Windows has a screen saver called "My Pictures SlideShow".  The basic
settings are set through the display properties dialog.  It is
available by right clicking the desktop, selecting properties, screen
saver, "My Pictures SlideShow" and pressing the button labelled
"settings".  From this dialog I can set the folder from which the
screen saver program will retrieve its images.  Once logged into a
specific profile the screen saver will render images from the folder
path.

Before a user logs onto a windows machine, windows displays a screen
saver.  It is called the "login" screen saver, whereas the other
screen saver (described above) is called a "profile" screen saver.

I found an article, http://www.cezeo.com/tips-and-tricks/slideshow-screensaver/
that details how to go into the registry and manually over-ride the
default "login" screen saver and replace it with the "My pictures
SlideShow".

The problem is this - Who ever the last user is to log out, the
"login" screen saver will, by default, render images from the last
user's "my pictures" folder.  Even if the user has set the picture
folder path to someplace outside their profile.

I suspect that there are registry settings that tell the "My Pictures
SlideShow" screensaver program where to get the pictures from.  It has
to get the folder path from somewhere.  I want to over-ride the
"login" - "My pictures screensaver" picture folder location.

Where does the "My pictures SlideShow" screensaver (filename
ssmypics.scr) get its picture folder path from?  Your answer should
include directions on how to locate the entries that I need to adjust.

elmer...

The following post on the AdminLife forum seems to cover
precisely your predicament, and the answer outlines the
remedy:

"I have been having a problem with the my pictures slide show.
 Currently when a user is logged in the slide show screen saver
 points to a folder I created in the windows directory. The 
 problem occurs when the user logs out. I have set the default
 user to use the ssmypics.scr in the registry but it always 
 points to C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\My Pictures
 folder. With the user being whoever last logged off the machine.
 Is there a place in the registry where I force the slide show to
 point to a different folder. I am using Windows XP."

Answer:

[quote] 
 Example follows. Take a look at:
 "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow"

 and use that as an example to create a similar entry under
 the default user profile.

 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

 [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow]
 "ImageDirectory"="C:\\Documents and Settings\\Keith\\
  My Documents\\My Pics"
 "PaintInterval"=dword:00000000
 "ChangeInterval"=dword:00001770
 "DisplayFilename"=dword:00000000
 "MaxScreenPercent"=dword:0000005a
 "DisableTransitions"=dword:00000001
 "AllowStretching"=dword:00000000
 "AllowKeyboardControl"=dword:00000001
 "MaxFailedFiles"=dword:000003e8
 "MaxSuccessfulFiles"=dword:00010000
 "MaxDirectories"=dword:000000c8
[end quote]

So, simply reproduce the entries under:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow]

and place them under:
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow]


I don't own the software, so I can't prove to myself that
it will work, but this seems to directly address your 
question, and seems likely to work. If you have problems
implementing the information, please ask about it.

Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that  
the answer cannot be improved upon by way of a dialog  
established through the "Request for Clarification" process. 
 
A user's guide on this topic is on skermit-ga's site, here: 
http://www.christopherwu.net/google_answers/answer_guide.html#how_clarify 
 
sublime1-ga


Searches done, via Google:

ssmypics.scr
://www.google.com/search?q=ssmypics.scr

---

Clarification of Answer by sublime1-ga on 10 Feb 2006 00:15 PST

Oops. I meant to include a link to the post on the
AdminLife forum I cited above:
http://www.adminlife.com/247reference/msgs/37/188596.aspx

This was exactly what I was looking for.  The researcher was very
prompt and answered the question fully.  This was money well spent.