Boot screen

**Brink** · **OPTION ONE:**

How to Enable or Replace the Hidden Aurora Boot Screen in Vista

Information

The boot screen is the screen that displays during the bootup (startup) of Vista before the logon screen (welcome screen) and the desktop.

WARNING

If you wanted to run chkdsk and you changed your boot screen, then you will need to temporarily uncheck the No GUI boot (Step 5 OPTION ONE) to be able to see what is happening when chkdsk is running at boot up. See: How to Run Check Disk at Startup in Vista

RELATED LINKS:

OPTION ONE:
How to Enable the Aurora Boot Screen

NOTE

This works for all Vista Versions.

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type msconfig and press Enter.
3. Click Continue button for UAC prompt.
4. Click on the Boot tab. (See screenshot below step 7)
5. Check the No GUI boot box.
NOTE: To go back to the original boot screen, uncheck No GUI boot.

6. Check the Make all boot settings permanent box.
7. Click OK.

8. Click Yes to the confirmation window. You will be able to change it again. (See screenshot below)

9. Check Don't show this message again. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You will not see this again after checked.

10. Click Restart button.
NOTE: If you checked the box in step 9 and want to restore this Restart box, then see: How to Restore the System Configuration Restart Prompt in Vista

11. You will see the Aurora boot screen while restarting.

OPTION TWO:
How to Replace Aurora with another Boot Screen

NOTE

This works for all Vista Versions.

WARNING

You must have enabled Aurora from OPTION ONE above first for this to work.

SP1 PROBLEM: It appears that after installing the Vista SP1, it will not allow the Aurora boot screen to be replaced by one of your own anymore. Please post your results to help find a way around this limitation. Thank You.

1. Go to this link (Below) and download yourself a boot screen that you like. It will be named winload.exe.mui.
NOTE: Look in the Bootscreen Library - http://www.myvistaboot.com/Joomla/

2. Save the file to your desktop.
3. Right click on winload.exe.mui (on desktop) and click on Properties.
4. Under the General tab, click on the Unblock button and click OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not see Unblock here, then it is already unblocked. Continue on to step 5.

5. Go to C:\Windows\System32\en-US.
NOTE: Substitute en-US for your language of Vista.
A) en-US = English version of Vista.
B) nl-NL = Dutch Version of Vista.
C) it-IT = Italian Version of Vista.
D) ETC.......

6. Scroll down and find winload.exe.mui. (See screenshot below)
7. Take ownership of winload.exe.mui.
NOTE: For how, see:How to Take Ownership of an Item to be Able to Modify or Delete it in Vista

8. Right click winload.exe.mui and click Rename. (See screenshot above)
9. Press the right arrow key and rename it to winload.exe.mui.bak and press Enter.
NOTE: This is to make a backup of the original Aurora boot screen.

Tip

SAFETY NET: If you did not make a backup or deleted the original winload.exe.mui, the here it is. Just click on the download button below to download the winload.exe.mui.zip file, then extract winload.exe.mui from the ZIP file.

10. Click Yes to the confirmation window. (See screenshot below)

11. Click Continue for "Destination Folder Access Denied" prompt.
12. Click Continue for UAC prompt.
13. Right click on winload.exe.mui (On Desktop) and Cut and Paste it on a empty area of this window.(See screenshot below)
NOTE: To restore the original Aurora boot sceen, delete the replacement winload.exe.mui (Step 13) and rename the original winload.exe.mui.bak back to winload.exe.mui (Step 9).

14. Click Continue for "Destination Folder Access Denied" prompt.
15. Click Continue for UAC prompt.
16. Close Window.
17. Reboot to see you new boot screen.

OPTION THREE:
How to Make Your Own Boot Screen

WARNING

This program will only work on 32 bit Vista versions, but the winload.exe.mui file it makes will work on either the 32 bit or 64 bit Vista. You can make bootscreens in a 32 bit OS and use them in 64 bit Vista.

1. Download and install the Vista Boot Logo Generator program below.

Program: Vista Boot Logo Generator v1.2 (BETA)
By: Dan http://www.computa.co.uk/staff/dan/?p=18

NOTE: For instructions on how to use this program and updates, see this link:
http://www.computa.co.uk/staff/dan/?p=15

That's it,
Shawn

**Asky** · 06-02-2007

hmm i hope we can do this soon on X64

**Brink** · 06-02-2007

Hi Asky,

So do I. They'll eventually update that program for x64.

Shawn

madmonkey · 06-15-2007

Nothing yet for x64?? I've got some Sweeeeeet images I'd love to try out

Just made the Aura Change, and MAN is it ugly!.. i like the little scrolling bar on the bottom, would rather a better image tho.. but would like to keep the bar..

**Brink** · 06-17-2007

Hi everyone,

This has been updated to show you how to replace Aurora with another bootscreen of your choice. YES, it works for 32 and 64 bit VISTA.

,
Shawn

madmonkey · 06-17-2007

Do we know how to change the Aura Screen when windows is resuming from hibernation/sleep? Id like to make that custom too seeing as the Aura screen is ugly on a 17" widescreen lol

**Brink** · 06-17-2007

Hi madmonkey,

Do you mean from the screen saver? When I resume from hibernation/sleep, I just start back at the desktop.

Shawn

madmonkey · 06-17-2007

well i close mine.. and it goes to sleep.. Then when opening it it says "resuming windows" and it has the aura screen..

**Brink** · 06-17-2007

madmonkey,

I guess that Vista would use the same Aurora boot screen as it would from the resume from sleep. Did you already change your boot screen and still see the Aurora at resume from sleep? Do you have your sleep option set for resume display at logon screen?

Shawn

madmonkey · 06-18-2007

right now ive got a custom boot screen looks great when turning on first time, but when i close the lid it goes to sleep/hibernate then when i reopen it, it resumes windows and shows the Aura screen saying "resuming windows" then after that loads to desktop, just not sure where that aura screen is comming from so i can change it.

( 9 mins later) Editing post, becasue I attempted to do the same thing to the winresume.exe.mui file by using a copy of the boot screen ive got working only renamed to match, closed lid, resumed, same thing, got the Aura screen saying "resuming windows" with the green bar on the bottom

06-15-2007
madmonkey Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Vista Ultimate x64 14 posts Rep Power: 10	Re: Boot screen Nothing yet for x64?? I've got some Sweeeeeet images I'd love to try out Just made the Aura Change, and MAN is it ugly!.. i like the little scrolling bar on the bottom, would rather a better image tho.. but would like to keep the bar..
My System Specs

06-17-2007
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 16,485 posts Texas, USA Rep Power: 150	Re: Boot screen Hi everyone, This has been updated to show you how to replace Aurora with another bootscreen of your choice. YES, it works for 32 and 64 bit VISTA. , Shawn
My System Specs

06-17-2007
madmonkey Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Vista Ultimate x64 14 posts Rep Power: 10	Re: Boot screen Do we know how to change the Aura Screen when windows is resuming from hibernation/sleep? Id like to make that custom too seeing as the Aura screen is ugly on a 17" widescreen lol
My System Specs

06-17-2007
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 16,485 posts Texas, USA Rep Power: 150	Re: Boot screen Hi madmonkey, Do you mean from the screen saver? When I resume from hibernation/sleep, I just start back at the desktop. Shawn
My System Specs

06-17-2007
madmonkey Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Vista Ultimate x64 14 posts Rep Power: 10	Re: Boot screen well i close mine.. and it goes to sleep.. Then when opening it it says "resuming windows" and it has the aura screen..
My System Specs

06-02-2007
Asky Here to Help Join Date: Jun 2007 Windows Vista X64 407 posts Atlanta,USA Rep Power: 122	hmm i hope we can do this soon on X64
My System Specs

06-17-2007
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 16,485 posts Texas, USA Rep Power: 150	Re: Boot screen madmonkey, I guess that Vista would use the same Aurora boot screen as it would from the resume from sleep. Did you already change your boot screen and still see the Aurora at resume from sleep? Do you have your sleep option set for resume display at logon screen? Shawn
My System Specs

06-18-2007
madmonkey Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Vista Ultimate x64 14 posts Rep Power: 10	Re: Boot screen right now ive got a custom boot screen looks great when turning on first time, but when i close the lid it goes to sleep/hibernate then when i reopen it, it resumes windows and shows the Aura screen saying "resuming windows" then after that loads to desktop, just not sure where that aura screen is comming from so i can change it. ( 9 mins later) Editing post, becasue I attempted to do the same thing to the winresume.exe.mui file by using a copy of the boot screen ive got working only renamed to match, closed lid, resumed, same thing, got the Aura screen saying "resuming windows" with the green bar on the bottom Last edited by madmonkey; 06-18-2007 at 09:20 PM.
My System Specs

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