Custom boot screens!

[skitzo_zac]

Basically I would like a custom boot screen as opposed to the default windows one. I am running XP Home SP2. I tried using and application called bootskin from Stardock or something. But when I applied the the bootscreens my computer would blue screen when it tried to load windows, so I had to go into safe mode and go back to the default screen.

Then I tried to do it Manually editing the boot.ini the the root folder and puting a boot.bmp image in the windows directory. Now this worked sort of, it shows my custom image for a tiny amount of time, but then it just goes to the normal windows loading screen.

Does anyone know how I can get rid of the default windows loading screen so that I only have my custom Image? Or know of another program that lets you change the boot screen that actually works?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Island Dog]

Some bios and drivers will make Bootskin not work correctly. There are a couple of different versions to try if want.

Check the download links page for Stardock Bootskin for alternate versions.

 

[Stick'o ram]

You could go out and buy a motherboard that allows you to set bootskins through the bios.

 

[skitzo_zac]

My motherboard is an ASUS P5NE SLI. I have browsed through my bios before and I couldnt find anything to customise the boot screen with in there.

I shall look for a different version of bootscreen from stardock when I get home as I am currently at school.

 

[Stick'o ram]

Not very many do, but the particular board I have was meant for small buisnesses to use in computers they sell, so it has like boot screen customization, remote bio updates, manafactuar contacts, etc...

And try this link

 

[ferrari24]

That tutorial looks a little easier than the way I did it: manually creating the 16-color pallet and then putting in the hex codes after replacing the boot-image using reshack.

I feel so bad that I lost the file because Windows crapped on me though

 

[skitzo_zac]

I now have a Custom boot screen. but its just a still image. I turned on NOGUIBOOT under msconfig. Now it keeps my custom boot image rather than just flashing it and using the default windows boot screen.

But it is just an image and there is no loading bar.

Also it seems to take about twice as long to load windows now oh well I dont care about that really.