TheSamba.com :: View topic - Setting computer desktop background when locked?

Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:43 am

So um hypothetically, if someone's work computer (Windows) had just had a software update that included removing the permissions to set an image as the desktop background, are there any "workarounds" to do so anyway? ways to export an image file, etc?
I have this friend of a friend that was asking...
:)

Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:53 am

If I had a friend of a friend that ,hypothetically, was working at a company that locked the destop so you could not put a custom background, I would advise they start looking for a new job. Lord knows what other 'over-the-top' bullshit policies are coming/in place.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:59 am

TeamSpatula wrote: So um hypothetically, if someone's work computer (Windows) had just had a software update that included removing the permissions to set an image as the desktop background, are there any "workarounds" to do so anyway? ways to export an image file, etc?
I have this friend of a friend that was asking...
:)

As a gag, I doodled something up years ago that sets the background to whatever you want on bootup. In this case, it was a picture of Eric Estrada saying "you're gay". It drove the mark crazy.

I'm sure it is around on one of my drives so could probably find it for you, if like Eric Estrada. ;)

Edit: found it so PM me if you want it.
I'll make it 'estrada agnostic' for you.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:24 am

Commnad Line Baby.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:06 am

TeamSpatula wrote: So um hypothetically, if someone's work computer (Windows) had just had a software update that included removing the permissions to set an image as the desktop background, are there any "workarounds" to do so anyway? ways to export an image file, etc?
I have this friend of a friend that was asking...
:)

If the current image - call it "bad.jpg" - resides on your computer in an unprotected location, the easiest way would be to simply rename the image you want to "bad.jpg" and copy it to that location. You have to make sure that they are of the same image type, though.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:09 am

Russ Wolfe wrote: Commnad Line Baby.
Russ, you're showing your age ;)

C:\>

Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:17 am

Meyer wrote: TeamSpatula wrote: So um hypothetically, if someone's work computer (Windows) had just had a software update that included removing the permissions to set an image as the desktop background, are there any "workarounds" to do so anyway? ways to export an image file, etc?
I have this friend of a friend that was asking...
:)

If the current image - call it "bad.jpg" - resides on your computer in an unprotected location, the easiest way would be to simply rename the image you want to "bad.jpg" and copy it to that location. You have to make sure that they are of the same image type, though.

That's no fun because anyone can change it back and the joke is over.
The command line action can be seen.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:04 pm

coW wrote: Meyer wrote: TeamSpatula wrote: So um hypothetically, if someone's work computer (Windows) had just had a software update that included removing the permissions to set an image as the desktop background, are there any "workarounds" to do so anyway? ways to export an image file, etc?
I have this friend of a friend that was asking...
:)

If the current image - call it "bad.jpg" - resides on your computer in an unprotected location, the easiest way would be to simply rename the image you want to "bad.jpg" and copy it to that location. You have to make sure that they are of the same image type, though.

That's no fun because anyone can change it back and the joke is over.
The command line action can be seen.

I guess it depends on whether he just wants to regain control over his own background image or whether he wants to mess with somebody else.

If its just his own system, then the image swap could work. If the system overwrites it every time (doubtful), you could throw an executable in the startup to take care of that.

If he wants to mess with somebody else, on the other hand, I imagine that you might have one or two good suggestions ... I remember in the x086 days, we had a whole slew of 'em before they invented security.

:twisted:

Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:28 pm

Basically save a picture locally and open it with windows picture and fax viewer and click on the button to set it as your wallpaper. That will override the GPO. You may have a default profile that reloads every time you login.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:35 pm

Meyer wrote: If he wants to mess with somebody else, on the other hand, I imagine that you might have one or two good suggestions ... I remember in the x086 days, we had a whole slew of 'em before they invented security.

:twisted:

This was meant as a gag - being malicious isn't me.
He was bragging how nobody could do stuff on his PC without him figuring out what was going on.
Well, that couldn't go by without being challenged.

It would change the wallpaper on start up to a picture of Eric Estrada without shirt on, telling him that he was a homo.
One could change the wallpaper but the program would reset it back to Estrada on power up.
Eric's picture's file name was hidden using a fake dll name, making it impossible for him to find. The program would just rename it to a jpg when needed.
It would start by being kicked off from the 'run' registry, me first renaming something that should run (like the virus checker) to something else, naming mine to whatever that virus checker's name was and my program would just kick off the virus checker.
Unless you really start digging, everything looked totally benign because it wouldn't stay resident.

He gave up after two days and cried uncle after Eric told everyone they were homos during one of his slide presentations.
Good times. ;)

Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:44 pm

Glenn wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote: Commnad Line Baby.
Russ, you're showing your age ;)

C:\>

No, showing Linux.
You can do a lot of things at command line that you cannot do with a GUI.

Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:48 pm

Russ Wolfe wrote: Glenn wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote: Commnad Line Baby.
Russ, you're showing your age ;)

C:\>

No, showing Linux.
You can do a lot of things at command line that you cannot do with a GUI.

You can restrict the access to users too. Not everyone is root.