Change the Windows 10 log-in screen background – CNET

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You’ve probably noticed by now that Windows 10 actually has two log-in screens: The lock screen and the log-in screen. The lock screen is customizable, but the login screen — where you type your password — is not. You’re stuck with a dark blue background and a shiny, light-throwing Windows logo.

Or are you?

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Here’s how to change the log-in screen background from that tacky shiny Windows logo to the color of your choosing: Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen and scroll down. You should see a toggle under Show Windows background picture on the sign-in screen. Turn this toggle off and the next time you log in, you’ll see a solid color instead of the Windows logo on your log-in screen.

There’s also another fix, but it’s more complicated. If you’ve already used this fix in a previous version of Windows 10 (before update 10586), you will not see the toggle mentioned above.

Warning: This “fix” does involve editing the Windows Registry, and mis-editing the Registry can cause your computer to stop functioning. So if you are not completely comfortable editing the Registry, I recommend sticking with the default Windows 10 log-in screen for now.

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

1. Go to Start > All apps > Windows System > Run. Type regedit in the Run textbox and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.

2. In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > System.

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

3. Right-click System and click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Label this new DWORD DisableLogonBackgroundImage.

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

4. Right-click DisableLogonBackgroundImage and click Modify.

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

5. Under Value data: type 1 (default will be 0). Click OK. (To switch back to the default Windows log-in screen, change this value back to 0.)

6. Press Windows key + L to lock your PC. When you login, you will see a flat color background (it will be the same color as your accent color) instead of the flashy Windows screen. If you want to change the color of this new log-in background, just go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and pick a new accent color.

Editors’ note: This How To post was originally published on August 18, 2015, and was updated on November 18, 2015, to reflect new information regarding Windows 10 Build 10586.