "View" > choose to Show Hidden files

3. Back in the explorer, go to "C:\ProgramData" since it is not hidden anymore

4. Then go to folder Microsoft > User Account Pictures

5. The images you want to change are user.bmp, user.png, user-40.png, user-200.png (You may not see the .png or .bmp)

If you want to see each file extensions, go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Folder Options > View > Untick "Hide extensions for known file types"

Now in Photoshop ( or any other image editing software ) make 4 images of the image

you want using these settings:

user.bmp= .bmp, 480 x 480 pixel

user.png = .png , 480 x 480 pixel

user-40.png = .png , 40 x 40 pixel

user-200.png = .png , 200 x 200 pixel

Lock Screen :

This took me a while as it was harder then I thought.

1. Download and install the takeownership.reg script to registry (This will save you a lot of time and trouble)

2. Go to "C:\Windows\Web\Screen" and replace img 100 . jpg with the image you want (make sure you have the same name)

3. Go to "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\" and right click the "SystemData" folder and choose "Take Ownership" now you can enter the folder by pressing continue.

4. Now go to S - 1 - 5 - 18 > ReadOnly > LockScreen _Z and replace the image with the same image you replaced in step 2 , but remember to change your images file name to the one of the image your replacing .

For example in step 2 it was called " img100 "

and this one the same image is now called "LockScreen ___1920 _1080 " for me .

5. Now for the last one is in "C:\Windows\WinSxS\"

6. You will see tons of folders just use the search and search for 'img 100 " and when you find the correct image open the folder ( right click > open file location) and replace img100 with your lockscreen image ( once again make sure you keep the same file name so make sure your new lock screen says img 100 )

It seems like a lot to change the lock screen , but I had to change all of them to change that one setting.

Start Screen :

addictivetips.com/windows-tips/how-to-change-windows-8-metro-start-menu-background-colors/

Look at the bottom of this post under, "Programs to do these process for you" , if you want a easier way.

Change Colors:

1 ) Hold windows key and press R ( Win + R )

2 ) Paste " C:\Windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe " - without quotes

3 ) Wait a second for it to popup and select your color

4 ) Alt + Tab out or just press Ctrl+ Shift + Esc to bring up Task Manager

5 ) Kill msoobe.exe ( it may be under Background Processes )

6 ) Restart explorer ( cmd ( or Win + R ) > taskill /im explorer.exe )

Programs to do these process for you :

I personally prefer to do manual edits, but I know some people do not or have a harder time so here are two programs I found that will help you change account picture and start screen. Then as a bonus it will also remove the activate watermarks.

forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1837246

Mirror: OnThreeSeas.rar

Note: It did change the color ( a simple registry edit) , but it failed to change the start screen for me.

Credits: tay777