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I want to customize the Win XP logon screen on one of my virtual machines, but I don't want to install any permanent software to do this, is it possible?

By permanent I mean, I wouldn't mind installing something to edit it, but I want it to stay customized regardless of any extra app.

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2 Answers

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You can turn off the welcome screen under Control Panel > User Accounts then then change the wallpaper by editing HKEY USERS\ .DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. The logon screen saver is controlled by HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop.

For changing the text you need to edit LogonUI.exe and Winlogon.exe with a specialized binary editor, see reference link below for full details.

Sources

http://www.updatexp.com/tip12.html
http://www.updatexp.com/tip10.html
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314493
http://www.askvg.com/how-to-change-windows-xp-login-screen-text-entries/

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Thanks, I will look into modifying those system files. – fazpas Jul 19 '10 at 23:54
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What do you mean by "customized"? Are you using the classic login screen or the welcome screen? If you're using the classic login screen, you can easily edit the colors and window style and background image. If you're using the welcome screen, it's more difficult, but can be done permanently, though that requires modifying system files.

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I see the blue screen, not the popup style. I want to put the textfield in the middle and change all the graphics. I wouldn't mind modifying system files, I can always backup the originals. – fazpas Jul 19 '10 at 21:32

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