Making Wallpaper as default without GPO and giving user freedom to change the wallpaper

Customizing Windows 11 Default Wallpaper

Windows 11 allows wallpaper customization through two traditional methods:

1. Manual changes (affects only user profile)
2. Group Policy (GPO - system-wide, but restricts user changes)

Here’s a third method that sets a custom default wallpaper while maintaining user freedom to change it later.

The Default Wallpaper Location

Windows 11’s default wallpaper is located at:

C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg

Steps to Replace Default Wallpaper

Method 1: Using PowerShell

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator
2. Run the following commands:

   takeown /f C:\Windows\Web\wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg
   takeown /f C:\Windows\Web\4K\Wallpaper\Windows\*.*
   icacls C:\windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg /Grant 'System:(F)'
   icacls C:\Windows\Web\4K\Wallpaper\Windows\*.* /Grant 'System:(F)'
   Remove-Item C:\windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg
   Remove-Item C:\Windows\Web\4K\Wallpaper\Windows\*.*
   

Method 2: Manual Permissions

If Method 1 fails:

1. Right-click img0.jpg → Properties
2. Select Security tab → Administrator → Edit
3. Grant Full Control to Administrator
4. Apply changes

Final Steps

1. Delete the original img0.jpg
2. Copy your custom wallpaper to C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows\
3. Rename it to img0.jpg

This method will set your custom image as the default Windows 11 wallpaper while allowing users to change it if desired.