W10 start up images

[Doodlebug]

When W10 boots up, just before the sign in window appears there is always a picture of a landscape
which changes quite frequently.
Is there any way of saving these images?

[Refugee]

I am pretty sure there is a folder that contains the desktop background.
The pointer can be changed to your own photo if you choose.

[Nick]

It's a little bit tricky... the place that they are stored can be different on every W10 installation.

The current image name is stored in the LandscapeAssetPath string value of the following registry key:

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative

This will return a value similar to:

Code:

C:\Users\Nick\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets\bbf31759163e396cd418f97d0fad3fd54265ce3a2b5b5ad7eb12549ba3f2aa51

Lose the long hexadecimal string at the end and that gives you the directory the images are stored in. for me this is:

Code:

C:\Users\Nick\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

Go to that directory, select all the files, then COPY (not cut!) them to a safe place, e.g. C:\Temp\Assets

Now, open up a cmd shell window, change directory to where you put the files, and rename them all to have a jpg file type.
   

Once you've done that, look at the directory using Windows Explorer, right-click on the column headers and add the column "Dimensions", then sort by that column descending.
   

The 1920x1080 images are the ones you want.

FWIW, the string "cw5n1h2txyewy" is a magic hash of something or other and actually is the same on most W10 installations, but may not stay that way in the future,

[Doodlebug]

Wow Nick, thanks for all that and going to all that
trouble. Microsoft make every thing as complicated as they can.
I did find the image I was seeking eventually. It was by an American painter which I found is even on eBay,
so it's not as though that image is a secret that should be hidden away.

Come on Microsoft, do us all a favour. Have a simple folder entitled, ' Start up images'.

[Nick]

Wow Nick, thanks for all that and going to all that
trouble.  Microsoft make every thing as complicated as they can.
I did find the image I was seeking eventually. It was by an American painter which I found is even on eBay, 
so it's not as though that image is a secret that should be hidden away.

Come on Microsoft, do us all a favour. Have a simple folder entitled, ' Start up images'.

Let's be fair - this is an internal feature of W10 (called "Spotlight") and generally, no-one fiddles with it. Also, the Windows architecture has to work in many many different configurations, e.g. roaming profiles, corporate environments, with & without servers, automated updating support etc. In corporate environment, centralised updating and control of screen background & lock images for branding is very important, so a simple directory of images ... simply doesn't work!

Microsoft do provide a free utility in their Microsoft Store - see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/spotli...l1mg050cmr

The utility allows to to browse the images and to set them as wallpaper etc.