Save Windows Login Backgrounds on Login / Workstation Unlock

! Windows Task Scheduler.md

Automatically Save Windows Login Backgrounds on Login

This will add a sheduled task to run the powershell script on login/workstation unlock without displaying a window.

Note: you can also try importing the XML file below for the task 🤞

General Tab

1. Open Task Scheduler
2. Create Task under Task Scheduler Library
3. Under Security Options:
   • Run whether user is logged on or not
     • This allows the window to be hidden
   • Do not store password.
   • Run with highest privileges
4. I had Configure for: Windows 10 although I'm not sure if it matters

Triggers Tab

1. Add a New... trigger
2. Begin the task: On workstation unlock
   • You can likely add more but I did not test them
3. Specific user: Change User...; select your user if you just want it for your account

Actions Tab

1. Add a New... action
2. Action: Start a program
3. Program/script: powershell
4. Add arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Users\coder\Pictures\windows login backgrounds\_pull.ps1"
   • Change out the path to match wherever you saved the _pull.ps1 script

SUCCESS! 🎉🚀

Profit! Now every time you log in the background will be saved in a backgrounds directory next to the script.

_pull.ps

# Set the working path to the script's path
$scriptpath = $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
$dir = Split-Path $scriptpath
Push-Location $dir

# Create backgrounds directory if it does not exist
if (!(Test-Path .\backgrounds)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path .\backgrounds }

# Get the path to the Windows login backgrounds for the current user
$WindowsImagesPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets"

# Copy images from the path to the backgrounds directory here
cp -r $windowsImagesPath\* .\backgrounds

# Add jpg extension to all files in the backgrounds directory without a jpg extension using Move-Item -Force
Get-ChildItem -Path .\backgrounds -Exclude *.jpg -Recurse | ForEach-Object { Move-Item -Path $_.FullName -Destination "$($_.FullName).jpg" -Force }

# Rename-Item doesn't seem to support overwriting; don't let it's -Force flag fool you either -- that's not what it does
# Get-ChildItem -Path .\backgrounds -Exclude *.jpg -Recurse | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name + ".jpg" } -Force

# Useful to debug the window before it goes away if there's any errors
# Write-Host "Press any key to continue..."
# $Host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown")

Save MS Login Backgrounds.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<Task version="1.4" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2004/02/mit/task">
  <RegistrationInfo>
    <Date>2023-02-09T01:11:38.3033556</Date>
    <Author>i9Beast\coder</Author>
    <Description>Saves the MS Login Backgrounds</Description>
    <URI>\CTS_AE\Save MS Login Backgrounds</URI>
  </RegistrationInfo>
  <Triggers>
    <SessionStateChangeTrigger>
      <Enabled>true</Enabled>
      <StateChange>SessionUnlock</StateChange>
      <UserId>i9Beast\coder</UserId>
    </SessionStateChangeTrigger>
  </Triggers>
  <Principals>
    <Principal id="Author">
      <UserId>S-1-5-21-373059960-1286789452-1330396964-1002</UserId>
      <LogonType>S4U</LogonType>
      <RunLevel>HighestAvailable</RunLevel>
    </Principal>
  </Principals>
  <Settings>
    <MultipleInstancesPolicy>IgnoreNew</MultipleInstancesPolicy>
    <DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>false</DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>
    <StopIfGoingOnBatteries>true</StopIfGoingOnBatteries>
    <AllowHardTerminate>true</AllowHardTerminate>
    <StartWhenAvailable>false</StartWhenAvailable>
    <RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>false</RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>
    <IdleSettings>
      <StopOnIdleEnd>true</StopOnIdleEnd>
      <RestartOnIdle>false</RestartOnIdle>
    </IdleSettings>
    <AllowStartOnDemand>true</AllowStartOnDemand>
    <Enabled>true</Enabled>
    <Hidden>false</Hidden>
    <RunOnlyIfIdle>false</RunOnlyIfIdle>
    <DisallowStartOnRemoteAppSession>false</DisallowStartOnRemoteAppSession>
    <UseUnifiedSchedulingEngine>true</UseUnifiedSchedulingEngine>
    <WakeToRun>false</WakeToRun>
    <ExecutionTimeLimit>PT1H</ExecutionTimeLimit>
    <Priority>7</Priority>
  </Settings>
  <Actions Context="Author">
    <Exec>
      <Command>powershell</Command>
      <Arguments>-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Users\coder\Pictures\windows login backgrounds\_pull.ps1"</Arguments>
    </Exec>
  </Actions>
</Task>