Logon wallpaper is the wallpaper or image that windows xp shows on screen when windows logs on (before it asks for username & password) . It’s usually set to the image-logo of the brand(manufacturer) of our computer (e.g. in compaq laptops). Now we can set it to our own image or any other image(any bmp file) by following trick.

Open Startmenu->Run type regedit and press ok to open registry editor.(shows a tree like structure of directories at left)

In that hierarchical structure in left, navigate to registry entry
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

In right side pane see a number of values placed in a table format. choose the value named Wallpaper from there and double click it. Now you see a box with value name as Wallpaper and value data as Path to the image file .There give the full path of the image(bmp file) which you want to set as logon wallpaper by deleting previous path and writing path to your bmp file e.g. C:\WINDOWS\lon.BMP (to set image lon.BMP file as log on wall paper).

Also double click on WallpaperStyle and change it’s value to 2 to get a stretched wallpaper at logon.

Put that bmp file in windows directory for better results.
If that is a jpeg file, convert to bmp file by opening in Windows Image Viewer and save as bmp.

Awesome job.

I just made my Windows XP that little bit more personal!

Hey thanks for ur concern i will make sure i will add up more.

I'm seriously grateful for that tip.

I'm going to write a vbscript that when I log in it picks a random picture from my photography collection and adds that there - just to add some variety.

Thats really good to hear try that too and u can post it here so ppl will try that also which might make it a better tweaking.

I did this but the picture only seems to pop up for a second and then goes to the normal log in screen with the normal background. Is it suppose to show at the log in screen to or just before it?

Just a wee tip to any one that may try playing in the registery... Make a back up first! lol :) Dangerous place to play with at times :)

Good tut mate :)

Awesome tweak. Many thanks for posting

Great info!10x