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 »  Home  »  User Interface Page 3  »  Change XP Boot Screen
Change XP Boot Screen
By  Super Admin  | Published  02/23/2005 | User Interface Page 3 | Rating:
Change XP Boot Screen

These instructions assume that you have a place to download the boot screen from the net. If you would like to download a boot screen, visit http://www.themexp.org

1. Backup (copy) the file %windir%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe (most likely C:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe - the boot screen)
2. Download the .zip to your computer (important: make sure to get the right version, XP or XP SP1)
3. Extract ntoskrnl.exe to a directory other than %windir%\system32 (most likely C:\windows\system32)
4. Reboot your computer into Safe Mode (hit F8 before the boot screen) or into true DOS (from a boot disk)
5. Overwrite the file %windir%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe (which should have been backed up) with the extracted exe
6. Reboot your computer as you normally would

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Comments
  • Comment #1 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Pls explain what we have to do with downloaded Zip file..pls explain in some more deatils. Thanks. Himanshu
     
  • Comment #2 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    This is much too cursory and poorly written an explanation to be of very much use. Also, this does not explain how to edit ntoskrnl.exe in order to insert your own startup image using a hex editor.
     
  • Comment #3 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    i got a virius
     
  • Comment #4 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    ntoskrnl has nothing whatsoever to do with boot screens.. it is the NT OS Kernel file or the heart of the operating system. The boot screen is called "logo.sys". Replacing your ntoskrnl with a file you download from the internet is a BAD idea.
     
  • Comment #5 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    What do u mean Download the .zip ... is this the winzip ..or anyzip program will do .... and what if i want to use My own photo,for me or my girlfriend ...or even a monkey....I dont want to download ur themes ... this method SUCK
     
  • Comment #6 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    lol , yeah hmm , maybe if i had the time , i'd sit there and mess with the codes and script , but there's software now days , they have also invented the wheel to , your not cool or a hacker by doing it manual your just stupid or bored
     
  • Comment #7 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    where is this zip file plz tell me the exact location of that zip file -Gaurav
     
  • Comment #8 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Good thing I scanned this beforehand... it's no good, guys
     
  • Comment #9 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Let's see....edit the kernel of your OS to change a boot screen....Seems like a security compromise issue
     
  • Comment #10 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Crap!
     
  • Comment #11 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Watch out, this is a trojan downloader.
     
  • Comment #12 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    goooooood
     
  • Comment #13 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    bad link to http://www.themexp.org ?????
     
  • Comment #14 (Posted by DSI-Sanil)
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    What a crap and a great waste of time. Messing with the codes is really time consuming and lot more coplicated then it feels. This is a really really really bad and hard way to change boot screen. You really suck dude.
     
  • Comment #15 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    The how-to is fine, but ThemeXP.org and their wrapped items suck.
     
  • Comment #16 (Posted by zayed)
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    dude ..your idea sucks...here are some tricks.. Modifying your Windows XP Boot logo.. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! This procedure is very similar to modifying the Windows 2000 boot logo . Microsoft decided to remove the pallet from the logo to another location. So now when you open up ntoskrnl.exe in Resource Hacker (software), the .bmps are just black images. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, don't worry. The first tool you will need is Resource Hacker. First locate your ntoskrnl.exe, which can be found in windowssystem32. Make a copy of your ntoskrnl.exe and rename ntoskrnl.bak. Now fire up Resource Hacker and open the ntoskrnl.exe. In the left hand column you will see a list of resources to edit. Open the first tree called Bitmaps and you will see numbers 1-10. Numbers 1, 8, and 10 are the WinXP Pro bitmaps. 1, 7, and 9 are for Home Edition. In this tutorial we will be using Pro. Select number 1. Then go to the action menu and click 'save Bitmap'. Save the bitmaps wherever you would like to, just remember where they are for later use. Repeat the process for numbers 8 and 10. Now for editing these images, we will be using Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7. Open all three of these images into Paintshop. When they open, they will be completely black. In order to see the real images, we have to import the pallet. Here is the palette for Paint Shop Pro: 16.pal. And one for Photoshop: 16.act (you may need to right-click the links and select save-as to have your browser save the files instead of trying to display them). In Paintshop, hit Shift + O and select the 16.pal file. Make sure to select 'Maintain Indexes'. If you open all three images at once, you will need to apply the palette for each of the images. The images should now be visible. After you are all finished editing the logo, save them. Open Resource Hacker again, and open the ntoskrnl.exe. Go to 'Action/Replace Bitmap... Select Bitmap to replace for 1, then click on 'Open file with new Bitmap' and locate your edited boot logo. Then click replace. Follow the same steps with 8 and 10. Once you are finished with that, go to Save As and save your new ntoskrnl.exe to a directory other then the system32 directory (so it doesn't overwrite the original). Now because of Windows File Protection, you will need to reboot into safe mode (reboot, hit F8 before the boot srceen comes up) or boot off a DOS bootdisk (check out www.bootdisk.com for floppy boot images) to overwrite the original ntoskrnl.exe. Once you have done either of those, reboot, and that should do it. Note: It can be done with Adobe Photoshop, and I assume other image editing programs that support palette importing. However, I have only tried it with Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop. This was put together pretty fast, so there will be more updates on it (i.e. other program support, some sample boot logos, etc.). hope this idea dont suck regards
     
  • Comment #17 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    logo.sys is bmp file for windows 98
     
  • Comment #18 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     
  • Comment #19 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    suck!
     
  • Comment #20 (Posted by Khaleeq)
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    very poor approach. we can have more better and easier approaches i-e we can have readymade exe files or programes that would only ask for the image you want to set for boot screen and other process is done automatically.........
     
  • Comment #21 (Posted by Joel)
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    " comment #6- but there's software now days , they have also invented the wheel to , your not cool or a hacker by doing it manual your just stupid or bored" i think author of this comment is stupid and lazy which is really sucks the answer is not although useful because it only allow change to specific bootscreen(this screen mostly viruses) "Comment #30 (Posted by an unknown user) Rating If you don't know what you are doing...this is a bad way to loose the original system files. I wouldn't try it this way...and I am an experienced software programmer....Your way is like cutting & spreading soft butter with a Hatchet. Goto this site for instructions in how to change your Boot file for Multiple Boot screens without overwriting the orginal ntoskrnl.exe >>> http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/print.cfm?articleid=25797" this comment is not working as the mentioned here teaching how to use resource hacker but nothing is there for editting mannually Please try find out how to do editing mannually
     
  • Comment #22 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    ehhhh, there are better ways, and this is risky... themexp is junk too, give u virus
     
  • Comment #23 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    What . zip file to download? What is the link? Who wrote it???
     
  • Comment #24 (Posted by Phillip Corcoran)
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    I quote (unknown poster) "ntoskrnl has nothing whatsoever to do with boot screens.. it is the NT OS Kernel file or the heart of the operating system. The boot screen is called "logo.sys". Replacing your ntoskrnl with a file you download from the internet is a BAD idea". You are wrong. Logo.sys was abandoned after Windows 98 and is no longer used. The author of this article is perfectly right -- the boot screen is now handled by ntoskrnl.exe. Check the facts before criticising others!
     
  • Comment #25 (Posted by Akash Mishra)
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    hi i am akash mishra i gave a suggestion to owner of this site please give perfect solutions or not gave any solution
     
  • Comment #26 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    they are all vireses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  • Comment #27 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Very Usefull,Tnkzzzzzz
     
  • Comment #28 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    explain me how to change the boot screen without the help of any software>>>>> i want to change it manualy ??????
     
  • Comment #29 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    this is bullshit!!!U can't do it like that!
     
  • Comment #30 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    I agree with comment #4 dont trust this the hard way of changing the boot screen is better in the long run but if your stupid or lazy you can download bootskin and it will do it easy. What this guy wants you to do is probably install a backdoor so that he can steal somethign from you
     
  • Comment #31 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    this is a really bad explanation
     
  • Comment #32 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    i agree you suck and dont know what the hell you are talking about
     
  • Comment #33 (Posted by Munawar)
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    very nice
     
  • Comment #34 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Change XP Boot Screen
     
  • Comment #35 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    very easy download "ResHacker"
     
  • Comment #36 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    yesyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
     
  • Comment #37 (Posted by Malfufi)
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    WHAT A WASTE OF FFFFFING TIME
     
  • Comment #38 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    If you don't know what you are doing...this is a bad way to loose the original system files. I wouldn't try it this way...and I am an experienced software programmer....Your way is like cutting & spreading soft butter with a Hatchet. Goto this site for instructions in how to change your Boot file for Multiple Boot screens without overwriting the orginal ntoskrnl.exe >>> http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/print.cfm?articleid=25797
     
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