Editing the Windows 2000 Bootscreen

[zedox]

1: Complete ALL your nLiting/HFSLIPing/XPloding ... ect.

2: Copy the following files from your I386 directory, to the root of %systemdrive% (you can delete it after modification)...

NTOSKRNL.EX_

NTKRPAMP.EX_

NTKRNLMP.EX_

NTKRNLPA.EX_

3: Now the fun parts...

Press Start>Run>"CMD">OK

Type the following, hitting return after each line...

expand.exe ntoskrnl.ex_ ntoskrnl.exe
expand.exe ntkrpamp.ex_ ntkrpamp.exe
expand.exe ntkrnlmp.ex_ ntkrnlmp.exe
expand.exe ntkrnlpa.ex_ ntkrnlpa.exe

4: Click this link ResHacker

Save a copy or open from the download. When you open the downloaded file. I'd Extract it to %systemdrive%\Program Files\Reshacker (create the directory). Create a shortcut and add it to your start menu/desktop ect...

Open Reshacker, Click File>Open and point to C:\ntoskrnl.exe.

Expand "Bitmap", expand "1" and click "1033". Right Click on "1033" and click "save [bitmap : 1 : 1033]..."

Save this file to your %systemdrive%.

5: Now go to your saved image. Open it in Paint (ect) and do your editing... Remembering you CAN NOT increase the dimensions, and it must be saved as a 16 colour bitmap.

6: Reopen "Reshacker", Point to the "ntoskrnl.exe" file again, expanding the same archives.

Right click "1033" again, but this time click "Replace Resource".

Click "Open file with new bitmap" and point to your edited Bitmap.

Click "Replace".

Click "File>Save"

7: Repeat process 6: For "ntkrpamp.exe", "ntkrnlmp.exe", and "ntkrnlpa.exe"

Replacing the same image each time. (Not sure what will happen if you use different ones)

8: Press Start>Run>"CMD">OK

Type the following, hitting return after each line...

makecab.exe ntoskrnl.exe ntoskrnl.ex_
makecab.exe ntkrpamp.exe ntkrpamp.ex_
makecab.exe ntkrnlmp.exe ntkrnlmp.ex_
makecab.exe ntkrnlpa.exe ntkrnlpa.ex_

9: Copy all the files ending in .ex_ (Except ones with _original in the name, you can remove these) Back to your "I386" Directory, overwriting the originals if prompted.

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All the above has edited your bootscreen during the Windows 2000 installation process. Once Windows is installed it will revert back to the originals.

To fix it so it will stay with your edited bootscreen, or to modify it for another edited bootscreen after install; follow the rest of the guide...

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9: Copy the following files from your "I386" directory, to the root of %systemdrive% (you can delete it after modification)...

SP4.CAB

SP3.CAB

10: Extract the contents of each cab using WinZip or WinRar, I'd advise you to extract them to directories named "SP4" and "SP3"...

11: Copy the following files to each folder, SP3, and SP4.

NTOSKRNL.exe

NTKRPAMP.exe

NTKRNLMP.exe

NTKRNLPA.exe

Replacing any files if prompted.

12: Click Microsoft Cabinet Software Development Kit

Save the file to "%systemdrive%\Windows\System32\"

Press Start>Run>"CMD">OK

Type the following, hitting return after each line

cd c:\sp4
cabarc.exe n sp4.cab *.*
cd c:\sp3
cabarc.exe n sp3.cab *.*

Within the sp3, and sp4 folders will be the repacked cabinet files. (SP4.CAB, SP3.CAB) And copy these to your "I386" Directory.

DONE!

Cheers to memberjoe for his help!

[dirtwarrior]

Very good guide thank you. Have you found a way to edit the setup billboard?

[zedox]

erm, no. If people could give me file names then I'd definatly look into it.

[dirtwarrior]

In xp it is winntbbu in 2000 it is 1 of the setup screens. It would be very cool to get winntbbu to work with 2k

[dirtwarrior]

I edited these files in the I386 directory with my new screen. But didnt edit the ones in driver cab. I got the old boot screen . I will try again with the files in driver cab too.

Is there a way to get the icons from vista or xp in 2k?

[Daemonforce]

Very good guide thank you. Have you found a way to edit the setup billboard?

Billboard? o_O

You mean that thingy that displays WINDOWS 2000 $FLAVOR on a white background? o_O

I'm very unorthodox with everything I do, but I believe what you're looking for exists in msgina.dll!

I edited these files in the I386 directory with my new screen. But didnt edit the ones in driver cab. I got the old boot screen . I will try again with the files in driver cab too.

Is there a way to get the icons from vista or xp in 2k?

Do NOT copy over! o_O

Just load shell32's icons over from vista's shell32.dll archive.