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Photos at start of Win 10



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 23rd 18, 05:02 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Ken[_8_]
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Posts: 166
Default Photos at start of Win 10

I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity. When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears. These photos
change frequently. Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken. Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?
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  #2  
Old June 23rd 18, 05:05 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mr. Man-wai Chang
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Posts: 1,941
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On 6/24/2018 12:02 AM, Ken wrote:
I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity.* When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears.* These photos
change frequently.* Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken.* Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...0-959bd1dfd5e1

--
@~@ Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch! Live long and prosper!!
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty!
/( _ )\ May the Force and farces be with you!
^ ^ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.39.3
不借貸! 不詐騙! 不*錢! 不援交! 不打交! 不打劫! 不自殺! 不求神! 請考慮綜援
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  #3  
Old June 23rd 18, 06:09 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Arlen Holder
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Posts: 466
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 00:05:11 +0800, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

On 6/24/2018 12:02 AM, Ken wrote:
I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity.* When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears.* These photos
change frequently.* Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken.* Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...0-959bd1dfd5e1


I generally don't bother with purely cosmetic changes in an OS, but I feel
the OP's curiousity is a good one to flesh out, together, if we can.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5016-change-lock-screen-background-windows-10-a.html

Googling further, I find this article:
Where were the windows 10 lock screen photos taken?
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-10-lock-screen-photos-taken/
Where it gives the same answer that was just previously posted.
(Windows 10 (version 1607 or newer)

Building upon that answer, I find you can "see" the current Spotlight lock
screen by running this command: Windows Key + L
https://www.tekrevue.com/tip/find-windows-spotlight-lock-screen-images-windows-10/

Further building upon that answer, I always wondered if everyone sees the
same lock-screen "spotlight" images based on the date, or locale, or
whether that Spotlight images is simply random.

Since I set my background to a solid black (for editing & energy efficiency
reasons), I thought I had noticed the lock-screen settings set to
"Spotlight" but I didn't dig deeper at the time.
Start Settings Personalization Lock screen
Background = Windows spotlight
Show lock screen background picture on the sing-in screen = On (default)

I just now googled for where those images are stored & this gave 1 answer:
Where are Wallpapers and Lock Screen images stored in Windows 10
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/wallpapers-lock-screen-images-windows-10
RMB-Start Run %WINDIR%\Web\Screen\

The funny thing is that I've seen *different* lock screens, I thought, than
those. Hmmmmm..... so I looked for *more* places for that lock screen.
https://www.intowindows.com/download-windows-10-spotlight-lock-screen-pictures/
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentD eliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets\

Where, if you like, you can rename those Microsoft images to save them,
according to this article which says "What youre left with will be a
mixture of images, plus some assorted junk files that are used by the lock
screen."
move Assets c:\tmp\.
cd c:\tmp\.
ren *.* *.jpg
https://lifehacker.com/how-to-save-the-windows-10-lock-screen-images-you-like-1768783711

BTW, each Windows version seems to have slightly different locations:
https://www.askvg.com/windows-10-wallpapers-and-lock-screen-backgrounds/

Windows 10 Preview Builds:
%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.ContentDeliveryM anager_xxxxxxxx\LocalState\Assets\
Windows 10 Final Version:
%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentD eliveryManager_xxxxxxxx\LocalState\Assets\
Windows 10 Preview Builds:
%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.ContentDeliveryM anager_xxxxxxxx\LocalState\Assets\
Windows 10 Final Version:
%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentD eliveryManager_xxxxxxxx\LocalState\Assets\

Where that article says the files are updated by Microsoft every time you
log into Windows, when they said:
"PS: I think the images are downloaded from Microsoft server and are
dynamically changed at every login."

I wonder if those JPEG images are automatically *rotated* into the
%WINDIR%\Web\Screen\ folder?

Aha! This article says "Microsoft adds and removes these at its whim"!
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/find-windows-10-lock-screen-pictures

Googling further, we find this related folder:
RMB-Start Windows PowerShell (Admin)
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\
https://mergy.org/2016/05/fixing-the-windows-10-pre-login-background-screen/

Hmmmm... but I couldn't open that folder for read access no matter what I
tried, so, this might be a gpedit.msc issue only someone who knows what
he's doing like Paul is might know how to resolve:
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata.jpg
  #4  
Old June 23rd 18, 06:13 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Auric__
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Posts: 295
Default Photos at start of Win 10

Ken wrote:

I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity. When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears. These photos
change frequently. Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken. Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?


https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/window...-photos-taken/

"When you're on the lock screen, you'll see 'Like what you see?' in the
top-right corner.
"Just hover your cursor over that, and itll tell you where it was taken.
Simple."

--
So, you're saying that if I can trick all the other mindless drones
into believing that I subscribe to their arbitrary moral framework,
they'll just leave me alone?
  #5  
Old June 23rd 18, 11:19 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Monty
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Posts: 598
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sat, 23 Jun 2018 11:02:28 -0500, Ken wrote:

I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity. When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears. These photos
change frequently. Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken. Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?


I don't know how to find out the exact location but you can often find
the general location by going to the Themes folder. The Themes folder
is located at:

\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\

R-click an image and navigate to Properties and then Details.
  #6  
Old June 24th 18, 03:06 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Arlen Holder
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Posts: 466
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 08:19:02 +1000, in alt.comp.os.windows-10 you wrote:

I don't know how to find out the exact location


I posted all known locations of lock-screen spotlight photos over he
http://www.pcbanter.net/showpost.php?p=3759001&postcount=3

but you can often find
the general location by going to the Themes folder. The Themes folder
is located at:
\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\
R-click an image and navigate to Properties and then Details.


Do others concur that this is related to the Spotlight lock-screen photos?

All I have in this location (1803 version) is a 2KB "custom.theme":
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\custom.the me

When I doubleclick on that 2KB custom.theme, it appears to be simply a
widget which brings up the same user interface as if I had gone to
Start Settings Personalization Themes

While I never delved into lockscreen spotlight photos prior to this
question, I don't see any relationship (yet) with themes. Do you?

PC Experts - do you know how best to access this lockscreen location?
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\.
  #7  
Old June 24th 18, 03:55 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
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Posts: 11,873
Default Photos at start of Win 10

Ken wrote:
I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity. When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears. These photos
change frequently. Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken. Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?


C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Packages\
Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2tx yewy\LocalState\Assets

ff782ce3c9a149c1a13d00b69219712970f9f85d549afb5e4c 66c213aa072f41 === a JPEG etc.

I found a Superuser thread with the location. That part
was relatively easy. The hard part was verifying there
*was* such a place.

The ContentDeliveryManager portion of the path was
not visible in the "Packages" directory.

I had to list it via other means.

You could try CDing your way there in Command Prompt perhaps.

Once you're in the correct folder, try

explorer.exe .

and have it open a File Manager window.

That's a potential location, but good luck being
able to get the folder to appear for you. Even on the
Linux side, they didn't make it easy generating a file
list. Some stuff was "I/O Error" which is caused by
the superfluous usage of Reparse Points where we
don't need them.

The files don't have an extension, so you can try dropping
them on IrfanView or whatever. In Linux, thumbnails appear
for them. That won't happen on Windows unless you manually
a file extensions. Which requires copying the assets
somewhere else and "work on them". If you add an extension
to the files as is, that will break the presentation of the
assets at boot time.

Paul
  #8  
Old June 24th 18, 05:00 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Arlen Holder
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 466
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sat, 23 Jun 2018 22:55:12 -0400, Paul wrote:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Packages\
Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2tx yewy\LocalState\Assets

ff782ce3c9a149c1a13d00b69219712970f9f85d549afb5e4c 66c213aa072f41 === a JPEG etc.


Hi Paul,
It's actually *more* than that, as I posted here, after looking it up:
http://www.pcbanter.net/showpost.php?p=3759001&postcount=3

You could try CDing your way there in Command Prompt perhaps.


Paul - do you have any file-access advice for the related investigative
problem posed in the last line of this post?
http://www.pcbanter.net/showpost.php?p=3759045&postcount=6

The files don't have an extension, so you can try dropping
them on IrfanView or whatever.


Most of mine turned out to be PNG files, so copying and renaming them works
just fine.
ren *.* *.png

In Linux, thumbnails appear
for them. That won't happen on Windows unless you manually
a file extensions.


Actually, they show up in Windows thumbnails if you copy & rename them:
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_assets.jpg

After looking this up, I've concluded there is no single resource (except
this thread) that has all the locations, but the one location I haven't
been able to investigate on my system is the one shown above at:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\.

How would you suggest we view that directory as an administrative user?
  #9  
Old June 24th 18, 05:13 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default Photos at start of Win 10

Arlen Holder wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jun 2018 22:55:12 -0400, Paul wrote:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Packages\
Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2tx yewy\LocalState\Assets

ff782ce3c9a149c1a13d00b69219712970f9f85d549afb5e4c 66c213aa072f41 === a JPEG etc.


Hi Paul,
It's actually *more* than that, as I posted here, after looking it up:
http://www.pcbanter.net/showpost.php?p=3759001&postcount=3

You could try CDing your way there in Command Prompt perhaps.


Paul - do you have any file-access advice for the related investigative
problem posed in the last line of this post?
http://www.pcbanter.net/showpost.php?p=3759045&postcount=6

The files don't have an extension, so you can try dropping
them on IrfanView or whatever.


Most of mine turned out to be PNG files, so copying and renaming them works
just fine.
ren *.* *.png

In Linux, thumbnails appear
for them. That won't happen on Windows unless you manually
a file extensions.


Actually, they show up in Windows thumbnails if you copy & rename them:
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_assets.jpg

After looking this up, I've concluded there is no single resource (except
this thread) that has all the locations, but the one location I haven't
been able to investigate on my system is the one shown above at:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\.

How would you suggest we view that directory as an administrative user?


You could start by using File Explorer, and in the View options
are a bunch of tick boxes. There should be a tick box there
for showing the hidden folders.

You'll know you've succeeded, if you start seeing "desktop.ini" files
all over the place, as those are hidden.

A folder that's pretty hard to get to, is System Volume Information.
You can get there from Linux. Most all the Windows methods I've tried
yield "Access Denied". You can probably figure out a way to
TakeOwn the folder, that's if you have sufficient knowledge of
how to read the permissions and figure it out. I'm not good
at that, so can't help you there. Even knowing there is
"Inheritence" of permissions from the folder(s) above, I still
can't figure out most of the time, why I'm still blocked.

And I run

compact /compactOS:never

on places like C: , before a trip to Linux. Even then,
there are still files outside System32 that are messed
up and report "I/O error" from Linux.

Paul
  #10  
Old June 24th 18, 06:36 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Arlen Holder
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Posts: 466
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 00:13:29 -0400, Paul wrote:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\.

How would you suggest we view that directory as an administrative user?


You could start by using File Explorer, and in the View options
are a bunch of tick boxes. There should be a tick box there
for showing the hidden folders.


Hi Paul,
It's not that simple.

I already showed a picture which proves even Administrator has no access.
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata.jpg

In fact, I wouldn't ask you this question if it was easily that simple.

While it may turn out to be that simple in the end, certainly it doesn't
appear to be that simple.

Please look at these five sequential screenshots:
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata01.jpg
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata02.jpg
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata03.jpg
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata04.jpg
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata05.jpg

My Windows technical question remains the same...
Q: What's the next step to viewing the files in this folder?
  #11  
Old June 24th 18, 08:09 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
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Posts: 11,873
Default Photos at start of Win 10

Arlen Holder wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 00:13:29 -0400, Paul wrote:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\.

How would you suggest we view that directory as an administrative user?

You could start by using File Explorer, and in the View options
are a bunch of tick boxes. There should be a tick box there
for showing the hidden folders.


Hi Paul,
It's not that simple.

I already showed a picture which proves even Administrator has no access.
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata.jpg


PSexec can give you access.

https://s22.postimg.cc/flgec4cqp/psexec.gif

Paul
  #12  
Old June 24th 18, 12:13 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Arlen Holder
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 466
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 03:09:29 -0400, Paul wrote:

I already showed a picture which proves even Administrator has no access.
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata.jpg


PSexec can give you access.
https://s22.postimg.cc/flgec4cqp/psexec.gif


Hi Paul,

Thanks for that hint on how to view that special directory,
where I wouldn't have asked how if it was obvious.

Following your advice, I proved there is a "Lockscreen_0" there!
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_lockscreen01.jpg

So that's one more of the many locations related to the lock screen photo.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-21-*\ReadOnly\LockScreen_0\

For the record, for others to follow, PSExec is documented he
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec

I saved it to the software archive location:
C:\software\os\util\sysinternals\pstools\PSTools.z ip

Unzipped it created:
C:\software\os\util\sysinternals\pstools\PSTools\.

Renaming and moved it to:
C:\app\os\util\sysinternals\pstools\

Also copied the 64-bit psexec executable into the $PATH:
C:\Windows\System32\PsExec64.exe

Started a powershell as admin:
RMB-Start Windows PowerShell (Admin)

Started a command prompt in psiexec as admin:
PS psexec64 -hsi powershell

This popped up a "nt authority\system" proved with a "whoami" comamnd:
PS whoami
nt authority\system

Changed to the desired directory:
PS cd C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\

List what is in the directory (which isn't much):
PS dir
Directory: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d----- 6/6/2018 8:50 PM S-1-5-18
d----- 6/4/2018 3:11 PM S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-1001

Hmmm... what is that 30-digit number we both x'd out for privacy?

I went another level deep:
PS cd S-1-5-21-*
PS dir
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d----- 6/23/2018 4:29 AM ReadOnly

PS cd ReadOnly
PS dir
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d----- 6/23/2018 4:29 AM LockScreen_O

This proves that a LockScreen_0 is located he
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_lockscreen01.jpg

All these references refer to that LockScreen_0 folder containing the
lock-screen images.
https://mergy.org/2016/05/fixing-the-windows-10-pre-login-background-screen/
https://www.tenforums.com/customization/4988-w10-b10041-lock-screen-image-location-2.html
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-start/unable-to-change-lockscreen-image/4036ab1d-20e8-42a7-b384-d82e2eaeda78
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-other_settings/windows-10-default-system-lock-screen-location-so/4b746f72-4275-4916-8985-b9fd037b853f
https://superuser.com/questions/1208076/whats-the-source-of-those-daily-changing-locked-screen-wallpapers-on-windows-10

All of which imply that lock-screen images are temporarily saved there.
--
(RMB === right mouse button)
  #13  
Old June 24th 18, 12:22 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Arlen Holder
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Posts: 466
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sat, 23 Jun 2018 17:09:45 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

Googling further, we find this related folder:
RMB-Start Windows PowerShell (Admin)
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\
https://mergy.org/2016/05/fixing-the-windows-10-pre-login-background-screen/

Hmmmm... but I couldn't open that folder for read access no matter what I
tried, so, this might be a gpedit.msc issue only someone who knows what
he's doing like Paul is might know how to resolve:
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_systemdata.jpg


Thanks to Paul, we fleshed out this additional LockScreen_0 folder.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-21-*\ReadOnly\LockScreen_0\
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_lockscreen01.jpg
  #14  
Old June 24th 18, 05:54 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Char Jackson
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Posts: 10,449
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 00:13:29 -0400, Paul wrote:

A folder that's pretty hard to get to, is System Volume Information.


I use Treesize Free, from http://www.jam-software.com, in administrator
mode, in case that's important.

Yes, I know that 'file exploring' isn't its primary purpose, but it goes
to SVI without any issues and lets you poke around in there. I've never
had a problem afterwards, but you've said that SVI is a dangerous place
to play, so beware. It also lets you dive deep into the Recycle Bin to
view or delete things that, for some reason, stick around even after the
bin has been emptied.

Treesize Free also navigates to the other folders discussed earlier in
this thread and allows you to view the pictures there.

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Packages\
Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2tx yewy\LocalState\Assets

and
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\.


The nice thing about a program like Treesize Free as a file explorer is
that you don't have to change any system settings or mess with
permissions. It just works.

  #15  
Old June 24th 18, 06:40 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mr. Man-wai Chang
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Posts: 1,941
Default Photos at start of Win 10

On 6/24/2018 1:09 AM, Arlen Holder wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jun 2018 00:05:11 +0800, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

On 6/24/2018 12:02 AM, Ken wrote:
I know this is not very important, but it is a curiosity.* When Windows
10 starts a photo is shown before the desktop appears.* These photos
change frequently.* Some of the photos are stunning, and I wonder where
they were taken.* Is there a site or way of fining out where they were
taken?


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...0-959bd1dfd5e1


I generally don't bother with purely cosmetic changes in an OS, but I feel
the OP's curiousity is a good one to flesh out, together, if we can.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5016-change-lock-screen-background-windows-10-a.html


Ken wanted to know the actual geographical locations at which those
wallpapers were photographed, not file locations of those wallpapers.

Anyway, your reply might still help.


--
@~@ Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch! Live long and prosper!!
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty!
/( _ )\ May the Force and farces be with you!
^ ^ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.39.3
不借貸! 不詐騙! 不*錢! 不援交! 不打交! 不打劫! 不自殺! 不求神! 請考慮綜援
(CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_...sub_addressesa
 




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