Windows XP's Boot Screen in NTOSKRNL.EXE

[Arend]

Hi,

I have a virtual machine image that I can boot in VMware Player and Microsoft Virtual PC. In the image I changed the Windows XP (Home Edition) boot screen by editing ntoskrnl.exe. This is described in multiple articles on the web and in O'Reilly's 'Windows XP Annoyances'.

When I boot the image in Virtual PC I see my customizations to the Windows startup screen. Booting in VMware does not show the modifications. Does VMware Player use a different image for the startup screen than the one embedded in NTOSKRNL.EXE?

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome.

Thanks in advance

Arend

[continuum]

Strange - well it is possible that Virtual PC would install a different kernel than the ACPI one used in VMplayer ?

Anyway - if you don't use a fresh install VMplayer should also use the edited one.

Can you explain in more depth ?

___________________________________

description of vmx-parameters:

VMware-liveCD:

[Arend]

Thank you for getting back to me.

First of all ... I really used 100% the same image in both cases. I think that NTOSKRNL.EXE should be the same default kernel in both cases. Under which circumstances is that not the case? How can I check whether the ntoskrnl.exe's are identical?

I also checked the startup options in boot.ini and HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemStartOptions. They were exactly identical in both cases.

/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

The instructions I followed are based on a free tool called 'resource hacker' and 'paint shop' and can be found here

I am also attaching the two screenshots for vpc and vmware boot. As you can see, I just added the words 'Powered by MyPocketXP'

Any help/idea is appreciated

Thanks again

Arend

[RDPetruska]

It's better (and much safer) to use Stardock's BootSkin (free) software to change your XP's boot screen. NO hacking required - and therefore nothing to change again on Service Packs and/or patches to the NTOSKRNL.exe by Microsoft!!

[Arend]

Thanks RD.

I am not sure what your experience with bootskin is. I tried it and it has not been a good one. It changed the boot screen on the host to OS/2 and I have no recollection of making any changes or saving anything. I always tend to blame myself first but after after finding links of people that had the same problem I start to think that bootskin is not a piece of software you want to use

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/716391-os-2-warp-weird-boot.html

http://cordelia.wincustomize.com/Articles.aspx?AID=61102

stating

"If you do a google search for this you will find a lot of people with

the same issue but no one seems to be able to find a solution any help

would be appreciate"

What I am really curious about though is what 'VMware Player' could possible do to show a different screen than vpc when the bitmap for the startup is embedded in ntoskrnl.exe and the same ntoskrnl.exe is used in both cases.

Arend