How can I modify windows 2000 screens to my own images?

Ok, so you want to modify windows 2000 screens to your likings. Well its took me some time but ive learned how to do it. First before I even start explaining your going to need 3 programs. Now you will need 3 types of programs, an image editor, a file editor such as resource hacker and a program for killing task that are not always visible. I have the links below to the ones I use.

Unlocker
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Resource Hacker
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

Image editor , can be anything but must be able to resize image, and change color depth.

Ok as for making your own startup logo I have a page where I learned how to do it from however the page itself has a mistake on it. So before I link you to the page I will point out the mistake so you dont crash windows making it.

Ok first off let me post a normal boot.ini file.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Now ill post the one they have.

[boot loader]
timeout=3
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect



Look the same? Look closer, on the last line on both.

(my line)
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
(lwd line)
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Now you see the difference, the \ is missing on theres before the WINNT="Microsoft ... , if this is not in there you will not be able to choose it to boot from instead windows will act is if it is not there and ignore it. So if you copy your entire boot.ini from there page instead of copying your own you can and will crash your system. So when following the page down below remember what I have mentioned as for the rest works just fine. This is where I learned to change the startup logo but crashed a few times over that mistake till I learned what was causing it.

http://www.littlewhitedog.com/content-9.html

Ok once you have finished with that page, restarted and are happy with the screen then its time to move on to step 2. On step 2 we will show you how to change the logon/shutdown boxes. Ok the file that contains the images we will be modifying is in the system32 folder and its name is msgina.dll. Find this file, make a copy of it and put it on desktop. Now use resource hacker to open it. When you open it, expand bitmap. The file numbers that will be using are 101, 107, 111, and 113. Now I will list the size and color depth of each of the ones were using.

101 = 413 x 72 pixels, 256 colors

107 = 413 x 88 pixels, 256 colors

111 = 413 x 88 pixels, 16 colors

113 = 413 x 72 pixels, 16 colors

Ok now there are 2 ways of doing this. You can create your own image and then resize it accordingly or you can save the image from resource hacker and just modify it. This is where you use your imagination or make use of that artistic enabled friend as I did since I have little to no creativity lol. Back to the subject though, when you have made your images how you want then continue on to the next step.

In order to replace the images to the ones you want do as follows. Expand 101, now click on the flower looking thing beside the number 1033. Now right click on it, and left click on replace resource. Click open file with new bitmap, browse to the location of the file you created, select it either by single or double clicking depending on how your preferences are setup. Now you should see the image on the bottom left. When you do click "replace" . Now you will see that image has been changed. Go ahead and do this for the rest of the images.

Once you have all images replaced click file and save. Soon as you do this windows protection kicks in and replaces an msgina_original.dll on the desktop. Go ahead and delete the msgina_original.dll file. Now there are 3 places where this file needs to be. What you need to do is replace these with the msgina.dll file we just got through making so it will be using our images instead of windows. One of these locations requires windows system files to be showing. Go to tools then folder options, click view tab and now uncheck the box "hide protected operating system files". It will give you a warning just click ok and now hit apply and ok.

winnt(or windows depending on your file system)\servicepackfiles\i386
winnt(or windows depending on your file system)\system32
winnt(or windows depending on your file system)\system32\dllcache

Replacing the one in i386 folder will not be a problem. However your thinking by now how am I supposed to replace the one in system32 folder as it wont let me. This is where unlocker comes in handy. Find the file in system32, right click on it and left click on unlocker. It will then bring up a window showing a certain process using it. Select the process and then press kill process. This will stop it from being used. Now replace that file in system32.

Ok now time to restart, windows will throw and error when you go to close because of us killing that process so dont panic when you see it. Now when you restart windows might take a while to load up due to the crash. So keep in mind it can take up to 5 or more minutes for it to load the first time. Once it does windows will be somewhat unstable in areas. We are about to fix that. Go to my computer, right click on C: then left click on properties. Now click on the tools tab. Under error checking, check both boxes then click start, it will throw up and error saying it cant do it right now would you like to next time you restart, tell it yes. Now restart and let it go through and do that.

When it finishes and you load back up, now go to start, programs , accessories, system tools and click defragmenter, now click defragment. When it finishes restart again and now you should be stable again.

Ok now on to the last step which is changing the image on the start bar. Find explorer.exe in the windows or winnt folder. Copy this file and paste it on desktop. Now open resource hacker and then open that file from there. Expand 157. Recognize the image lol? Ok now I will give you the specs for this file so you can make your own. Keep in mind to keep it arranged standing up like this one or it wont show right.

157 = 21 x 233 pixels, 16 colors

Once you have the image made you want, replace it like you did with the other file. Now click file and save. Once again explorer_original.exe will appear. Just delete this file. Now the locations you need to replace it are as follows

c:\winnt or windows\servicepackfiles\i386 , do this one first as the second requires ending explorer, dont worry ill explain how you replace it lol.

Once you have it replaced then it is time to replace the main file. Ok read ahead before you attempt to do this as its a little tricky. Hit ctrl alt delete, now choose task manager , now find explorer.exe and choose end process, your background and most stuff will disapear however you will be left with the task manager window. Do not close this window. Once explorer.exe has been ended click file then new task. Browse to the explorer.exe you just modified on desktop, right click on it and left click copy. Now browse to winnt or windows folder, right click anywhere in the background left click paste. It will ask if you are sure if you want to replace the file, tell it yes. Now just press ctrl alt delete again and choose shutdown then restart. Would advise running chkdsk and defrag one last time after all this and your images should be changed.