Windows Media Player 12 in Windows 7 comes with lots of enhancements and new features. One of them is the new Library view which allows users to manage their playlists, music, videos, recorded TV, etc.
Library view shows a nice minimal image in the background but did you know you can customize it and replace it with other images?
Actually Microsoft provides 7 background images for WMP 12 Library view but for some unknown reason, all of them are hidden and no simple option is provided to change them. Weird, isn't it?
Today in this tutorial, we'll tell you how to customize the background image of Library view in WMP12:
Change Library View Background Image in WMP12 using Registry Editor
1. Type regedit in RUN or Startmenu Search box and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor.
2. Now go to following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences
3. In right-side pane, look for LibraryBackgroundImage DWORD value. It'll have a value of 6 which is the default value.
4. Now to change the background image, you just need to change its value from 6. You are allowed to choose a number between 0-6. Each number provides a new background image for Library view.
So you can set value of LibraryBackgroundImage to any digit between 0 and 6 and you'll get a new background each time.
5. That's it. Once you change the value, restart Windows Media Player and you'll see the new background image.
NOTE: If you don't want to do the task manually, download following ZIP file, extract it and you'll get all required registry scripts to change the background image. You just need to run the desired .REG file and it'll do the whole task automatically.
Special TIP for Advanced Users
All these 7 background images are stored in "%windir%\System32\wmploc.dll" file. You can open this file in Resource Hacker or Resource Tuner and then expand "257" directory. Under this directory you'll see several PNGs. You'll find following 6 PNGs after scrolling a bit:
LIBRARY_BACKGROUND2.PNG
LIBRARY_BACKGROUND3.PNG
LIBRARY_BACKGROUND4.PNG
LIBRARY_BACKGROUND5.PNG
LIBRARY_BACKGROUND6.PNG
LIBRARY_BACKGROUND7.PNG
You just need to replace these PNGs with your desired images, save the file and then set the associated number in Registry using Step 4 and you'll see your new custom background image in WMP 12 Library view.
PS: Before editing and saving the file, take ownership of the file using this tutorial. If you still face problem while saving the file, save the file at some other location, then rename existing wmploc.dll file in System32 folder to wmploc_bak.dll and then copy the newly modified wmploc.dll file to System32 folder.
This article was posted by VG in following section: Resource Hacker, Windows 7.
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VG
^^ Sorry, No idea.
tricksy
hey vg i want to replace music image with my photo. How can I do the same????
g.e.
VG
^^ I'm not sure but you can look into wmploc.dll file present in System32 folder. Thats the file which contains almost all resources of WMP.
1XCoCoX1
Hello VG
can i add a custom background in wmp12 bec. i really dont like the ugly default background. well i hate windows media player 12 all around can i downgrade to 11?
1XCoCoX1
and why would mike rowe soft strip so many useful features in WMP12? Advanced Tag Editor for example. Is there a way to get it back?
settra
hello. i seem to have a prob. i run windows 7 home build 7600 or something. i change the png source image using the resource tuner. i place the dll on the system 32 file, and delete the old one ( i use the old name ofc) but after that, i run the wmp12 and nothing changes.... i have set the correct value on regedit as well!
settra
sorry about that.. solved. seems that when i change the png picture number 4. i have to set the value to 3, and so on in order for it to work... thanks allot for the info man! any chance there is a way to change the colour of the font as well?:>
Uewd
Go here: windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/windows-media-player/skins