📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses a startup-performance issue on Windows where the “welcome”/desktop transition is slow (a few seconds by default, but up to ~50 seconds with a customized desktop), and how to speed it up by swapping and renaming specific wallpaper/theme files. The key guidance is to modify the Windows default wallpaper image, copy it into the user’s AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes folder as TranscodedWallpaper.jpg, and rename the existing file to ensure Windows uses the updated version, then reboot. Overall sentiment is exploratory and positive, with the original poster sharing a worked workaround after investigating the startup process.

RAK

Extraordinary Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
2,491
Thread Author #1
I was having a discussion on another forum, and got fascinated by an observation another member had made. If you use the default desktop, the welcome screen only stayed for 2 or 3 seconds. If you customised the desktop, this deteriroated to, in the worst cases, about 50 seconds.

I began to explore the startup procedures and finally got on the track of how to circumvent this. It is a matter of paths, and default pictures. If you would prefer your own custmised desktop, experiment with this.

1. I went to Windows - Web -Wallpaper - Windows. In there is a file called img0.jpg. I copied this, for safety, in case something went wrong, to img01.jpg. I took ownership of the file (This is neccessary for the next stage)
I then opened it in my Graphics program and played with it to get the theme I liked. Then I saved it back to its original place.
2. Next I pasted this to users -username -Appdata - Roaming - Microsoft - Windows - Themes.
3. Now I opened that folder and in there was a file called TranscodedWallpaper.jpg, which I renamed (Anything you like - just add a 1 to the end if you prefer). I then renamed the file I had just imported to TranscodedWallpaper.jpg.
Exit and reboot. Now, from the Welcome screen to desktop is pretty much instant.