[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Review: Windows 7 Logon Background Changer personalizes your Windows PC here

[awall]

How is this different than going to Personalize - Desktop and selecting images and the time between image changes? Why add something that is already built in?

[awall]

You can do this already - personalize - desktop background - and change wallpaper timer settings - why add more software to do this arleady built in feature - is this better somehow?

[SybBadger2jiu]

Doh! its not the desktop background its the LOGON screen background !!!

[catagious]

Quote

How is this different than going to Personalize - Desktop and selecting images and the time between image changes? Why add something that is already built in?

The article is talking about the LOGON screen, not the desktop background.

[catagious]

Quote

You can do this already - personalize - desktop background - and change wallpaper timer settings - why add more software to do this arleady built in feature - is this better somehow?

The article is talking about the LOGON screen, not the desktop background.

[brainout]

In XP, You can do the same thing with TuneUp Utilities 2011 or 2012 (the former is better, if you like controlling your own PC). And its Registry Editor is to die for. I've been using Norton System Works for years, but TuneUp is even better in key ways. I use both of them nearly every day.

So far, am disappointed in Windows 7. Come on: peek? Shake? Snap? What idiot thought of those things. It's FAR less customizable than XP. The main reasons I won't go beyond XP are: a) lack of backwards compatibility with older Win software and DOS (but am going to test that in later Windows versions on PCs I buy strictly for that purpose); b) interface changes in later Windows are INSANE; c) later Windows versions rob the user of key procedural aids which he needs for most efficient computer management. I'm sure later versions also make improvements, but they are either of the gee-whiz variety, or (badly) incorporate improvements already made in the past by third-party programs developed to work on XP. So I already have all of the improvements the later Windows versions are praised for.

Just bought a Vista machine I had planned to use as a guinea pig to update to Win8, and for dual-boot (if no Win8) with Linux, to test distros. Will see if Vista is better. I doubt it, but due diligence requires testing.

If someone else likes his version of windows or linux or apple, fine. But frankly, this MS OS disaster of dysfunctional upgrades has eaten my life and I'm SICK of it. Very disgusting to have to wholly change procedures to stupider new ones, every few years. It is the main reason I'm migrating to Linux long-term, even though I expect Linux to be a pain, too.

With MS, you don't get to hack out or tweak out the defaults; MS is progressively denying the user's ability to customize, with each 'upgrade'. By contrast, what distinguishes Linux is its modularity. So if some distro later changes procedures in a way I don't like, then I can replace that module's changes with the same module (i.e., the desktop) in another distro. I wish Linux would start to price its stuff, so that usage would become more widespread, and the product's attractiveness for third party app development, would improve. Then again, MS is basically blessing the development of Linux, since the former is utterly deaf to its most important customer base, to its manufacturers who install its OS, and to the developers. MS must hate them all.

The upfront cost of design and deployment for all three groups is high. Bet you 30% of the cost of a product is due to this problem: 10% direct costs, 10% indirect costs, and 10% associated taxes.

Users need stability of procedure. Even an inferior procedure well learned, will be more efficient than a constantly changing procedure which (allegely) is more efficient. To be fair, all the larger software products reflect the same bad decisions in changing the interface and removing customization, as MS (witness the new prison-style Youtube, post March 2012, and PC World's suddenly dysfunctional home page).

This post has been edited by brainout: 03 November 2012 - 03:27 AM

[databaseben]

i suppose the software writer is a genius but i think he / she wasted their time on this.

in the end, its really a useless utility - especially for those of us that bypass the login screen.

[oldschoolh4ck3r]

Figures... I just did this 'the hard way'... LOL

Good article.

[McStud]

Logon screen rotator is the only way to go regarding this type of customization. It's the Luke Payne one. This utility will change the background randomly and at each login. Just choose the folders or individual images you want to use.

[brainout]

UPDATE: I just went to TuneUp Utilities again (click here), and learned that it's compatible up through Windows 8. NOW I might be able to tolerate Vista, Win7, and Win8! Check it out, because there is so much you can customize which normally in Windows you couldn't even FIND. Changing the logon screen is only one of hundreds of things you can do to customize. When Norton System Works stopped being sold, I was heartbroken. But TuneUp does everything Norton did, and more. Makes using Windows tolerable. Really great software, I'm in love with it.

This post has been edited by brainout: 03 November 2012 - 05:14 PM

[MAAgiuseq2y]

You can also do this with RegEdit.exe

Go to;
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background
and set OEMBackground (Reg_DWORD) to 1

Then go to directory
C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds

(You may need to create the sub-directorys info\backgrounds)

and save your jpg image as backgroundDefault.jpg

The image file must be under 256KBytes and 800 by 600 pixels.

You can also save the image at other reselotions with the name:
background800x600.jpg
background1024x760.jpg
background1600x1200.jpg
background1920x1200.jpg

[MAAgiuseq2y]

You can also do this with RegEdit.exe

Go to;
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background
and set OEMBackground (Reg_DWORD) to 1

Then go to directory
C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds

(You may need to create the sub-directorys info\backgrounds)

and save your jpg image as backgroundDefault.jpg

The image file must be under 256KBytes and 800 by 600 pixels.

You can also save the image at other reselotions with the name:
background800x600.jpg
background1024x760.jpg
background1600x1200.jpg
background1920x1200.jpg

[AviPatel]

Quote

How is this different than going to Personalize - Desktop and selecting images and the time between image changes? Why add something that is already built in?

Are you even reading the article??
it's the logon screen background, not the desktop background.

[AviPatel]

Quote

You can do this already - personalize - desktop background - and change wallpaper timer settings - why add more software to do this arleady built in feature - is this better somehow?

no you can't. this talks about the logon background.

[LiveBrianD]

MAAgiuseq2y, on 04 November 2012 - 05:14 AM, said:

You can also do this with RegEdit.exe

Go to;
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background
and set OEMBackground (Reg_DWORD) to 1

Then go to directory
C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds

(You may need to create the sub-directorys info\backgrounds)

and save your jpg image as backgroundDefault.jpg

The image file must be under 256KBytes and 800 by 600 pixels.

You can also save the image at other reselotions with the name:
background800x600.jpg
background1024x760.jpg
background1600x1200.jpg
background1920x1200.jpg

You don't need to limit the resolution. Also, for some reason, in my experience, it seems the file needs to be slightly below 256KB - maybe that's because 256KB (base 1000) = 250KiB? (base 1024)

What I've been doing is cropping and resizing images so they're the same resolution as my screen, adjusting the JPG compression so they're within the limit, and simply calling them backgroundDefault.jpg (note: for some reason, the registry key seems to get randomly reset in my experience - I have no idea why.)

[Maza20]

Quote

So far, am disappointed in Windows 7. Come on: peek? Shake? Snap? What idiot thought of those things.

The Longhorn designers thought of Snap and Peek! Though in slightly different (perhaps better) forms.
It's a shame Windows Vista didn't get what it was supposed to.

Quote

Will see if Vista is better. I doubt it, but due diligence requires testing.

At least Vista lets you use the Classic Start menu, classic Control Panel, etc. It's more customizable than Windows 7 in a few regards.

[phrelco]

Quote

i suppose the software writer is a genius but i think he / she wasted their time on this. in the end, its really a useless utility - especially for those of us that bypass the login screen.

"Uselessness is in the eye of the beholder", to paraphrase the old axiom. Useless? Only to those that have no need for it. I use it. Do I have a need for it? Only if I wish to change my logon screen. Do I enter Win 7 via the logon screen? Yes. Do I need to change my logon screen? No. Do I want to change my logon screen? Yes. Therefor, for me, it's useful. Apparently, for you, such a program would be useless.

The things that attracted me to it most was that it's a portable (useful for me; useless for others that would want a registry - gunking install), and the UI is very attractive, which of course would be useless to someone who has an affinity to butt ugly.

I agree with the cons though in the article, that it is hard to scroll through your images if you have a lot of them in a folder. Other than that, it works fine. Of course, those wishing to use a program that is buggy and doesn't work well or as advertised, would find this program useless.

[bnby12]

Hey phrelco, are you a republican?