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To change the default Windows logon screen saver—the one that plays when no user is signed in or when the system is sitting at the Ctrl+Alt+Del prompt—you must use the Windows Registry Editor. Standard system personalization settings only change the screen saver for currently active user accounts, not the system logon screen. 💻 Step-by-Step Registry Method

Modifying the registry improperly can cause operating system instability. Follow these steps precisely to update your logon screen saver:

Open the Registry Editor: Press Win + R on your keyboard, type regedit, and press Enter.

Navigate to the Desktop Key: In the left sidebar, navigate to the following path:HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop Modify the Screen Saver Executive:

Look for the string value named SCRNSAVE.EXE in the right-hand details pane. Double-click it.

In the Value data field, enter the exact file path of the screen saver you want to use (e.g., C:\Windows\System32\Mystify.scr).

Note: If SCRNSAVE.EXE does not exist, right-click an empty space in the right pane, select New > String Value, name it exactly SCRNSAVE.EXE, and insert your path. Ensure the Screen Saver is Active: Locate the string value named ScreenSaveActive. Double-click it and ensure its Value data is set to 1. Adjust the Idle Timeout (Optional): Double-click the string value named ScreenSaveTimeOut.

Change the value data to your preferred idle duration measured strictly in seconds (e.g., 900 for 15 minutes).

🔒 Alternative: Require a Password on Existing Screen Savers

If you instead meant that you want your personal user account screen saver to instantly lock the computer and display the Windows logon screen when you try to wake it up, you can do this safely through standard settings:

Windows 10 & 11 Settings: Open the Settings app -> Click Personalization -> Select Lock screen.

Screen Saver Settings: Scroll down and click Screen saver settings.

Enable Lock on Resume: Check the box that says “On resume, display logon screen”, pick your preferred look from the dropdown, and click Apply. If you want to customize your system further, tell me:

Which version of Windows (e.g., Windows 10 or Windows 11) you are running?

Are you trying to change the background image of the sign-in screen instead of an animated screen saver? How to change the logon screen saver in Windows