Where are Photo Screensaver settings saved?

Question

Hi,
I need to programatically change settings for the Photo Screensaver. The registry keys used in Windows Vista no longer apply in Windows 7. I tried using a folder with an uncommon folder name to point the Photo Screensaver to so that it would be easier to find in the registry. When I do a registry search, the folder name cannot be found. Maybe this is kept in a settings file somewhere instead of the registry?
We use a custom photo deck for our screensaver and it hasn't worked well to put it in the Pictures folder. You'll end up displaying personal photos along with the custom photos. I have been making a folder in Program Files and pointing the screensaver there.
The settings I would like to be able to change are:
Use pictures from: (you browse to the folder that contains your photos)
Slide show speed: (change the transition speed of the photos)
Shuffle pictures: (I would like to be able to check this box so the photos display randomly)
If anyone knows where to find these settings, it would be greatly appreciated if you could share the location of these settings.
Thanks,
Rob

Answer 1

you can use this code 
cls
#That string is encoded in Base64, without headers. There is a Windows API that encrypt binary arrays (the PIDL) to Base64, CryptBinaryToString. The dwFlags parameter should be set to CRYPT_STRING_BASE64.
#Our problem is the inverse, given a Base64 string (the encoded PIDL), get the decoded PIDL. There's an API for that, too!, CryptStringToBinary. The dwFlags parameter should also be set to CRYPT_STRING_BASE64.
#I think it is not hard to write a small program that uses those API's (and some more to get a "readable" path from the PIDL); ask in the MSDN forums to get directions if you get stuck.
#http://www.ms-windows.info/Help/windows-photo-screensaver-settings-19334.aspx
#http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa379887(v=vs.85).aspx
#BOOL WINAPI CryptBinaryToString(
# _In_ const BYTE *pbBinary,
# _In_ DWORD cbBinary,
# _In_ DWORD dwFlags,
# _Out_opt_ LPTSTR pszString,
# _Inout_ DWORD *pcchString
#http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa380285(v=vs.85).aspx
#BOOL WINAPI CryptStringToBinary(
# _In_ LPCTSTR pszString,
# _In_ DWORD cchString,
# _In_ DWORD dwFlags,
# _In_ BYTE *pbBinary,
# _Inout_ DWORD *pcbBinary,
# _Out_ DWORD *pdwSkip,
# _Out_ DWORD *pdwFlags
add-type @"
using System;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
public static class PIDLUtils
// funciones
[DllImport("shell32.dll")]
public static extern Int32 SHGetDesktopFolder(out IShellFolder ppshf);
[DllImport("shell32.dll")]
public static extern bool SHGetPathFromIDList(IntPtr pidl, StringBuilder pszPath);
[DllImport("crypt32.dll")]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
private static extern bool CryptBinaryToString(IntPtr pcbBinary, int cbBinary, uint dwFlags, StringBuilder pszString, ref int pcchString);
[DllImport("crypt32.dll")]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
private static extern bool CryptStringToBinary(string pszString, int cchString, uint dwFlags, IntPtr pbBinary, ref int pcbBinary, ref int pdwSkip, ref int pdwFlags);
// interfaces
[ComImport]
[InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
[Guid("000214E6-0000-0000-C000-000000000046")]
public interface IShellFolder
Int32 ParseDisplayName(IntPtr hwnd, IntPtr pbc, String pszDisplayName, UInt32 pchEaten, out IntPtr ppidl, UInt32 pdwAttributes);
Int32 EnumObjects(IntPtr hwnd, ESHCONTF grfFlags, out IntPtr ppenumIDList);
Int32 BindToObject(IntPtr pidl, IntPtr pbc, [In]ref Guid riid, out IntPtr ppv);
Int32 BindToStorage(IntPtr pidl, IntPtr pbc, [In]ref Guid riid, out IntPtr ppv);
Int32 CompareIDs(Int32 lParam, IntPtr pidl1, IntPtr pidl2);
Int32 CreateViewObject(IntPtr hwndOwner, [In] ref Guid riid, out IntPtr ppv);
Int32 GetAttributesOf(UInt32 cidl, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray, SizeParamIndex = 0)]IntPtr[] apidl, ref ESFGAO rgfInOut);
Int32 GetUIObjectOf(IntPtr hwndOwner, UInt32 cidl, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray, SizeParamIndex = 1)]IntPtr[] apidl, [In] ref Guid riid, UInt32 rgfReserved, out IntPtr ppv);
Int32 GetDisplayNameOf(IntPtr pidl, ESHGDN uFlags, out ESTRRET pName);
Int32 SetNameOf(IntPtr hwnd, IntPtr pidl, String pszName, ESHCONTF uFlags, out IntPtr ppidlOut);
// enumeraciones
public enum ESHCONTF
SHCONTF_FOLDERS = 0x0020,
SHCONTF_NONFOLDERS = 0x0040,
SHCONTF_INCLUDEHIDDEN = 0x0080,
SHCONTF_INIT_ON_FIRST_NEXT = 0x0100,
SHCONTF_NETPRINTERSRCH = 0x0200,
SHCONTF_SHAREABLE = 0x0400,
SHCONTF_STORAGE = 0x0800
public enum ESFGAO : uint
SFGAO_CANCOPY = 0x00000001,
SFGAO_CANMOVE = 0x00000002,
SFGAO_CANLINK = 0x00000004,
SFGAO_LINK = 0x00010000,
SFGAO_SHARE = 0x00020000,
SFGAO_READONLY = 0x00040000,
SFGAO_HIDDEN = 0x00080000,
SFGAO_FOLDER = 0x20000000,
SFGAO_FILESYSTEM = 0x40000000,
SFGAO_HASSUBFOLDER = 0x80000000,
public enum ESHGDN
SHGDN_NORMAL = 0x0000,
SHGDN_INFOLDER = 0x0001,
SHGDN_FOREDITING = 0x1000,
SHGDN_FORADDRESSBAR = 0x4000,
SHGDN_FORPARSING = 0x8000,
public enum ESTRRET : int
eeRRET_WSTR = 0x0000,
STRRET_OFFSET = 0x0001,
STRRET_CSTR = 0x0002
// constantes
private const uint CRYPT_STRING_BASE64 = 1;
// mis funciones
public static string Encode(string myClearPath)
IShellFolder folder;
IntPtr pidl;
string Pathcodificado;
Pathcodificado = "ERROR";
string myPathTextoPlano = myClearPath;
//string myPathTextoPlano = @"c:\flashtool"; // Regex.Escape(myClearPath);
// este es el folder del escritorio (raíz del espacio de nombres del shell)
if (SHGetDesktopFolder(out folder) == 0)
// pidl del archivo
//folder.ParseDisplayName(IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero, @"C:\walter\yo.png", 0, out pidl, 0);
folder.ParseDisplayName(IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero, myPathTextoPlano, 0, out pidl, 0);
// parseo el pidl para obtener sus tamaño
int k = 0;
short cb = 0;
// ONLY WORKS WITH .NET FRAMEWORK 4
// while ((k = Marshal.ReadInt16(pidl + cb)) > 0)
// cb += (short)k;
IntPtr tempIntPtr = new IntPtr(pidl.ToInt64() + cb);
while ((k = Marshal.ReadInt16(tempIntPtr)) > 0)
cb += (short)k;
tempIntPtr = new IntPtr(pidl.ToInt64() + cb);
cb += 2;
// encripto el pidl
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
int largo = 0;
CryptBinaryToString(pidl, cb, CRYPT_STRING_BASE64, null, ref largo);
sb.Capacity = largo;
if (CryptBinaryToString(pidl, cb, CRYPT_STRING_BASE64, sb, ref largo))
//Console.WriteLine(sb.ToString());
Pathcodificado = sb.ToString();
Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pidl);
return Pathcodificado;
public static string Decode (string myEncryptedPath)
IShellFolder folder;
// IntPtr pidl;
string PathDescodificado;
PathDescodificado = "ERROR";
string mypathEncriptado = myEncryptedPath; // Regex.Escape(myEncryptedPath);
// este es el folder del escritorio (raíz del espacio de nombres del shell)
if (SHGetDesktopFolder(out folder) == 0)
// Desencripto
int a = 0;
int b = 0;
int largo = 0;
CryptStringToBinary(mypathEncriptado, mypathEncriptado.Length, CRYPT_STRING_BASE64, IntPtr.Zero, ref largo, ref a, ref b);
// recreo el objeto
IntPtr pidl2 = Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem(largo);
//if (CryptStringToBinary(sb.ToString(), sb.Length, CRYPT_STRING_BASE64, pidl2, ref largo, ref a, ref b))
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
if (CryptStringToBinary(mypathEncriptado, mypathEncriptado.Length, CRYPT_STRING_BASE64, pidl2, ref largo, ref a, ref b))
// muestro el path proveyendo el pidl reconstruído
//sb.Clear(); Only works with .NET 4
sb.Length = 0;
sb.Capacity = 261;
SHGetPathFromIDList(pidl2, sb);
//Console.WriteLine(sb.ToString());
PathDescodificado = sb.ToString();
//Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pidl);
Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pidl2);
return PathDescodificado;
try
$MyPath = "c:\Windows"
$Encrypted = [PIDLUtils]::Encode($MyPath)
$Encrypted
$notEncrypted = [PIDLUtils]::Decode($Encrypted)
$notEncrypted
catch
$_
break