User Account Default Logon Display Picture

INFO: This will show you how to change the default user logon picture to what you want and set it as the default logon picture for all users on the computer without it being able to be changed by the users in Control Panel User Accounts.

WHY: This can be handy if you would like all accounts to display the same company logo for example.

NOTE: The only drawback, is that the display picture in the Start menu will be blank with this option enabled (Set). (See screenshot below)

Start_Menu.jpg

RELATED LINKS:
1. How to Create a New User Account in Vista

2. How to Change a User Account Display Picture in Vista

3. How to Turn the Guest Account On or Off in Vista

4. How to Change the Logon Screen in Vista

5. How to Display a Logon Message Title and Text in Vista

6. How to Change the Registered Owner and Organization Information in Vista

7. How to Create or Remove a Custom Title Bar in Internet Explorer 7

8. How to Add a Logo and Support Information to Vista


EXAMPLE: Logon Screen with a User Logon Display Picture

Logon_Screen.jpg


STEP ONE:
Change Default User and Guest Logon Picture :
NOTE: You can select to use any BMP, DIB, RLE, GIF, JPG, or PNG image file for the display picture. The image can only be up to 128 x 128 pixels in size to prevent it from being automatically cropped to fit the user display box. If it is bigger than this, just resize it. Otherwise, your image may be cut off or not centered properly.

These are the images used for the default user and guest logon display picture for the user accounts. ProgramData is a hidden system file, see Option Two here: How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista

A) User Accounts Default logon Picture Location :
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\user.bmp

B) Guest Accounts Default Logon Picture Location :
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\guest.bmp


1. Name the image that you want to use to user.bmp and/or guest.bmp for the account type you want it as the default for.
2. Make sure that you have System Files set to unhide.
NOTE: For how see Option Two here: How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista

3. Open a Windows Explorer Window.

4. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures (See screenshot below)
A) For the default logon picture you want to change, right click on user.bmp or guest.bmp and click Rename.
B) Rename them to user.bmp.bak and/or guest.bmp.bak and press Enter, then click Yes, Continue, and Continue.
C) Right click on the image from step 1 and click on Copy, then click on a empty area in this window and click Paste.
NOTE: To undo this, delete the new image from step 4C and remove the .bak off the name of user.bmp.bak and/or guest.bmp.bak to restore the default images given by Vista.

User_Account_Pictures.jpg

5. Close this window when done.


STEP TWO:
Set or Unset a Default Logon Picture for All Users :
NOTE: You will need to change the default images in Step One above to what you want to be used by all user accounts.

METHOD ONE:
Through the Local Group Policy Editor:
NOTE: This is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. See Method Two below for Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions.

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
3. Click Continue for the UAC prompt.
4. In the left pane, click on Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Control Panel, User Accounts (See screenshot below)
5. In the right pane, right click on Apply the default user logon picture to all users and click Properties.

Group_Policy.jpg

6. To Unset Default Logon Pictures for All Users -
A) Dot Disabled or Not Configured and click OK. (See screenshot below)
B) Go to step 8.

7. To Set Default Logon Pictures for All Users -
A) Dot Enabled and click OK.

Properties.jpg

8. Close Local Group Policy Editor window.
9. Logoff and logon to see the change for the user logon display picture.


METHOD TWO:
Through the Registry:
NOTE: This will work for all Vista versions.

Through a Download:
1. To Set Default Logon Pictures for All Users -
A) Set_Default_Logon_Picture.reg < Click To Download

2. To Unset Default Logon Pictures for All Users -
A) UnSet_Default_Logon_Picture.reg < Click To Download

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.
4. Right click the .reg (On Desktop) file and click Merge.
5. Click on the Run button for Security Warning pop-up.
6. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.
7. When done, you can delete the .reg file (On Desktop).
8. Logoff and logon, or restart the computer to apply and see changes.


The Manual Way:
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Click the Continue button for the UAC prompt.
4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Reg1.jpg

5. To Set Default Logon Pictures for All Users -
A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. (See screenshot above)
B) Type UseDefaultTile and press Enter.
C) Right click on UseDefaultTile and click Modify. (See screenshot below)

Reg2.jpg

D) Type 1 and click OK. (See screenshot below)

Modify.jpg

E) The registry will now look like this. (See screenshot below)

Reg3.jpg

F) Go to step 7.

6. To Unset Default Logon Pictures for All Users-
A) In the right pane, right click on UseDefaultTile and click Delete. (See screenshot above)
B) Click Yes to confirm deletion.

7. Close regedit.
8. Logoff and logon, or restart the computer to apply and see changes.


That's it,
Shawn