How to Change the Default User Account Picture in Windows

Windows assigns a generic user icon to every new account you create. While it gets the job done, this default gray silhouette doesn’t exactly feel personal — especially if you use multiple accounts, share your PC, or prefer a more customized look. Whether you want to replace it with your photo, a custom avatar, or a professional icon, Windows gives you simple tools to update your user account picture.

If you’re reading this guide, you’re probably tired of the default user icon that shows up on the login screen, Start menu, lock screen, and various apps. The good news is that Windows lets you change this picture easily for both local and Microsoft accounts, and even lets you reset or remove old pictures if needed.

In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through all the different ways to change the user account picture in Windows — including built-in Settings, manual replacement, and advanced folder cleanup. Let’s get started!

1. Change User Account Picture from Settings (Microsoft Account & Local Account)

This is the simplest way and works for both types of accounts.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Click Accounts in the left panel.
3. Select Your info.
4. Under Adjust your photo, click Browse files or Choose a file.
5. Pick any PNG or JPG image from your PC.
6. Adjust the crop area and confirm.

Your new picture instantly appears on:

• Login screen
• Lock screen
• Start menu
• Taskbar profile picture
• Microsoft apps

2. Change Microsoft Account Profile Picture Online (Syncs Automatically)

If you’re using a Microsoft account, your profile picture syncs across all devices.

1. Open a browser and visit:
   https://account.microsoft.com/profile
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
3. Click Change photo below the profile picture.
4. Upload a new photo and save.

After a few minutes, Windows 11 automatically updates the image on your PC.

3. Change the Account Picture for a Local Account (Legacy Control Panel)

The Control Panel still includes a classic method to update user photos.

1. Press Windows + R, type control, and press Enter.
2. Go to User Accounts.
3. Click Change your account picture.
4. Choose from the built-in pictures or click Browse for more pictures.
5. Select your new photo.

This method is especially useful on older Windows builds or local accounts.

4. Remove Old User Account Pictures from Windows

Windows stores old profile pictures forever — even after you change them. If you want to remove them from the “Your info” section:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to:

C:\Users\Public\AccountPictures

OR for individual account data:

C:\Users\<YourUserName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures

3. Delete old images (Windows may ask for admin permission).
4. Reopen Settings → Accounts → Your info to confirm they’re removed.

Your photo list will now be clean.

5. Change Default User Account Icon for All Users (Advanced)

If you want to replace the default silhouette icon for every user on the PC (including new accounts), you can overwrite system icons.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures

3. Here you will find default icons like:
   • user.png
   • user-192.png
   • guest.png
4. Make a backup of these files.
5. Replace them with custom icons using the same file names and PNG formats.
6. Restart your PC.

Every new or guest account will now use your custom default photo.

6. Change the User Account Picture from Group Policy (For Admins)

Useful for school, office, or multi-user PCs.

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Control Panel → User Accounts

3. Double-click Apply the default account picture to all users.
4. Enable it to enforce the default picture, or disable it to allow changes.

This allows administrators to control user photos system-wide.

7. Reset User Account Picture to the Default Icon

If you want to remove your custom photo:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Your info.
2. Click Remove next to your current picture (if available).
3. Windows will automatically revert to the default user icon.
4. If the option does not appear, use Method #4 to manually delete profile pictures.

8. Fix User Account Picture Not Updating

If your new image doesn’t show everywhere:

• Restarting the PC
• Re-signing into your Microsoft account
• Running:

gpupdate /force

• Clearing cached photos in the AccountPictures folder

These steps force Windows to refresh user profile data.

Wrapping Up

Changing the default user account picture in Windows is one of the simplest ways to personalize your PC and make it feel more like your own. Whether you use a Microsoft account, a local account, or manage multiple profiles on a shared device, Windows provides several flexible ways to update, remove, or even enforce account photos.

We hope this detailed guide helped you update your user account picture successfully. If you found this helpful, be sure to explore more of our in-depth Windows personalization and troubleshooting tutorials. As always, thank you for reading till the end — and we’ll see you again in the next guide!