Edit boot.ini file

[5614]

NB: Muck this up and your computer wont work. This is written for winXP.

NB2: This is a hidden system file found here: c:\boot.ini if you cannot see it then you cannot see either hidden or system or both files. Go to My Computer > Tools > Folder Options... > View tab and find the 2 options (one for hidden, one for "protected operating system files").

 

This post is how to make a custom boot screen:

 

If you create a 640 x 480, 16-bit, .bmp image and name it boot.bmp and place it in c:\windows\ and then add /bootlogo /noguiboot to the end of the boot.ini file then instead of seeing the winXP loading screen you'll see your 16-bit image.

 

Full explanation of above:

 

1) Create a 640 x 480, 16-bit, .bmp image and name it boot.bmp and place it in c:\windows\ so you have the file c:\windows\boot.bmp

 

2) Open boot.ini

 

Example (mine) original code:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

 

3) Modify the boot.ini file adding /bootlogo /noguiboot

 

e.g modded boot.ini file:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="5614's modded winXP OS" /fastdetect /bootlogo /noguiboot

 

===Note, this is the downside, you can skip this if you wish but I suggest you read it!===

The downside to that is that when you do a Error Check (aka check disk or scan disk), you know when you see winXP loading and then it goes straight to a blue screen and starts checking your hard drive, well you never see that because it just stays displaying your image, which is annoying. I got around it by dual booting winXP with itself:

 

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="5614's modded winXP OS" /fastdetect /bootlogo /noguiboot
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

 

So when the computer turned on I could either select 5614's modded winXP OS or Windows XP Home Edition, the first giving me my modded boot screen which I did normally and the 2nd was the proper Windows which I used if I had scheduled an Error Check.

 

Note the line timeout=5 that means that I have 5 seconds to chose one or the other, if I don't then it will automatically load the top OS, so in this case my modded one.

 

The stuff in the "" where I placed 5614's modded winXP OS can be replaced by any text you want, except more "s.

===End of extra note===

 

This site is good for all the things you can edit:

http://www.sysinternals.com/Information/bootini.html

 

If you're not sure than post your original boot.ini and your proposed modded version and I'll look through and see if it should work.

[bluesmudge]

**braces for "Help my computer is broken"**

[Dak]

^lol

 

Before modifying your boot.ini, id suggest

 

1/ making a backup copy of your unmodified boot.ini, and

 

2/ making sure that you have a boot disk, so that if anything goes wrong you can boot from the disk and replace your modified boot.ini with the backup.

[Dave]

Yes, just to reiterate the point:

 

If you decide you want to do this and break your computer in the process, don't come crying to us about it.

 

A little harsh, but I feel it needs to be said.

[bluesmudge]

though if anyone does do harm to their computer doing this could they post it so i may say i told you so?

[Dave]

Sure, they can say they broke their computer - just not that they need help fixing it

[1veedo]

So does this replace the Win add or does it just display before the system starts booting up, kind of like a grub bootloader immage?

 

Windows XP Pro will boot in 10 seconds...Press any key to boot Windows XP Home

 

Like where I have two installs of 2003 server:

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?p=267087#post267087

 

I only get 3 seconds to decide -- it'd be pretty nice to make it 10

[insane_alien]

heh i set grub for three intentionally. it means my parents won't get confused by going into ubuntu. the reason its so secure is it takes my parents about 7 seconds to find any key at all on the keyboard.

[5614]

So does this replace the Win add or does it just display before the system starts booting up, kind of like a grub bootloader immage?

It depends on how you edit it, you can do either.

 

If you add a second line which looks something like this:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="My 2nd OS" /fastdetect

then when you start up you will have to chose which OS to use, like dual booting, like a grub bootloader where you get to chose which OS to run.

 

If you add this:

/bootlogo /noguiboot

to the end of your boot.ini file as described in the first post (and you have a 640 x 480, 16-bit, .bmp image, named boot.bmp in the Windows directory) then you no longer see the Windows loading screen and you see your image instead.

 

If you currently only have 3 seconds to chose which OS to boot then editing the boot.ini file where it says timeout= would be an easy change. You can also change that another way by doing this:

Control Panel

System

Advanced tab

Startup and Recovery > Settings

At the top 'Time to display list of operating systems:'

Change that value.

OK > Apply > OK

[donmatos]

just go to http://www.download.com and download bootscreens that is easier and has the same purpuse