Prevent Generic Placeholder Windows 10 IoT/LTSC Enterprise Edition Kiosk Mode Login Screen User Avatar
Setting up a Windows 10 IoT or Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) Enterprise Edition device in kiosk mode can greatly enhance user experience for dedicated functions. However, the default login screen displaying a generic placeholder avatar can detract from the overall polished appearance. To improve this, we can follow the steps below to replace the generic avatar with a customized image or even disable the avatar and user display entirely.
Key Concepts
Understanding the following key concepts will make the process smoother:
- Kiosk Mode: Microsoft's dedicated mode for Windows devices, created for specific applications or tasks.
- Assigned Access: A feature that allows restricting device access to a single application and customizing the interface.
Disabling the User Avatar for Kiosk Mode
The process of changing the default avatar or disabling it depends on the chosen lockdown settings. We will outline the steps for disabling the avatar under Assigned Access.
Step 1: Configuration Designator
Create a configuration designator JSON template with the following content:
{
"computer": {
"userAccounts": [
{
"name": "kiosk",
"picture": "none"
}
]
}
}
Step 2: Create Kiosk Account
Create a local or domain user account for the kiosk mode, named "kiosk" in this example:
net user kiosk /addStep 3: Configure Assigned Access
To configure the Assigned Access options, follow the path:
Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Set up a kiosk > Choose an account > kiosk > Choose an app
Select the desired application for kiosk mode and click "Confirm".
Step 4: Apply Configuration Designator
Apply the previously created JSON template (Step 1) with the following command:
RegistryEditorAdvanced.exe -policypath "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\UWP\UserExperience\Avatar" -action create -json "{\"policies\":[{\"componentName\":\"Microsoft.Policies.UserExperience\",\"policyName\":\"AvatarLogon\",\"policyValue\":0}]}"
Restart the device for the new settings to take effect.
Adding a Customized User Avatar
In some cases, you may prefer a customized avatar rather than disabling the display. To do this, replace the "none" value in the provided JSON template with the base64-encoded image data:
{
"computer": {
"userAccounts": [
{
"name": "kiosk",
"picture": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4...actual base64 data..."
}
]
}
}
Ensure the base64-encoded data is correctly formatted and corresponds to a valid image.
- By understanding key concepts related to Windows IoT and LTSC Enterprise Edition setups, we were able to replace or disable the user avatar during ```scss kiosk mode login screens.
- We used the Assigned Access feature and a custom configuration designator JSON template to customize or remove the user avatar effectively.