How to change the logon screensaver to use the PhotoScreensaver in Vista Options

[neonlightinbox]

Here’s how to change the logon screensaver to use the PhotoScreensaver in Vista to display images at the logon screen.

1. Begin with a new Vista image.

2. Put the PC on the network and logon as Administrator.

3. Right click on the new desktop, click Personalize, Screen saver

4. Select Photos and change the Wait time to 1 minute (for quicker test)

5. Click Preview to make sure it works, click Apply, OK

6. Wait 1 minute and allow the Screen saver to run once.

7. Escape out of the Screen saver and return to the logged on desktop.

8. Click Start, in the Search bar type Regedit and open the Registry editor.

9. Expand HKEY_USERS

10. Expand the top S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxx-xxxx key

11. Navigate down to SoftwareMicrosoftWindows Photo GallerySlideshowScreensaver

12. Right click on FolderPath and Modify to C:UsersPublicPictures

13. Navigate back up to SoftwareMicrosoftWindows Photo Gallery

14. Right click on the Windows Photo Gallery key and click Export and give it the name of Photo and save to the desktop

15. Navigate back to HKEY_USERSS-1-5-21xxxx-xxxxControl PanelDesktop

16. Right click on the Desktop key and click Export and give it the name of 521Desktop and save to the desktop

17. Close Regedit and return to the Desktop

18. Right click on the exported Photo.reg and click on Edit

19. When the file opens in Edit mode, highlight the entire S-1-5-21-xxxxx-xxxx string and copy (Ctrl+C)

20. Click on Edit, Replace

21. In Find what: press Ctrl+V to enter the entire S-1-5-21-xxxx key name

22. In Replace with: enter .DEFAULT (yes, include the dot)

23. Click File, Save as and name the edited file DefaultPhoto (needs to remain .reg NOT .txt)

24. Repeat the process of editing Photo.reg and this time edit to replace the S-1-5-21-xxxx key name with S-1-5-19

25. Save this edited file as Photo519 (needs to remain a .reg NOT .txt)

26. Repeat the process of editing the 521Desktop.reg file and save one edited file as 519Desktop with the respective edits (find & replace w/ S-1-5-19); save a second edited file as DefaultDesktop with the respective edits (find & replace w/ .DEFAULT)

27. Right click on the PhotoDefault.reg file (on the Desktop) and click Merge, Continue, Yes, OK

28. Right click on the Photo519.reg file (on the Desktop) and click Merge, Continue, Yes, OK

29. Right click on the 519Desktop.reg file (on the Desktop) and click Merge, Continue, Yes, OK

30. Right click on the DefaultDesktop.reg file (on the Desktop) and click Merge, Continue, Yes, OK

31. Continue in Regedit and Expand HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktop

32. In the Desktop settings (in the right pane) Right click on ScreenSaveTimeOut and Modify the time to desired length of time

33. Repeat the process in HKEY_USERSS-1-5-19Control PanelDesktop and use the same time entered for .DEFAULT

34. Close regedit, restart the PC. Once the PC is at the logon screen, wait for the photos to appear after the amount of time set (in ScreenSaveTimeOut).