Lock Screen - Folder isn't supported because of its location. -

Question

Windows 11 Pro.

I've adjusted my Lock Screen such that photos are displayed while the computer screen is locked.

This works and appears to use the following directory:

C:\Users<user profile><OneDrive>\Pictures

However, if I try a subdirectory of the above directory, I get the "folder isn't supported" error

C:\Users<user profile><OneDrive>\Pictures\mom

I have no idea why.

I should point out that Windows 11 chose the first directory on its own. Also, Windows 11 is indeed accessing the \mom directory while displaying images. All I was trying to do was limit Lock Screen photos to a subset of those photos contained in the \Pictures directory. But, for whatever reason I get the "folder isn't supported" error despite the fact that Windows is accessing that very folder.

Typical Windows behavior.

Answer 1

Dear =D,

Based on your description, it appears that Windows 11 successfully displays images from the default folder:

C:\Users\<user profile>\OneDrive\Pictures

However, when attempting to select a subfolder such as:

C:\Users\<user profile>\OneDrive\Pictures\mom

you receive the error message: “The folder isn’t supported because of its location.”

This behavior can occur due to how Windows handles folder permissions and indexing, particularly with OneDrive-managed directories. While the system may access subfolders for image rotation, it may not allow them to be explicitly selected for the Lock Screen slideshow due to synchronization status or folder attributes.

To work around this issue, we recommend the following steps:

Move the desired images to a new folder outside OneDrive, such as: C:\Users\<user profile>\Pictures\LockScreenPhotos

Ensure the folder contains multiple supported image files (e.g., .jpg, .png).

Open Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen, and under Slideshow, click Browse.

Navigate manually via “This PC” to the new folder and select it without opening it.

This method has helped many users bypass the folder location restriction and successfully apply custom slideshows.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

Best regards,

Harry Phan