Set Custom Wallpaper on Unactivated Windows 11, Access Defaults & Enable True Dark Mode

This tutorial takes about 3 minutes to complete.

Step 1: Set a Custom Wallpaper

Locate a high-quality image file or download one from the internet, then right-click the file and select "Set as Desktop Background" to apply it immediately.

Step 2: Navigate to Default Wallpaper Directory

Open File Explorer and navigate to This PC, select the C drive, open the Windows folder, and scroll to double-click the Web folder where all default wallpapers are stored.

Step 3: Apply a Default Wallpaper

Browse the available images within the Web folder, right-click your preferred background, and choose "Set as desktop background" to replace your current wallpaper with a Windows default.

Step 4: Enable True Dark Mode

Open the Registry Editor by searching for RegEdit and accepting the prompt, then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize. Find AppsUseLightTheme and double-click to change the value from 1 to 0, then locate SystemUsesLightTheme and set its value to 0 for a full dark system UI. Restart your computer to apply the dark mode settings.