Can't change lock screen on windows 8.1

Hi Charles,

Thank you for sharing the resolution with us which will help others facing the same problems to fix it.

Yes, I am doing it from an administrative user which is the only user I have on my computer. I am not sure what you mean by "SystemData folder." I did a search on my hard drive but nothing cam up except for a few things but they just had the words "System" and "Data" in it. I am not trying to do a slideshow on lock screen if that helps. 

If you do not know what the SystemData folder is and where it is you cannot possibly have tried what I suggested above in this thread, a few posts back.

Make sure that you can see hidden files and folders.  Then go to:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\

Inside this folder is a folder named SystemData.  A problem with permissions/ACL for that folder is the primary cause of the problem.

Open Properties and select the Security tab.  You need to give ownership of the SystemData folder to the Administrators group (use the Advanced button and type in the word Administrators in the field and choose that group), and you need to make sure that you have checked the option to do the same with folders and files contained within the parent SystemData folder.  You may need to take ownership to your user first, before giving it to the Adminstrators group.  Work quickly or the system will reset ownership back before you are finished and waht you are trying to do will fail.

Immediately after doing that and as soon as it is finished, you rename the SystemData folder to SystemDataOld.

In a few moments your system will create a new SystemData folder right where the old one was sitting.

After a few minutes, you then bring up the lock screen settings and set it to a picture you have never used before in your lock screen. After setting it, lock your screen.  You should see that new picture in the lock screen.

Wait a few moments and then randomly select pictures you have not used before, over and over for a few minutes.  Each time you change the picture, lock your screen to verify that the new picture is on the lock screen.  If it isn't, no worries.  Just select another picture until you see a change.

Full functionality should return after doing all the above.

Did you do it from within an administrative user? The Administrators group must own the folder and all containing folders before renaming SystemData to SystemDataOld.  If you wait too long before renaming the SystemData folder, your system will revert the changes automatically and the attempt will fail.  You have only seconds to rename the folder before the system resets everything and causes the attempted fix to fail.  Once you have done this the system will create a new folder from scratch.  Once done, you need to use a picture you haven't used before.  After a few minutes start choosing pictures you have never used in the lock screen at random and try to set those to the lock screen.  Verify each time that the new picture has been set in the lock screen.

Yes, I am doing it from an administrative user which is the only user I have on my computer. I am not sure what you mean by "SystemData folder." I did a search on my hard drive but nothing cam up except for a few things but they just had the words "System" and "Data" in it. I am not trying to do a slideshow on lock screen if that helps.

I am having the same issue. Once I updated to Windows 8.1, the lock screen went back to what I had to before I upgraded to Windows 8.1 from 8. I have tried everything including the things mentioned in this forum.

Did you do it from within an administrative user? The Administrators group must own the folder and all containing folders before renaming SystemData to SystemDataOld.  If you wait too long before renaming the SystemData folder, your system will revert the changes automatically and the attempt will fail.  You have only seconds to rename the folder before the system resets everything and causes the attempted fix to fail.  Once you have done this the system will create a new folder from scratch.  Once done, you need to use a picture you haven't used before.  After a few minutes start choosing pictures you have never used in the lock screen at random and try to set those to the lock screen.  Verify each time that the new picture has been set in the lock screen.

I am having the same issue. Once I updated to Windows 8.1, the lock screen went back to what I had to before I upgraded to Windows 8.1 from 8. I have tried everything including the things mentioned in this forum.