How to Change the Bootsplash on Windows XP

Do you ever get tired of starting up your computer and seeing the same old splash screen flash across your computer monitor? If you have Windows XP, you probably see something that looks very similar to the first image attached to this article. If you're using an older version of Windows you'll see something different but similar, and if you're using Windows Vista, it's likely that all you see for quite a while is a progress bar with gold bars.

Typically, there isn't much you can do to change this. And really, it's not that big a deal. Not everyone starts their computer every day, for instance. Some people simply put the computer to sleep over night, and others just let the screen saver take care of things.

But some people might want to change the boot splash. Over the last couple weeks, I've been looking for ways to make Windows XP look and behave more like Windows Vista (without actually going out and purchasing or using Vista, that is), and one of the things that had me stuck for a while was the bootsplash. No matter how close I was able to get the rest of the interface (and I was able to get very close, in my opinion), every time the computer started up it still proclaimed that I was running Windows XP.

So... what to do?

Thankfully, there is a free program called Bootskin available from the fine folks at Stardock. Stardock is the same company that brings you Windowblinds and other GUI modification programs. Many of their software offerings are shareware, meaning you can try out the program for a short period of time, but if you want to use it long-term, you may have to pay the fee or forego some of the features.

Bootskin, however, is completely free.