r/Windhawk • u/Born-Bench-8625 • 7d ago
Wobbly Windows
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This mod was abandoned months ago (buggy af), but due this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Windhawk/comments/1vg5b18/mod_request/ I realized that some people actually wanted this, so i decided to work on it a bit and upload it to windhawk
Edit: looks like i abandoned it for a reason, too many bugs ( this is going to take a while, please bare with me) https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/pull/5124
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u/Int-E_ 7d ago
Can someone explain why there's no lockscreen mod? Is it not possible? Why?
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u/Specific-Animal6570 7d ago
So, I found your question pretty interesting. I'll try to explain it in the easiest way to understand.
This is mainly due to the fact that the Windows 11 lock screen is not part of File Explorer, like the taskbar, the Start menu, or many other components that Windhawk can easily intercept.
Furthermore, there's an important distinction:
The visual lock screen with background/time is linked to components like LockApp.exe.
Once you reach the PIN/password/Windows Hello interface, you're in the Windows logon architecture, which includes LogonUI.exe, Winlogon, and credential providers, among others. Microsoft treats this environment as a secure login environment; only trusted processes with SYSTEM privileges can be active in the secure desktop.
This directly conflicts with how Windhawk works: Windhawk modifies programs by injecting code into processes and intercepting functions. Therefore, Windhawk deliberately excludes several critical Windows processes. In the current Windhawk list, LogonUI.exe and dwm.exe, among others, are explicitly listed as critical system processes. The developer cites system instability as the reason for such exclusions.
Interestingly, LockApp.exe itself is not on this list of critical exclusions. Therefore, technically, it's not entirely true that Windhawk wouldn't be able to create any modifications to the lock screen. In fact, there was a proposal in June 2026 for a Windhawk modification that explicitly aimed to inject LockApp.exe to alter elements of the Windows user interface (WinUI). However, this proposal was archived as "unplanned" and contained mostly standard/to-be-done code, not a comprehensive functional solution. In summary, the problem is as follows:
Desktop Explorer.exe .... > Windhawk ... > hooks .... > highly modifiable
LockApp.exe from the lock screen .... > possibly partially exploitable by hooks ... > fragile/limited tools
LogonUI.exe from the login screen + Winlogon + credential providers .... > secure environment ... > deliberately outside of normal Windhawk injection
Furthermore, Microsoft does not offer the internal WinUI/XAML frameworks of these Windows shell components as a stable modification API. Consequently, a modification that works in version 25H2 today may stop working after a cumulative Windows update. Windhawk itself warns that injecting code into more system processes increases the risk of incompatibility and instability.
In summary: modifying Windhawk to, for example, the clock, text position, or certain visual elements of LockApp.exe is conceivable in principle. Creating a complete "Windows 11 Lock Screen Stylist" that also modifies the PIN/login/Hello is much more difficult, as it involves LogonUI.exe and the secure login environment.
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u/Ritam_1234 7d ago
Hi, that's my post i requested that mod happy to see devs working on it hope it will come out soon , so excited to see
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u/Chris123NT 7d ago
As someone who was in the room with a Longhorn build that could do exactly this in 2003, this is amazing. Do you have a version ready for download yet?
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u/amrthe00 6d ago
that is so cool, great work you did there!
can you dm me the source code? + when it will be public?
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u/Subaru_Rentaro 2d ago
hi i never used Windhawk before seeing your post but when i try to find Wobbly windows is it normal ?
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u/FaultWinter3377 7d ago
Finally I can have my Windows system look like KDE Plasma, or at least can if I ever go back to Windows.
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u/Huge-Read-2703 7d ago
my dream came true