Boot screen

How to Enable 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. This will show you how to replace the default Vista boot screen with the hidden Aurora boot screen instead.

   Tip

If you would like to change the boot screen to any .bmp, .jpg, .png, or .gif image of your choice instead, then see: How to Change the Default Boot Screen in Vista SP1

   Warning

If you wanted to run chkdsk at startup or the Memory Diagnostic Tool and you have changed the default boot screen, then you will need to temporarily change the boot screen back to the default boot screen to be able to see what is happening first to be able to see what is happening when they run at startup.

EXAMPLE: Default Vista boot screen

​

​

EXAMPLE: Aurora boot screen without SP1 and SP2 installed

​

​

EXAMPLE: Aurora boot screen with SP1 installed

​

​

EXAMPLE: Aurora boot screen with SP2 installed

​

​

Here's How:

1. Open the Start Menu.​

​

2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type msconfig and press Enter.​

​

3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

​

4. Click on the Boot tab. (See screenshot below step 8)​

​

5. To Enable the Aurora Boot Screen​

A) Check the No GUI boot box. (See screenshot below step 8)​

​

B) Go to step 7.​

​

6. To Go Back to the Default Boot Screen​

A) Uncheck the No GUI boot box. (See screenshot below​

​

step 8)​

​

7. Check the Make all boot settings permanent box.​

​

8. Click on OK.​

​

​

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

​

​

10. Click on the Restart button.​

NOTE: If you checked the Don't show this message again box and want to restore this restart notice, then see: How to Restore the System Configuration Restart Prompt in Vista​

​

​

11. You will now see the new hidden Aurora boot screen after the restart and during startup.​

​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable "GUI Boot" in Windows
• How to Use and Change a Screen Saver in Vista
• How to Change the Logon Screen Saver Wait Time in Vista
• How to Change the Logon Screen in Vista
• How to Change the Desktop Background Wallpaper in Vista
• How to Install and Use DreamScene in Vista
• How to Enhance Windows Vista DreamScene with Stardock DeskScapes
• How to Enable or Disable the Log On Screen Saver in Vista
• How to Change the Default Boot Screen in Vista
• How to Customize the Vista Aurora Screen Saver Settings
• How To Change the Vista Startup Orb

 

[Brink]

It may have been updated when the SP1 was installed, but it is a part of the normal Vista install too. I'll add to this to the list as a potential cause.

Thank you,
Shawn

 

[hawkwind]

FWIW i have just replaced winload.exe.mui in the C:\Windows\System32\Boot\en-US folder as well but the results are the same with Aurora showing at boot.

 

[Brink]

OK. Thank you. I'll add these results as well.

 

[Smiler_16]

is there any update on the x64 SP1 compatabillity/fix

i am really excited to put a new high quality image on my Boot Screen
Hmmmm... maybe i'll try a Aston Martin DB9 first...
then i bet my mate will be naggin at me to put porno on there instead...
gotta Admit im an anti porno kinda guy when it comes to using it on PCs, due to the Spyware/viruses... i'll stick to DVDs for that lol ;P...

 

[Brink]

LOL Smiler,

Sorry, still no workaround found for a custom boot screen with SP1 installed yet.

Shawn

 

[Smiler_16]

Thanks for the reply!!!.

 

[Hogtowner]

Slightly off-topic, but here's my vote for the last selection: OS boot information.

As noted above, the Aura or Aurora screen is butt-ugly on a high res screen, especially the one in SP1. And the flow of info you get when you click the OS info choice is reassuring, especially to us box-monkeys who just can't leave well enough alone . Also as noted, if you run a disk check regularly (is this a good idea? or am I 'noid?) or memtest or anything else like that, it makes it more of a pain to have to go through the extra steps.

IMHO not all the cool changes are worth keeping. They are fun to play with though, won't argue that.

 

[grungero]

Hello everyone, i'm new to this very helpful and of course awesome forum.

I just wanted some of your help. I followed the steps but the aurora screen won't change even in this path C:\Windows\System32\Boot\en-US.

I'm using Ultimate 32bit SP1. Thanks in advance. Hoping for replies. :D

 

[Brink]

Hi Grungero, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Did you do all of the steps in Option One for this?

Option Two and Three will not work with SP1 installed.

 

[grungero]

Oh i see, sorry. Option 1 works but others don't. Sorry.

 

[Brink]

No problem Grungero. I'm happy to hear that you have the Aurora boot screen now.

Shawn

 

[Methos_42]

I use logonstudio vista and it works great I get the same boot screen whether i restart, hibernate, sleep, log on or off.

 

[Brink]

Hi Methos,

That is great, but that is the logon screen that is being replaced by Logonstudio and not the boot screen though.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/79886-logon-screen-change.html

The default boot screen is the black screen with the Microsoft name in the middle and the scrolling green bar at the bottom when the computer first starts up.

 

[Methos_42]

Oh okay i see now, yes it is butt-ugly, and i don't have the microsoft symbol or the scrolling green bar

 

[Neverhavemoney]

hey brink,
i have sp1 installed but my boot screen is the one that people without sp1 would see. why is this?

 

[Brink]

Hi Madmonkey,

The Resuming Windows screen, usually from hibernation, is different than the boot screen. There is not a way to change the image for that screen that I know of yet. The normal boot screen will only be seen from a restart or cold start of the computer.

Sorry,
Shawn

 

[g388944]

The instructions are great and they worked for me but, now that I see what it does, I have a question: What is this good for?

I mean, now the boot screen doesn't display any progress bar or anything just the aurora image instead of black screen, so I lost something in exchange for... what?

Can you explain the benefits of changing the boot screen to aurora?

Thanks!
Gary

 

[Brink]

Hello Gary, and welcome to Vista Forums.

It's just an option included in Vista to change the boot screen to that. That's all. No advantage or disadvantage really.

You can use the link below to change the boot screen to a image of your choice instead though.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/186770-boot-screen-change.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Wii Master 64]

just a couple of stupid questions out of curiosity, does XP do something similar to this? or is it just black? and does windows 7 do this as well?

 

[Brink]

Hello Wii,

I don't know about XP, but when you do this tutorial in Windows 7 you get just a black screen for the boot screen instead. There is no different hidden boot screen in Windows 7. (yet)