I am running Catalina V 10.15.3 on my recently bought new 13-inch MacBook pro.
Every time I turn the computer on, the desktop shows this big rock. I want it always to show a specific picture from my picture library.
I have tried often to look into Desktop/screensaver from System Preferences – no luck.
Any help would be much appreciated, thank you. Mike
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Mike T
That "big rock" is Catalina island in California. It is what macOS Catalina is named for.
When your Mac boots or you have to log in, you'll see this image. Changing it is tough, because it is part of the operating system. Starting with macOS Catalina, the system is read-only, which is a great security measure. It is probably Catalina's greatest feature that no one notices because it just adds a layer of security, so you shouldn't notice it. It is protecting you.
But it does mean to change something in the system, like this login image, you need to go through some steps. Most notably, you need to disable SIP (System Integrity Protection).
My advice: It isn't worth it. If you are going to disable SIP, even temporarily you'd better know what you are doing and have a good reason to be doing it. Typical Mac users shouldn't mess with it.
So endure this image of one of the most beautiful places on Earth for a few seconds when you log in. Maybe one day you'll get to visit there.
OK, I understand what was said above, however if after I enter my password to come back from the "sleep" mode, is it safe to then put my own picture as background and if so, how can this be achieved automatically every time I enter my password from "sleep" mode?
Mike: Thats the same thing. There is that one login image and that image is in the system protected area so it is not advisable to try to change it.
OK. Many thanks Gary. I will leave it alone.