In the latest Windows 7 build (7057), recently leaked to the public, Rafael Rivera over at Within Windows has found that users can customize the UI logon background images to include custom images.
Rafael reports that the functionality was probably designed for OEM manufactures to include custom images for Windows 7 in pre-configured computers, but users can now include their own images without the need to use a simple third-party program. After enabling a registry setting, users can use any image of their choice, as long as they are less than 256kb in size.
First users need to enable the customization functionality by editing their registry:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background
Look for the DWORD value "OEMBackground" should be set the Boolean value to 1 for enabled, 0 for disabled. Depending on users systems, this value may not exist by default.
Images are taken from an OEM folder located at "%windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds" and may not exist by default.
The default background image "backgroundDefault.jpg" is is stretched-to-fit when loaded. Custom sized images can be included with the following file names:
- backgroundDefault.jpg
- background900×1440.jpg (0.625)
- background960×1280.jpg (0.75)
- background1024×1280.jpg (0.8)
- background1280×1024.jpg (1.25)
- background1024×768.jpg (1.33-)
- background1280×960.jpg (1.33-)
- background1600×1200.jpg (1.33-)
- background1440×900.jpg (1.6)
- background1920×1200.jpg (1.6)
- background1280×768.jpg (1.66-)
- background1360×768.jpg (1.770833-)