I have confirmed with Microsoft support that there is no GUI to change the Seattle graphic that Windows 8 displays when windows-8-switch-user-seatle-lockscreenSWITCHING USER or on boot of a new PC.  Further, I have not found any “tweakers” to adjust it yet, although you know they are coming.  Until then it is a relatively easy task for those with skills to change the Seattle graphic in Windows 8:

  1. Enable HIDDEN FILES by opening COMPUTER, clicking VIEW, checking HIDDEN FILES
    .
  2. Open COMPUTER and click your way through to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\
    .
  3. Right click on the SYSTEMDATA folder, select PROPERTIES, click the SECURITY TAB, click ADVANCED, set the OWNER to you, then add yourself to the security list will FULL CONTROL, and make sure you click the REPLACE ALL CHILD… checkbox
    .
  4. Now click through to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\LockScreen_Z
    .windows-8-how-to-change-switch-user-seatle-lockscreen
  5. Right click on each of the pictures and select PROPERTIES, click the SECURITY TAB, click ADVANCED, set the OWNER to you, then add yourself to the security list will FULL CONTROL
    .
  6. Delete those files (or rename them to something like ORIG.JPG)
    .
  7. Copy in your 1920 x 1080 graphics and make sure they have the same names as the original files did, namely LockScreen___1920_1080.jpg and LockScreen___1920_1080_notdimmed.jpg
    .
  8. You are done, try a SWITCH USER and confirm it worked.

 

Thanks to Microsoft Partner Support’s Leon Sun for his quick, direct and accurate assistance with this.

 


2 Comments

Stephen Lea · November 19, 2013 at 6:36 pm

Thank you, Ian and Ernesto, for those very clear instructions… which worked for me, after I had been struggling with other versions of the same information elsewhere.

Ernesto David Lazalde · April 29, 2013 at 9:50 am

Thanks for posting these instructions!

I would add that, if you are getting the blank blue screen, you probably need to change the permission of the image files so that SYSTEM has full control.

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