Microsoft revamps Windows 10 "hero wallpaper" for the Creators Update

By Zac Bowden
last updated

It looks like Microsoft may be introducing a new default Hero wallpaper for Windows 10 Cloud, as the latest Cloud builds seem to include a slightly revamped wallpaper, updated from the one first introduced back in 2015. It's a little less Neon-y and a little more Windows 7-y if you ask us.

The wallpaper looks to be the new "default" wallpaper for Windows 10 Cloud machines, and it could also show up on normal Windows 10 too. You can find this wallpaper yourself on build 15046 Cloud by navigating to the location in which Windows stores default wallpapers. You can navigate to "C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows" and find the wallpaper called "img0." Make sure you switch out "C:\" for the drive in which Windows 10 is installed!

We personally like the revamped wallpaper, it looks a little more clean and a little more blue which makes sense with the rest of Windows 10's branding. Let us know what you think!

Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter: @zacbowden.

45 Comments
  • It does look a little better
  • the first thing I change after installing a new OS is the wallpaper
  • They managed to make it different without noticing much tbh. Which is clever. I like it. But that's it. Maybe cause I'm too used to the original one that I'm also a little bored of looking at it. Still remember the amazing stuff they did to capture the original.
  • That's possible...
  • Yep, here it is for those who may haven't seen it yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL8BBOwupcI
  • Looks Clean!!!
  • Looks much better than the original. I like it.
  • I'll see how well it lends itself to monochrome...
  • Minimalistic change... I like it very much!
  • It's not in the location given here in the Dutch version, so that's something to add to the article.
  • Only defaulted for new installations - but I presume it'll be available (by manual selection) for those upgrading from Anniversary to Creators?
  • Cleaner. More matured version.
  • Looks more Neon-ish to me :)  anyway i have never kept default windows wallpaper for more than 2 days except for windows 7 default wallpaper
  • Looks more pleasing to the eye.
  • Looks attractive ..
  • I have the old one...
  • Nice i like it
  • Remove the fog, boom new generation lol. Sorry but I do like it also :)
  • I like it, think my desktop could wear this for a while
  • I think the current one is too industrial looking. They need to introduce Windows looking out into a flowery Garden etc....
  • Then go back you windows 8
  • Chyeah.  I'm sure all the men out there would LOVE staring at a flowery garden all day.     That's why boys have penises and girls have "bachinas".
  • *triggered crowd*
  • Yeah, it's pretty sad how ThistleTwit was triggered by dajma00's comment. You'd think such a delicate flower as ThistleTwit would enjoy looking out on a pastoral scene.  
  • Still don't like it. Never mind the weird perspective issues going on in the new version of the pic. There have always been practical reasons for previous default win10 desktop pics; monitor troubleshooting. As a tech who has worked in multiple school and office enviornments it has always been useful to have a background photo with a few different colors going on simply because it makes monitor issues much easier to troubleshoot over the phone. But the win10 pic is just blue... which means checking a color means I have to email them a picture, or have them look up a specific picture to figure out what is or isn't going on with the display. And for all of people's ability to describe what they see I end up just having to show up for what often amounts to a loose VGA cable. Super annoying. Especially with the new Night Light feature that people will accidentally turn on, it will be especially difficult to walk people through things on the phone. I would love to have a windows background with a bit more color. Something that looks a bit less like being stuck in a basement, and looks more beautiful rather than clinical. Perhaps not quite as bright as previous OS default backgrounds (as displays get larger, the need to tone down brightness by default becomes more important), but something where I can ask 'is there anything red or green on your display' and I can get an answer that I can believe.
  • Luckily this wallpaper won't be the default before the year 2000, so you have some time to change your outdated VGA cables using analog red, green and blue pins to the newly introduced DVI-D.
  • Literally looks like a clean hero image melded to a blue background. Almost looks a prototype to the hero image we know from 2015.
  • Get a life. What a sad waste of space.
  • Well, isn't this the news we've all been waiting for? An updated wallpaper. Definitely exciting times to live in.
  • Wish they would change the color, tired of seeing so much blue.
  • How about the true Windows colors: https://db.tt/tLSI7Erw
  • Still no. It's a window, not a flag. Took MS many years to realize that, with some help from the outside. https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/microsoft-reveals-windows-8s-new-log...
  • It should go red, for redstone.
  • Looks neater, but still prefer it with true colors, like this: https://db.tt/tLSI7Erw https://db.tt/1foXwYwd Eitherway, still only 1 out of the dozens of wallpapers in my Desktop Slideshow. More and more amazing ones keep coming from Windows Spotlight.
  • nice but i always prefer landscape wallpaper like bliss in windows XP... I always install Bing Desktop and use stunning bing wallpaper on my machines...  
  • Someone upload it somewhere we can all download it, please!
  • Basically put it through the dehaze in LR then increase the sat? :P
  • Oh I see following Ubuntu with it's minor desktop background change as of late: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/09/a-look-back-at-every-ubuntu-default-w...
  • Any desktop background is better than the bright yellow, looking-directly-at-the-sun Windows 8.0 background. If you liked that background then you need to install the Hot Dog theme too.
  • I prefer the original... Also they always animate it in ads, so why don't they just bring back the animated wallpaper support from Vista and make it a reality already, it's so anoying. PS. I better not get any ridiculous repies about "perfomance issues" for an OPTIONAL feature request!
  • Would love to see a slow animated version of a light source moving across from the other side of the window complete with mild lens flair
  • Well don't be selfish... Share it!
  • Here you go peeps, since people be selfish: https://i0.wp.com/www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/windo...
  • Looks terrible. Old version is way better.
  • Looks really cool. It goes against the original's "organic" creation premise and whatnot, but I much prefer this cleaner look.