Installation Tutorial for swissboy bootscreens

First of all: Thank you for downloading my bootscreens for Windows XP from the web or purchasing my "swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM".

There are different ways to install bootscreens. I recommend the method boot.ini. It's a safe and practical method and you have the choice to switch between the customized bootscreen and the original Windows XP bootscreen. If you want change the bootscreens very often or randomizing, you maybe better use a software tool like LogonUI Boot Randomizer or BootXP. The methods are described in this tutorial.

Table of contents

swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM
Warnings
Service Pack compatibility
Technical bootscreen limits
Method software tools
Method boot.ini (recommended)
Method Save Mode

swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM

The swissboy bootscreen collection contains all original swissboy bootscreens for Windows XP on one CD-ROM. By the most bootscreen packages is also one or more matching wallpapers include.
The CD-ROM can be used over a graphical menu user interface. This make's it easy to view and find the needed files. You can viewing all bootscreens over a thumbnail preview, or in a Explorer window. It is also a slideshow available: Just lean back, relax and watch the swissboy bootscreen collection.
If you ever have installed a from the web downloaded swissboy bootscreen, then it will be a child's play for you, to find and install bootscreen from this CD-ROM.
At least, on the CD-ROM is also a small collection of bootscreen related tools, to manage and create bootscreens.

Use this link if you interested on the "swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM".

Here you can have a look at all my bootscreens at www.ThemeXP.org (will take a while to load).

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 the bootscreens 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 manipulating. 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 bootscreen packages, if your system not use the standard ntoskrnl.exe (for example if your have a dual CPU system). By the way: BootEditor in the actual version can now handle the ntoskrnl.exe for dual CDU systems.

If your Windows XP have another native language than english, it should be no problem to use also the in my bootscreen 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 bootscreens 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 bootscreen 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.
Note: Bootscreen packages downloaded from the web contains usually both ntoskrnl.exe, if their from the swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM only one of them (for capacity reasons).

If a bootscreen 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).
Note: Bootscreen packages downloaded from the web contains usually both ntoskrnl.exe, if their from the swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM only one of them (for capacity reasons).

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 / 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!

Technical bootscreen limits

The most asked question is: "Why have bootscreen 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 bootscreen have to be displayed in VESA mode, and this mode aloud 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 bootscreens. This is also the reason why i make only bootscreens and never logins.

Method software tools

You can use one of the following software tools to chance the bootscreens (and more). This can be recommended if you want change the bootscreens very often or randomizing.

LogonUI Boot Randomizer (Freeware) developed by UserXP. This is a login and bootscreen 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 bootscreens. BootEditor is recommended if you want create own bootscreens. All my bootscreens are created with this great tool!
More information and download at: http://www.belchfire.net/~userxp or http://userxp.tripod.com

BootXP (Shareware US$ 7.95) developed by FreelancE VIP. This is a tool to create and managing Windows XP and Windows 2000 bootscreens.
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 included documentation's or contact the developers.

By the way: For create bootscreens I can recommend Jasc Paint Shop Pro (Shareware US$ 82.00) by Jasc Software, Inc.
This is a powerful graphics and photo editor. All graphical work by creating my bootscreens are made with Paint Shop Pro. This software is very suitable for decreasing bitmaps to 16 colors (4 bit), like bootscreens 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 bootscreen and the original Windows XP bootscreen.

1) Download the ZIP package file to your computer (not necessary if you have my "swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM")

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

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), but the name must according to the DOS naming conventions 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 bootscreen, 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 bootscreen 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 bootscreen) 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 bootscreen)

2) Download the ZIP package to your computer (not necessary if you have my "swissboy bootscreen collection CD-ROM")

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 bootscreen) 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

That's all Folks!

I hope you enjoy my bootscreens!

swissboy
Roland

© 2003 by swissboy
ReadMe.htm
Updated: 8/03/2003