There are different ways to install boot screens. I recommend the method boot.ini. It's a safe and practical method and you have the choice to switch between the customized boot screen and the original Windows XP boot screen. If you want change the boot screens very often or randomizing or you have a system with a Pentium HT (Hyper-Threading) processor or a dual CPU system you should use a software tool like LogonUI Boot Randomizer. The methods are described in this tutorial.
Table of contents
Warnings
Service Pack compatibility
Method software tools
Method boot.ini (recommended)
Method Save Mode
Some tips how to create own boot screens
Warnings
Wrong manipulating on the boot.ini or a wrong or damaged ntoskrnl.exe can damage your system and can make it unbootable! I'm not responsible for any damage and resulting problems or costs of your manipulations. You install my boot screens at your own risk!
It's strongly recommended to read the instructions below carefully and make a backup copy of your original boot.ini and ntoskrnl.exe before you start to install a boot screen. So you can recover in the "worst case" your original boot.ini and ntoskrnl.exe through the "recovery console" of Windows XP over a second, parallel Windows installation on a other disk partition and repair your system.
You can not use the ntoskrnl.exe of my boot screen packages if your system not use the standard ntoskrnl.exe, for example if you have a system with a Pentium HT (Hyper-Threading) processor or a dual CPU system. In this case I recommend to use the software tool LogonUI Boot Randomizer. This tool convert the boot screen to the exactly on your system used version of ntoskrnl.exe.
If your Windows XP have another native language than english, it should be no problem to use also the in my boot screen packages included english ntoskrnl.exe. I'm working also with a Windows XP in german language and using the english ntoskrnl.exe without any problems.
Don't worry to much about this warnings. Thousands of people using my boot screens without any problems, just follow the instructions carefully step for step.
Service Pack compatibility
The ntoskrnl.exe from Windows XP with installed Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 1 and without installed Service Pack are not compatible and reverse. This means if you using a wrong, not to your system corresponding ntoskrnl.exe, the Windows XP will hang or crash while booting!
If a boot screen package is released after 8/01/2003, then it contains a ntoskrnlSP.exe in the english version 5.1.2600.1224 (for Windows XP with installed Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 1) and a ntoskrnl.exe in the english version 5.1.2600.115 (for Windows XP without installed Service Pack).
This packages are ready for Windows XP with installed Service Pack 2, but can be used also for Windows XP with installed Service Pack 1 or for Windows XP without installed Service Pack.
If a boot screen package is released before 7/31/2003, then it contains a ntoskrnlSP.exe in the english version 5.1.2600.1159 or 5.1.2600.1106 (for Windows XP with installed Service Pack 1) and a ntoskrnl.exe in the english version 5.1.2600.108 or 5.1.2600.31 (for Windows XP without installed Service Pack).
If you don't no if your Windows XP have installed a Service Pack or not, you can find it out by going to the Start button / System Control / System Properties / folder General.
It's very important to install the correct, to the installation level of your Windows XP corresponding ntoskrnl.exe to not damaging your system!
Method software tools
You can use one of the following software tools to chance the boot screens (and more). This can be recommended if you want change the boot screens very often or randomizing or needed if you have a system with a Pentium HT (Hyper-Threading) processor or a dual CPU system.
LogonUI Boot Randomizer (Freeware) developed by UserXP. This is a login and boot screen manager for Windows XP.
More information and download at: http://www.belchfire.net/~userxp or http://userxp.tripod.com
BootEditor (Freeware) developed by UserXP. This is a editor for creating Windows XP boot screens. BootEditor is recommended if you want create own boot screens. All my boot screens are created with this great tool!
More information and download at: http://www.belchfire.net/~userxp or http://userxp.tripod.com
Or alternate download only here.
BootXP (Shareware US$ 7.95) developed by FreelancE VIP. This is a tool to create and managing Windows XP and Windows 2000 boot screens.
More information, download and registering at: http://www.bootxp.net
I hope you understand, that I can not give any support to this tools! If you have any questions or problems, please read the documentation to this tools or contact the developers of this tools.
By the way: For create boot screens I can recommend Jasc Paint Shop Pro (Shareware US$ 99.00) by Jasc Software, Inc.
This is a powerful graphics and photo editor. All graphical work by creating my boot screens are made with Paint Shop Pro. This software is very suitable for decreasing bitmaps to 16 colors (4 bit), like boot screens need and also edit and change them on many ways.
More information, download and registering at: http://www.jasc.com
Method boot.ini (recommended)
You can add a new line to your boot.ini file, this giving you the choice to switch between the customized boot screen and the original Windows XP boot screen.
1) Download the boot screen ZIP package file to your computer
2) Extract the ntoskrnlSP.exe, ntoskrnlSP1.exe or ntoskrnl.exe to a directory other than %windir%\system32 (most likely
C:\windows\system32 ), for example C:\Temp.
3) Rename the ntoskrnlSP.exe, ntoskrnlSP1.exe or ntoskrnl.exe in your C:\Temp directory to another name, in this example to ntosboot.exe
Note: This name must according to the DOS naming convention 8.3 !
4) Move or copy your ntosboot.exe from your C:\Temp directory to the %windir%\system32 directory (most likely C:\windows\system32)
5) Modify your boot.ini file: Edit your boot.ini file by going to the Start button / System Control / System / folder Extended / Starting and Restore / Adjustments / Systemstart button / Edit
or alternative
edit boot.ini using notepad: you can find it in the system root (normally C:\)
(note: the boot.ini file normally has hidden and system attributes, open TOOLS>FOLDER OPTIONS menu in Windows Explorer, select VIEW tab, and:
tick 'Display contents of system folders'
tick 'Show hidden files and folders'
unpick 'Hide protected operating system files'
You should now be able to see/open boot.ini using notepad from the system root (C:\) )
6) In the boot.ini file you have to copy the line you use normally use for boot (this is usually the last line, e.g.: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP" /fastdetect and paste this copy underneath.
At the end of this new line, add this text: /KERNEL=ntosboot.exe (The name "ntosboot.exe" should be whatever you renamed the ntoskrnl.exe to when you extracted it to C:\Temp (in step 3) and the name must according also to the DOS naming convention 8.3)
7) Change the OS name, for example:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP" /fastdetect /KERNEL=ntosboot.exe
becomes
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP Bootlogo" /fastdetect /KERNEL=ntosboot.exe
Here is an example of the modified boot.ini, with the last (in this example bold typed) line added:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP Bootlogo" /fastdetect /KERNEL=ntosboot.exe
7) Exit and save the boot.ini file
6) Reboot your PC. You should get an option as to which OS you wish to boot into - to test your new boot screen, select "Windows XP Bootlogo".' Your system should now show the boot picture of your choice while booting!
This is a safe method, because if something goes wrong, you can just reboot and select the original operating system from the boot list. It's also practical, because if you wish to change/test your boot screen in future, you just have to repeat step 1 to 4.
Method Save Mode
Boot into Safe Mode (hit the [F8] key after the boot menu and before the boot screen) or DOS (this not work if the disk partition where is Windows XP installed is with NTFS formatted) or if exist, over a second, parallel Windows installation on a other disk partition. This are the only possibilities you can actually overwrite/replace ntoskrnl.exe, due to the fact that Windows XP protect this system file and replace it immediately by his original.
1) Backup (copy) the file %windir%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe (most likely C:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe - the boot screen)
2) Download the boot screen ZIP package to your computer
3) Extract the ntoskrnl.exe or ntoskrnlSP.exe to a directory other than %windir%\system32 (most likely C:\windows\system32), for example to C:\Temp (if you use the ntoskrnlSP.exe you have also to rename it to ntoskrnl.exe)
4) Reboot your computer into Safe Mode (hit the [F8] key after the boot menu and before the boot screen) or into true DOS (from a boot disk) or if exist, over a second, parallel Windows installation on a other disk partition.
5) In Safe Mode, overwrite the file %windir%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe (which should have been backed up) with the extracted exe you have stored in step 3 (in this example in C:\Temp)
6) Reboot your computer as you normally would
Some tips how to create own boot screens
This is not a complete tutorial how to create boot screens, but it is a collection of useful tips and links and give answer on the most often asked questions.
Technical boot screen limits
The most asked question is: "Why have boot screens only 16 colors and a resolution of 640x480 pixels?"
The answer is: It's a technical limit, because during boot process is no graphics drivers loaded. So the boot screen have to be displayed in VGA mode, and this mode allow only a resolution of 640x480 pixels and 16 colors (4 bit). This very poor conditions are the biggest problem but also the challenge by creating boot screens. This is also the reason why i make only boot screens and never logins.
Base knowledge
This tutorial "How To: Edit the boot logo and boot logo palette in Windows XP" treat the basics of creating boot screens. I very recommend this to read for people want create own boot screens, even some parts of this tutorial are obsolete, but it make you understanding how a boot screen work. It is written by JJoelC. in December 2001.
Another simplified "Windows XP Boot Logo Tutorial" you can find here at www.belchfire.net.
Used Software (see also chapter "Method software tools")
I'm using two tools to create boot screens:
All graphical work by creating my boot screens are made with Jasc Paint Shop Pro. I can very recommend this software for decreasing the bitmaps to 16 colors (4 bit), like boot screens need and also edit and change them on many ways. If I have made the needed bitmaps completely finished with Paint Shop Pro, then I'm using BootEditor to compile finally the ntoskrnl.exe. More information about this tools/software you will find above.
Break down bitmaps to 16 colors with Paint Shop Pro
All graphics work, include break down the colors, I do with Paint Shop Pro. You can try the following options:
Colors / Reduce Colors / 16 Colors (4 bit) / Options: Median Cut optimized or Octree optimized + Error Diffusion + Color Progress reduced.
Many time you get the best result, if you use a combination of the two methods Median Cut optimized and Octree optimized:
In a first step I break down to X colors (for X I'm using normally a number between 24 and 96 colors, 48 is many time a good value) with the options: Median Cut optimized + Error Diffusion + Color Progress reduced In a second step I break down to 16 colors with the options: Octree optimized + Error Diffusion + Color Progress reduced.
It is difficult to give general tips for break down the colors. The option adjustment strong depends on the origin image.
Special characteristics of the first two colors
Very important is also to understand the special characteristic of the first two colors in the color palette:
Color No. 0 (first color) is the also the color for a stupid small rectangle with a size of 23x10 pixels in the left upper corner (I think this area will be used in the memory to show the running progress bar), a 8 pixels broad border around the whole boot screen and the background color for the progress bar.
Color No. 1 (second color) is always black (also if you give another color than black, the color will be not considered and this areas will displayed black, see also palette example below).
This special characteristic of the first two colors make it most time necessary to resort the color palette. If you create your boot screen with BootEditor, you can use a special function for this. Under the menu Bitmaps / Swap 2 colors in the palette ... (or [Ctrl+S] key) you can do this easy. The method how to resort the color palette with Paint Shop Pro is described below.
How to resort the color palette with Paint Shop Pro
Because the special characteristics of the first two colors, it is many time necessary to resort the color palette. You can resort the color palette with Paint Shop Pro by the following way:
1) Save the color palette in .PAL file.
2) Resort the color numbers by moving the lines with a editor like notepad.
3) Load the resorted .PAL file (method "similar colors") in your bitmap.
The color palette should be resorted. Below an example of a .PAL file (it's from the original Windows XP boot screen):
JASC-PAL
0100
16
0 0 0 <== color for top/left rectangle, boot screen border and progress bar background
32 26 21 <== will be displayed always as black ( 0 0 0 )
70 70 70
45 62 210
83 101 1
178 53 5
126 126 126
137 146 0
94 127 252
247 107 32
141 166 255
142 220 4
243 188 27
188 188 188
252 252 252
255 255 255
How to build the bitmap for the animated progress bar
The color palette is in the ntoskrnl.exe "hard coded". This means, it exists only one color palette for all bitmaps. So all bitmaps must have the same color palette. Otherwise the colors of your boot screen will look finally in a mess.
The bitmap for the animated progress must have always a size of 22x9 pixels. A easy way is, to draw the bitmap for the animated progress bar first in the main bitmap, then cut them out and save it as separate bitmap. This way the bitmap have for sure the same color palette as the main bitmap.
Recommended BootEditor options
Tips for publishing boot screens
Proper, untouched versions of the original english ntoskrnl.exe version 5.1.2600.1224 (with Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 1) and 5.1.2600.115 (without Service Pack) you can find at www.ThemeXP.org. This is the original Microsoft Windows XP boot screen without any changes in the english version.
This is a useful source for people to create own boot screens for publishing, especially for them there have a Windows XP in another native language than english.
Boot screens should be published always with the english version of ntoskrnl.exe! It is also very recommended to declare, if the ntoskrnl.exe is for Windows XP with Service Pack 2, for Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or for Windows XP without Service Pack. So you prevent that some users damaged their systems!
If you using wallpapers or images from other artists to make boot screens and publish this boot screens, you should give at minimum credit to this artists in the comment or better you ask for permission first. It is also nice, if you declare where the original wallpaper or image can be found, because also many people like to have the matching wallpaper to the boot screen . Please respect the work from other authors!
Modify uploads on ThemeXP
You can also modify your themes on www.ThemeXP.org over the link "Member Home" on the upper right corner of each ThemeXP website. If you select this link you will get a list of your uploads and there you can modify each of you uploads. Please not upload each update of your theme/boot screen as new version. This makes the people just confuse which version there have to download.
Still questions ?
If you have a specific question you can send me a mail, I will try to help you. Please formulate your question so exact and clear as possible, this help me to give you a good answer.
I hope you understand, that I can not answer on general questions like: "You can teach me to make so nice boot screens like you?" All my general knowledge about creating boot screens a have written down in this tutorial.
I can also not give any support to the software tools, I'm also never have made logins and I not have Adobe Photoshop.
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