Changing an Account's Picture

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated July 2, 2018)

Each user account can have a picture associated with it. This is the picture you see on the Welcome screen and on the Start menu. The picture can be one of the pictures that are built into Windows 7, or you can choose your own.

If you want to change your account's picture in Windows 7, go to Start | Control Panel | User Accounts and Family Safety | Change Your Account Picture. Windows immediately shows you a large number of built-in pictures. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Changing your account's picture.

If you want to use one of the built-in pictures, simply select the desired picture and click the Change Picture button. You can also set your picture to be something else by clicking the Browse for More Pictures link and browsing your computer for the picture you want to use. As before, once you choose your picture, clicking the Change Picture button immediately changes the picture for the account.

In Windows 10 changing your account picture changed. One of the biggest changes is that Windows no longer provides built-in pictures. To change your account picture, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows (Win) key. Windows displays the start menu.
  2. Type Manage Your Account and press Enter. Windows opens the Your Info section of the Settings window.
  3. Scroll down to the Create Your Picture section. Choose either Camera or Browse for one. Note: if you choose Camera you will need a camera connected to your computer. (See Figure 2.)
  4. Figure 2. The Create Your Picture Section of the Settings Window.

  5. When you have set your picture, close the Settings Window and the photo you selected is set as your account picture.

With many computers and operating systems being visually similar, modifying your account picture provides you a way to personalize your Windows computer.

 This tip (12472) applies to Windows 7 and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

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