Customize Welcome Picture in Windows Vista

Customizing Windows Vista Logon Pictures

Many users are familiar with changing the logon or start menu picture in Windows Vista. However, the operating system has a peculiar behavior: selecting a new image removes the previously chosen picture from the available options.

This leaves users with only the newly selected image and the default choices. It begs the question – are the robot or fish pictures genuinely utilized by anyone?

Adding and Removing Default Pictures

Instead of accepting this limitation, you can modify the list of default pictures. This allows you to add your preferred images and remove those you'll never use.

To access the picture list, navigate to Control Panel, then User Accounts, and finally, select "Change Your Picture."

The default pictures are stored within a hidden folder located deep within the program data directory:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures

Simply delete the images you don't want and add the ones you do. Ensure your added pictures are in bitmap format and have a resolution of 128x128 pixels.

Picture Ordering and File Locations

To control the order in which the pictures appear, you can name them sequentially.

If you wish to duplicate your current picture, it can be found at this location:

C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\<username>.tmp.bmp

The default flower image is stored in the following file:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\user.bmp

By customizing this list, you can maintain your preferred images even while using one of the default options, as demonstrated by the continued presence of the baby tux picture in the example.

Maintaining a personalized logon experience is easily achievable through these modifications.