My computer keeps rebooting...

[Lupin]

I wander why...



wait for Carlisle to see this..

I'm a lazy 4$$ and it was quite some time that I planned to create a little something as a boot screen for Windows XP. During my surfing, yesterday I came across an utility that makes changing the bootscreen easier than ever before, so I thought this was the time to give it a go.
I have made my very first attempt today and it looks just "okay", it needs a little adjustment in color in order to display properly but so far it works. I also have in mind to change the moving cursor, may be a sketched Ralph flying taken from a drawing or cartoon.
As soon as I have the graphic problem fixed and it displays the way I want I will share it out for those interested and post instructions on how-to and links to software/galleries on the web.
If you have any ideas of something you'd like me to put in there please let me know.
Ok, gotta go, I think my computer needs rebooting now.. ;D

[Maxwell - F.B.I.]

That looks AWESOME!!! I would love to have that on my PC if you can please tell me how to do it once you get it all figured out! What an EXCELLENT idea!!!

[enovak]

Yay. It's easy enough to change the boot screen, but that graphic is awesome. Anyway of passing that on to some of us?

[Lupin]

Thank you guys I'm embarassed

The problem I went through is to transform a 2.5M colors pic into a 4 bit (16 colors) one without giving up in quality too easily. I still have an idea to try and see if the graphic improves. So far I have only had it on my laptop which supports 1280x768 but I also want to test it on my other machine to see if 800x600 monitors render the picture in a decent way.
I will be posting it out in the next few days as soon as I get a minute.

[Lauren]

The first thing I thought when I saw that boot screen: "I WANT THAT!"

I've been seriously thinking about changing that boring old boot screen, but I couldn't decide what to use. Now, I know, I just need to decide on the layout.

[Lupin]

Ok, I think it's ready. Thank you for your comments of appreciation.


Here it is.

[Maxwell - F.B.I.]

Just installed it - that is so awesome!

One question - the image seems to look better when I 'sample' it from within the actual program compared to when the computer actually boots (it looks much more pixelated - you can see little blue dots, etc.). Am I doing something wrong?

Also, what program did you use to create the image? Can anyone create their own?

-Frank

[PamVK]

Lupin, when I first saw that logo picture moving across the screen I thought it was an X-Box or Playstation GAH game.

Now wouldn't that be cool? ;D

Later,

Pam

[Lupin]

Maxwell said:

Just installed it - that is so awesome!

Thank you for the feedback, man! I'm glad you like it.

Maxwell said:

One question - the image seems to look better when I 'sample' it from within the actual program compared to when the computer actually boots (it looks much more pixelated - you can see little blue dots, etc.). Am I doing something wrong?

No, nothing wrong, it does it to me as well. The pic has been scaled down to 4 bit (16 colors) because it needs to be this way for Windows to boot the file. I have tried higher quality pics but then when it came to boot up it was all white and blurred, so you know it's a resolution issue... basically, Win hasn't loaded the video drivers yet at that stage so it only displays 16 colors. The sample you preview is the actual full size picture and it needs to be in this size and with just 16colors resolution for it to work. When you sample it, you view it in its original aspect ratio but when you boot up your pc you see it stretched and at a lower screen resolution as well, hence the bad quality I was trying to fix. Since I made the picture from cutouts of .jpg files and then saved and scaled down to 4bits colors it was inevitable that all my attempts to increase definition would fail. I however managed a little picture dithering which helped overall. In my next version I will create one starting from a basic 16 colors bitmap, trying to avoid pictures, this way it should go the way I want.

Maxwell said:

Also, what program did you use to create the image? Can anyone create their own?

I borrowed the Season 2 full picture from a website you know, then with Photoshop I carved out the TGHA logo and Title and added them up on a pre-made boot screen, changing things here and there a bit. You could use even mspaint eventually. Then I used a combination of Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9 and Skin Studio. Please read this tutorial, the pictures are missing but it's still easy to follow. Skin studio does the same job as PaintShop Pro.. but it's free. Anyone can create bootscreens, a piece of cake.

PamVK said:

Lupin, when I first saw that logo picture moving across the screen I thought it was an X-Box or Playstation GAH game.

Now wouldn't that be cool? ;D

a game? Yes that would have been so freakin cool if they made a game of the show; if one exists it would be from late '80s when the show was hot, probably one of those Mario style. Unfortunately, I haven't heard of any yet

[karyyk]

Just installed this on my PC (and on a friend's PC that I'm working on...he's in for a shock...heh).

So, if there was a GAH game, what style would you want it to be? Action, graphic adventure, RPG? Choices, choices...heh.

[Lauren]

Okay, I tried installing the bootscreen again. Before, BootSkin just would not apply the screen. So, I just went to the stardock site & they had two other versions of the program to try. I tried one of them & rebooted. Well, it wouldn't boot & gave me a message saying the Windows could not boot properly & only did so once I selected booting with the last known working settings. Once again, I'm back to the boring old XP boot screen.

I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

I want my GAH bootscreen, darnit!

[MelMac]

lauren said:

Okay, I tried installing the bootscreen again. Before, BootSkin just would not apply the screen. So, I just went to the stardock site & they had two other versions of the program to try. I tried one of them & rebooted. Well, it wouldn't boot & gave me a message saying the Windows could not boot properly & only did so once I selected booting with the last known working settings. Once again, I'm back to the boring old XP boot screen.

I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

I want my GAH bootscreen, darnit!

I can't use one right now because a). I've got windows ME (Well that would fit with the tune. ) and b). If I tried to install it on my computer, it would do its impression of Ralph and crash. That's the last thing I need it to do, especially as that impression in and of itself is rather painful.

[karyyk]

What version of XP do you have Lauren? Home or Pro? Is there an error code anywhere?

Windows...Me...*gasp*

[Lauren]

My version is Home. No error code, it just wouldn't start up until I changed my settings back to the boring, normal bootscreen.

[MelMac]

karyyk said:

What version of XP do you have Lauren? Home or Pro? Is there an error code anywhere?

Windows...Me...*gasp*

Yep, and will until I get my refund check (but I'm doing my taxes this weekend, so it'll be soon). Dad even admits it's a piece of coprolite. But, at least I can still get on the Internet, whatnot. And, it has a good Art Studio, which I made my avatar and signature icons with. (Well, have to find a silver lining for it. )

[karyyk]

lol

I'd really like to know what Microsoft was thinking when they came up with Me. It's like they took 98SE (which was never that great to begin with) and broke the things that did work, then replaced a few icons to make up for it. I knew something was wrong when Microsoft was only charging $50 for the 98SE upgrade...