HOW TO: Restore the Alienware 'Look and Feel' after a clean install of Windows

*This thread linked in AW General Info sticky*

This comes up quite often in many threads. The process of restoring the OEM background used at Windows login (think Alienware Red Glyph Wallpaper) and the Alienware User Avatars is rather a simple a process. Since the process is scattered over several posts, I'm recapping it here... once you do this a couple of times, this process only takes a couple of mins.

Lets get started

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REQUIRED FILES:
1. AW Wallpapers http://www.dell.com/support/drivers...?driverId=J9WF2&osCode=W764&fileId=2731095920
(Grabbed from support.dell.com)

2. Alienware User Pictures - see attached file at end of post
(this is your avatar selection - user account picture)

3. Alienware Red Glyph Wallpaper - see attached thumbnails below (backgrounddefault.jpg)
(this is your login screen)


HOW TO INSTALL:
**For the below steps we need to show hidden directories. To do so, see this link: Show Hidden Files and Folders in Windows 7 or Vista - How-To Geek**

Once you have downloaded/saved the required files and set hidden directories to be visible, we need to perform some tweaking and file moving. Lets start with the Red Glyph Wallpaper which will be used as your Windows Login Screen.

Windows Login/Logoff Screen:
1. Copy the Red Glyph Wallpaper to this location:
C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds
(If you do not have this directory, create it)

2. Open REGEDIT from the Start Menu (yes, you can simply type REGEDIT in the search box to locate it).

3. In REGEDIT, navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background

Within this key you will see a DWORD for OEMBACKGROUND. Doubleclick it and change the 0 to a 1. This will instruct Windows to use a custom background as the Login Screen. Remember, you can use just about any image for this. Just be sure the image/file name is: backgrounddefault

4. Close REGEDIT - the change will automatically be saved.

Thats it. Your system should now see the change and implement the Alienware Red Glyph background as your Login/Logoff Screen. There is no need to reboot - to test, hit WINDOWS KEY+L.

Alienware User Pictures/Avatars
1. Save the attached .zip archive to the desktop and extract it.

2. Open this location on your system:

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

3. Go back to the archive you just unextracted and copy the *contents*, not the folder itself. Paste the contents (pictures) into the directory listed in Step 2 and close the window/directory.

Thats it. Your system should now the additional user pictures and you can change them by going to the User Accounts control panel.

Alienware Wallpapers
Quite often, we see posts asking how to put the Alienware Wallpapers back onto the system after a clean install in order to have them show up when a user right clicks on the desktop and chooses Personalize---> Desktop Background. This is also a simple process -

1. Extract the contents of the archive you downloaded from support.dell.com. This archive includes all of the Alienware wallpapers.

2. Open the following directory on your C: drive -

C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\

3. Create a directory titled "Alienware"

4. Copy the contents of the wallpaper archive to this new directory.

5. Go back and hide hidden folders and files or you will be stuck seeing a bunch of sensitive system files and directories. Again, the process can be found here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/COOL ITEMS TO CHECK OUT:
1. Hel20es's cool colorized AW login screens (other than RED)
(http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m15x/509868-alienware-login-screen-those-who-lost.html)

2. Evil's wallpaper thread
(http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...stomization-themes-wallpaper-collections.html)

3. Mr. Fox's Massive Alienware wallpaper collection
(http://imgur.com/a/9IGJl#0)

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Thats it folks... You now have the look and feel of the factory install restored. Questions, post away or PM me.

Enjoy your systems!

-BB

--Edit 10/10/2014--
See post #169 as well.

 

Nice, I'd rep ya again if it let me.

 

No worries. Thanks Mandrake.

For most of us, this stuff is an after thought. We still have new folks posting about this so I figured it'd be easier to place it all in one place. I'd love to see Dell issue an .exe which handles this all automatically - its easy enough to do so.

 

I rep'd 'im for yeh!

Great post.

 

A simple batch with an unattended sysprep file would work as well. Probably afraid of people wiping out all their data accidentally.

 

Perfect +rep

 

I love this forum, thanks BB....+rep.

 

what about the boot screen after fresh install of windwos 7?

 

The boot screen? You mean the BIOS AlienHead? That is part of the BIOS and will always be there (unless you disable it of course ).

If you mean the Alienware Login Screen of windows (where your windows username is) - then that is covered in the first part of post#1. ( Windows Login/Logoff Screen)

 

These two links are not working. Do you have the valid links? Thank you

 

1. Hel20es's cool colorized AW login screens (other than RED)
(http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m15x/509868-alienware-login-screen-those-who-lost.html)

2. Evil's wallpaper thread
(http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...stomization-themes-wallpaper-collections.html)


Fixed.

 

Great thread,


There is a program i use to change logon. It is a free download from tweeks.com called tweekslogon.

Its as easy as browse to background image you want to to use a press apply.

program attached

 

Can this be done on any computer?

 

Actually, the process I outlined for the custom W7 login screen can be used on any W7 system. Use the same folder and file name for the .jpg. Also the registry key will need to be enabled/created if not already in place and set to '1'.

Or, you can use any number of apps to do this. Just do a google search for 'custom W7 login screen'.

The user avatars can also be done but you'll need to size them appropriately and place them in the same directory as outlined.

Enjoy.

 

interesting, would love to make my own custom login wallpaper over the win 7 default or the alienware ones.

 

Just dump the image file (should be .jpg) into the same directory and name it backgrounddefault.jpg. The change should be available immediately. Just WIN KEY + L to secure the system and send you to the login prompt.

 

Thanks for putting this up BB, I'll be doing a round of drive swaps with my AW systems and was beginning to have to think about this aspect... makes my life a lot easier!

 

Don't forgot to add the info about how to put the alienware logo and Service Tag info etc back into your "System Properties" window as noted here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/471982-alien-logo-dell-sercie-tag-express-code.html

 

Oh yay now I don't even need to afraid of switching my original HDD to Momentus XT (no recovery partition)! Thanks!

 

hey guys, i had to do a restore with the recovery disk and i wanted to do this, but everytime i do it nothing happens its just the default blue background log in screen... i really want to put back the wallpaper.

EDIT: got it hehe just spelled a word wrong haha

 

Weird I just got my R2. I changed the log on screen with my R1 really easily but when I go on to my R2 to try and change it. It remains the same. I have tried multiple times and made sure to go step by step (at least 6 times). It remains the windows 7 default background. Is there any differences between the R1 and R2 when it comes to changing this?

Thanks,
DeeVu

 

No there isn't. Check the steps again - you might have missed something.

This is a windows item and shouldn't be different due to model, system, manufacturer, etc.

 

I take it you tried this http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m15x/509868-alienware-login-screen-those-who-lost.html located at the bottom of the first post ?

 

hahah well whatever it was thanks for that post link. I downloaded the registry data and just copied that over.

EDIT: I actually realized i didnt have the OEM background available to change. All i had was default.

 

Great, so your set now then....good news!...good job BB posted it lol

 

Hahaha guess I just didnt go past the section that pertained to me.

 

Yep, this would cause it not to work. Glad you are up and running now. Be sure to check out the other wallpaper/background threads I mentioned in post#1. Some cool ones there...

 

Yep already grabbed one to match my AlienFx theme! Thanks BB

 

Thanks so much, BatBoy! I was hoping it'd be a simple fix.
+1

 

thanks dude! helped me a lot!

 

Another +Rep for batboy, my lappy now works as factory without the crap!

 

Thank you very much for putting this together.

 

No worries - as long as everything went smooth and you are good to go, I'm happy. Have fun with your systems!

 

Windows 7 Logon Background Changer - Customize your Windows 7 welcome screen wallpaper

That program changes the background of your logon screen to anything you want. Any image on your computer...

 

I bought my own W7 cause my M17x only came with vista. Im just making it look like OEM. Even the systeminfo. I have two pictures, one is only the Alienhead and one is Alienware+Head. I did put the head in with string Logo but wasnt this Banner (Alienware+Head) on the bottom of the page?!
Might be also interesting to add this for other people not using Alienware OEM.

 

Tweaks Logon Changer for Windows 7 isreally easy to use, no need to instal nothing is a portable n free app

enjoy!

 

Great post
finally my R3 looks like out of the factory again
only with my OCZ SSD installed happy time

Merit to BatBoy
keep up the good work dude

 

I had to do a clean install (system arrived and initial boot up resulted in endless cycle of blue screens, new M17x R3 is supposed to be on order, but that's for a different thread) and now I just need the software that comes with this system. There's supposed to be a camera up there in the monitor bezel, I'd like to play a Blu-Ray movie in 3D (yes, I got that version of R3) and I'd like to burn a CD. Am I missing anything? What else comes on here?

PowerDVD 10 costs about $100, Nero costs about $50. I think I've already spent enough for this machine.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...er-install-order-guide-alienware-systems.html

 

Does the new M14x or M18x has new wallpapers or Windows Logon screen?

 

No. The new models (11xR3, 14x, 17xR3 and 18x) all use the wallpapers and logon screen as the others.

 

Mmmm, bad news
Thanks for the info BatBoy!

 

Very handy, thanks!

 

Anyone know how to make the user photo larger again like before? After reinstalling windows and changing the logon background photo Ive noticed that the user photo is smaller than before.

 

Did you try this thread?: Logon screen user picture size - Windows 7 Forums

 

Thanks! That solves it.

+rep.

 

I copied the blue web image from the alienware wallpapers to the location (and tested it by typing in to browser bar).

I changed the registry entry value through HKey Local Machine (instead of the mentioned HKLM) to 1, but the login screen isn't changing... i've checked the filename to be backgrounddefault... tried jpeg and bmp types, but can't seem to get it to work!

Any ideas why its not working? I'm on win 7 ultimate x64...

 

I'm having trouble with this step. I open regedit and I dont see anything that looks like hklm. How do I get there when regedit is open?

 

It is the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

 

aha ! thanks will try that !


only other issue I have is my aero theme is gone. Im trying to sort it out any ideas why theres no aero settings?

I searched google.. and I typed aero in searchbar and i see the repair aero.. but it doesnt work and says unable to resolve. both 5870s have driver '8.763.0.0'