Setting desktop wallpaper using Microsoft Intune
Are you looking for a tool or software to manage your desktop background? You are reading the right article. You can also read the scenario-based articles using the links below.
Multiple ways exist to set up desktop backgrounds/wallpapers via Microsoft Intune.
- Inbuilt CSP method — Click here.
- Powershell Scripts — Click here for example.
- As a Win32 App (as an application)
This article will only focus on the “Win32 App” method. We use WPSecure Personalization Packager to create silent installers that contain one or more of the following personalization items. This article will only focus on desktop backgrounds.
As a side note, if you prefer to read and understand using a step-by-step story-based approach, click on one or more of the articles below.
Objectives:
- A scriptless solution to deliver personalization packages that include desktop backgrounds.
- Multiple desktop wallpaper themes are installed side-by-side and triggered by a campaign manager, with start and end dates for each personalization package.
- Desktop backgrounds must have 8K and high DPI and be maximized for clarity and crispness at every screen resolution and orientation.
- The package should automatically trigger realignment when the screen resolution or orientation changes.
- When a device is plugged into a different docking station, the desktop wallpaper's layout should automatically align with the new screen configuration/layout.
The tool we use to create a personalization package is the WPSecure Personalization Packager. The packager brings the following personalization items together and creates a zero-touch silent installer that can be deployed to thousands of Windows devices managed by your organization.
Personalization items:
- Desktop backgrounds
- Lockscreen images (not covered in this article)
- Video screensavers (not covered in this article)
- Outlook signatures (not covered in this article)
Step 1: Design and gather the images
You want to deploy a cybersecurity-themed desktop wallpaper focussing on ‘email security’ to your organization's Windows devices. The first step is to design the desktop background images.
One image would suffice (1920W X 1080H), but our clients request images for all possible screen resolutions within their corporate infrastructure. Doing so prevents stretching, pixelation, and blurriness.
The personalization package will never stretch or pixelate an image. If an image corresponding to the screen's aspect ratio is not found, the image will not ‘stretch’ but ‘fit.’
- Design images for all possible screen resolutions within your organization.
- Design images for all possible screen orientations within your organization.
- Follow image design guidelines to avoid logos, artwork, or messages under areas where desktop icons are located.
- Avoid exceeding the 10MB file size limit, but do not compromise on quality.
- Avoid using text that is too tiny to read.
- Avoid using colors or designs that can cause photophobia.
After you have designed the desktop background images, the folder that contains them will look similar to the picture below.
Listed below are possible screen resolutions and orientations for which you can design images.
[WidthXHeight], [7680X4320], [5120X2880], [4500X3000], [4320X7680], [4096X2160], [3840X2160], [3440X1440], [3240X2160], [3000X2000], [3000X4500], [2880X5120], [2880X1920], [2736X1824], [2560X1600], [2560X1080], [2560X1440], [2496X1664], [2256X1504], [2160X4096], [2160X1440], [2160X3840], [2160X3240], [2048X1536], [2048X1080], [2048X1152], [2000X3000], [1920X1440], [1920X2880], [1920X1280], [1920X1080], [1920X1200], [1824X2736], [1800X1200], [1680X1050], [1664X2496], [1600X2560], [1600X900], [1600X1024], [1600X1200], [1536X2048], [1536X864], [1504X2256], [1440X1920], [1440X900], [1440X2160], [1440X960], [1440X3440], [1440X2560], [1400X1050], [1366X768], [1360X768], [1280X720], [1280X800], [1280X1024], [1280X768], [1280X960], [1280X600], [1280X1920], [1200X1800], [1200X1600], [1200X1920], [1152X2048], [1152X864], [1080X2048], [1080X1920], [1080X2560], [1050X1400], [1050X1680], [1024X768], [1024X1280], [1024X1600], [960X540], [960X1280], [960X1440], [900X900], [900X1440], [900X1600], [864X1152], [864X1536], [800X600], [800X1280], [768X1024], [768X1280], [768X1366], [768X1360], [720X1280], [600X1280], [600X800], [540X960], [500X500]
Step 2: Create a personalization deployment package containing the newly created images.
Download and install the Windows Personalization Packager by clicking on the “Download” button in the top right corner of this screen.
Open the Personalization Packager from the start menu. After installing the Packager, you will see two items on the start menu.
- WPSecure personalization Packager.
- WPSecure Campaign Manager.
Open the Personalization Packager from the start menu. After installing the Packager, you will see two items on the start menu.
Click on the item called “WPSecure Personalization Packager.” Doing so will open the Packager in full-screen mode. Agree to the terms and enter the application.
Refer to the documentation for more information.
Click the “import desktop background images” button to import the newly designed images from the folder. Click on selected items to preview the image.
After adding the necessary Personalization items, click the “Create Personalization Package” button to start the package creation process.
After adding the necessary Personalization items, click the “Create Personalization Package” button to start the package creation process.
Use this button to export the personalization package to a folder. A personalization package is a collection of all the settings and files you have imported or created for your desktop backgrounds, Outlook signatures, and screensavers. The selected destination folder has to be empty. The personalization package creation process creates two folders: general_install and intune_install.
The general_install folder contains installation files for deployment via enterprise software management tools like Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM). Run the ‘wpsecure-install.exe’ to install the personalization package. More details regarding the enterprise installation and uninstallation process are in the ‘documentation.html’ file.
The intune_install folder contains the ‘wpsecure-install.intunewin’ file to be uploaded to the Microsoft Endpoint Device Management portal (Intune). The command line for this is identical to the general install.
The process also creates a ‘documentation.html’ file that provides all the information required to deploy the personalization package, such as the package version, the install and uninstall command lines, and detection methods.
Step 3: Deploy the personalization package using Microsoft Intune.
This article will only discuss deployment via Microsoft Intune. Open the “intune_install” folder and
Open Microsoft Intune Admin Center, click on “Apps” and then choose “Windows Apps”.
Use the “+ Add” button to create the Intune Win32 App deployment. Follow the images below to get through the first steps of the setup process.
The ‘documentation.html’ file provides all the information required to deploy the personalization package, like package version, install command line, uninstall command line, and detection methods.
Using the above information, fill out the Intune Win32 application setup form.
Click Next and complete the process. Wait for Microsoft Intune to upload and set up your Windows Personalization package. After deployment, your screen will look similar to the image below.
Remember that you can install up to 5 personalization packages on each device. Use the WPSecure campaign manager to schedule each deployed personalization package's start, stop, and priority.
Step 4: Add Outlook email signatures, lockscreen images, and video screensavers to the personalization package.
To summarize, you can add the following items to the package.
- Add one or more Desktop background images for landscape and portrait screens. While you are not required to add images for all possible screen resolutions, the more extensive the collection of image sizes is, the better the user experience will be.
- Add two Lock screen images, one for Landscape and optionally another for Portrait Screens.
- Import a “New message” Signature and a “Reply message” Outlook signature.
- Add MP4 video file for Windows Screensaver. You can add a video for Landscape screens and a video for Portrait screens.
Click here to read more about the Windows Personalization Packager.
Further documentation for deploying Desktop Wallpaper, Lock Screen Images, Outlook Signature, & Screensaver Using Microsoft Intune.
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