xp kernel files tweaks to customize boot screen

[alto]

Hello MSFN people!

I' ve ben looking everywhere on the web to know how exactly work windows kernel files to tweak them but I' m so confused!

I' ve found many tutorials but I think thath some issues aren' t well explained.

I started with a xp pro sp2 and with nlite I slipstreamed sp3 and I' ve made a lot of tweaks such as deleting obsolete drivers, integrating driverpackage to support sata disks ecc....

I know that there are 4 kernel files:

* ntoskrnl.exe - Windows Single Processor Kernel

* ntkrnlmp.exe - Windows Multi Processor Kernel

* ntkrnlpa.exe - Windows Single Processor Kernel with more then 3 GB of RAM

* ntkrpamp.exe - Windows Multi Processor Kernel with more then 3 GB of RAM

I think that last two are charged if PAE (Physical address extension feature) is activated in xp but I' m not sure!

The tutorials I' ve read explain how to change the boot screen using a tool like ResourceHacker (to replace bitmap pictures) wihin ntoskrnl.exe and ntkrnlmp.exe .

ntoskrnl and ntkrnlmp are in I386 folder of unattended XP setup cd.

Ok, now let' s start with misunderstandigs and doubts!!!

First of all -> If I follow this tutorials and I install unatt. cd in a pc with more than 3GB of RAM what will happen at startup?

Thought suggests me that either the bootscren will be the classic one or there will be a problem as windows will 'call' ntkrnlpa or ntkrpamp thath I haven' t modified with ResourceHacker! Is it correct?

However if I mean to tweak ntkrnlpa and ntkrpamp where can I find them? Note that they aren' t in I386 and I can' t find them in unatt. xp setup source at all !

So to see modded bootscreen in every kind of pc I must edit with resourceHacker ALL 4 kernel files?

Second -> I' ve read in This tutorial

that during installation windows select the proper kernel file among the 4 above mentioned according to pc hardware, and then it renames it in ntoskrnl.exe (Who knows WHY?!?!). Now, I' ve got a intel core duo procesor (so dualcore) and 2GB of ram in my notebook. In my system32 folder you can find: ntoskrnl, ntkrnlmp and ntkrnlpa but no ntkrpamp! I can find all 4 kernel files into C:\WINDOWS\system32\ReinstallBackups\0080\DriverFiles\i386. Is that normal?

Third -> Are there some differences editing bootscreen with xp sp2 and xp sp3?

If someone help me with these troubles and we succed in solving them I promise that I will write a step to step tutorial for all!!!