logon

So you're still logging on with the same old Windows log-on screen, day in, day out....You're right: it's extremely boring. Can't something be done about it? Yes. You can change the Windows log-on screen, but Windows doesn't make it as easy as changing your wallpaper or even your user account picture. Still, it's simple enough to do with help from tools like Saurabhorange's Logon Screen Changer.

This free app can banish the blue and replace it with high-resolution images that don't take up much space. It comes with a gallery of … Read more

It's possible to customize your Windows log-on screen, but not convenient. InstantLogonChanger is a small, simple, free tool that lets you use any image or solid color as your log-on screen background without requiring special privileges or badgering you with security prompts. You can set it to present your corporate logo or message on startup as well as on the desktop. It handles JPG, GIF, BMP, PGN, and TIFF images. InstantLogonChanger improves on Windows as well as the competition not only by making it easy to change your log-on screen background but also by enabling you to fill, fit, … Read more

The default color scheme for Windows is heavy with blues: button-down, business-approved blue tones persist, even in Windows 7. Many users change their desktop themes and colors regularly, but what about the bland expanse that is the log-on screen? Sure, it's only there until you type in your password, but why should that stop you from customizing its look? Do you really need more of a reason than, "Because I can?" Because you can, with Tweaks.com Logon Changer from Advanced PC Media. It's a simple little app that lets you customize the Windows 7 log-on … Read more

Windows 7 and Vista let users change the log-on screen's background image, and there's no shortage of free tools to make the job easier. Many such tools automatically resize images to fill the screen, a shortcoming that limits their usefulness with wide-screen displays. Windows Logon Screen Rotator not only offers Center and Fill settings but also randomly rotates an unlimited number of images as your Windows log-on screen.

Windows Logon Screen Rotator's interface is Spartan but attractively rendered, with three tabs: Images, Monitored Folders, and Settings. Aside from a Web link to the developer's site, the … Read more

There's no reason why Windows 7 users have to settle for whatever interface Microsoft sets as the operating system's default. Customizing Windows 7's start, log-on, and desktop backgrounds isn't as easy as it might be, but it's eminently doable.

Deactivate the "Close Encounters" start-up animation The animation that plays as Windows starts is irritating primarily because it never changes. If you're like me and would prefer to see nothing than to sit through that micro-advertisement for the umpteenth time, turn it off.

Press the Windows key, type system configuration, and press Enter … Read more

My previous post described how to add information to and otherwise customize Windows' Welcome screen. But maybe you just want to get your PC going without having to log into an account. You can bypass Windows' log-on screen by changing settings in the Windows Registry, as described in a tutorial on the Computer Performance site, but I find it much simpler to use a free Windows-tweaking utility to do the same thing.

The program I used to customize the Windows Welcome screen—TweakNow PowerPack 2009—is the same tool I used to disable the log-on screen on my Vista laptop. … Read more

LogonAssist is a basic password organization tool. Although it's not as sophisticated as others we've seen, it's not bad for users needing a simple way to keep their log-in information organized.

The program's interface is basic and fairly intuitive, although there are a few things that could be clearer. For each account, users enter the Web address, their log-in information, and any other relevant details. Users must then both save the individual record and, when they're done adding records, save the entire file. This tripped us up at first and made us wonder where our … Read more

LogonExpert allows users to log on and off of their computers automatically at set times of day. The program is simple to use and features a high level of security versus other similar programs.

The program's interface is simple, consisting of four tabs: one to enter log-on information, one to set the schedule, one for security options, and one with information about the publisher (this is where we would expect to find the Help file, but there isn't one). Setting up the program is as simple as entering your Windows password and scheduling when you would like to … Read more

RebootEx offers users a simple, fast, and easy way to turn your machine off from anywhere and even log back on when it restarts. While the average user probably won't have a need for its remote shutdown capabilities, it works on a local PC as well.

This program has an interface that will look familiar to anyone who has used Windows. A small bar pops up on the desktop featuring the exact same icons as Windows for Shut Down, Restart, and Log Off. In addition, there is a button for Remote. Below these are a clock for scheduled restarts … Read more