Pre-windows boot screen

[dunkie12]

Hey everyone...

I'm the SOE Architect for our company and I've been using the unattend install guide to create our SOE's and improve on all the bugs we had with the original SOE.

I've managed to get it all to the point where I'm happy with it - we solved the computer name problem using the MySysprep tool to automate pulling the computer name from the System BIOS; however one big problem from our original SOE remains... If a user starts their new out of the box PC without plugging it into the network, the Sysprep script does not join the machine to the domain. Sure it prompts them to say "Do you wish to proceed for now and join a domain later?" - but our users have a habit of clicking yes and continuing on past the domain stage and then calling us when they can't login! So the machine boots without joining the domain and we're back to a manual join.

I'd like to avoid this by adding a pre-boot screen that says something like "Stop! Have you plugged the computer into the network? If not, you will not be able to login!" and add a picture of a network cable to the screen or something like that.

I've seen on new DELL machines they prompt you with a EULA before the machine even boots, is there some way I can do a similar pre-boot once off screen?

Any other suggestions for error control so the machine does not boot past the XP Mini setup screen without it being plugged into the network would be cool...

Thanks

[Tripredacus]

You can find this in the registry:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\LegalNoticeCaption

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\LegalNoticeText

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...3.mspx?mfr=true

[dunkie12]

You can find this in the registry:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\LegalNoticeCaption

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\LegalNoticeText

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...3.mspx?mfr=true

We employ this as part of our domain login process.

I was more looking for a screen that would appear before Windows boots - I assume it would be a third party thing.

Edited October 27, 2008 by dunkie12

[Tripredacus]

There are a couple other ways I can think of. One can be in the image but one may be more trickier.

1. You can edit the startup screen, the one with Windows and the animated progress bar. You can change the Windows logo (its just a BMP) and put words on it if you want. You can learn to do this here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/Customize-boot-screen-t606.html

2. The second option is that you can add a custom message to your Master Boot Record. For example on Sony, Dell or HP/Compaq when it boots up it might say "press key to run recovery". Well you can put these kinds of sayings in your boot, which will appear before Windows is even called from the MBR to load. Some programs let you get up to 10 seconds for this message to appear. Its a tricky process and some programs may work better for you than others. I know of these specific programs:

MBRInst

mbrwork

mbrwizd