Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2419

BootSkin 1.05

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BootSkin is a freeware program that safely changes your Windows 2000 and Windows XP boot screens. Rather than patching your XP kernel, BootSkin does it via a boot screen driver. That way, if some boot screen isn't compatible with your computer, you can boot up in safe mode and turn it off (rather than trying to figure out how to restore your Windows kernel back to normal).

There are hundreds of boot screens available. Version 1.05 associates the .bootskin file with BootSkin the program so that you can just double click on one and have it installed. IF you have any problems with BootSkin, please respond here with your system info (video card, CPU, OS, video driver version) so that it can be resolved. The goal is to have a program that works universally on any configuration (it works on all of Stardock's test lab machines fine as well as with our external beta group).

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Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2419

Based on user reviews seen on Download.com: http://download.com.com/3302-2105_4-10285566.html

and on deviantART: http://news.deviantart.com/article/14130/

Some people are having problems with it. We know based on the popularity of BootSkin in terms of downloads and downloads of the boot screens themselves that it must work fine for most people. And it works for us.

HOWEVER: Given the strong negative responses we get from those that have problems with it, I believe it is harming Stardock's reputation. Therefore, if we are unable to fix these problems, I'm inclined to discontinue the BootSkin section and BootSkin the program.

SO PLEASE try out BootSkin 1.05. If you have problems, let us know. Specifics. We can fix them if we know the problem. But we never get any specifics other than "It didn't work".

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Never had a problem with it - works perfectly for me.

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NightTrainthedark

Join Date 07/2003

+255

Never had any problems whatsoever.

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No problemo

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I really don't think that the issues are with the Bootskin proggie itself. If you frequent the WC General MessageBoard, you will notice that there was an almost complete elimination of 'How Do I Make A Bootskin' threads when the preview option was added to Bootskin. Prior to that an author had to install the bootskin on his own machine to see if it looked right. Now all an author has to do is preview it, pack it up and upload it. Therefore the number of people that can't get Bootskin to work right has increased since the preview feature was added

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By the way Bootskin works fine for me

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Bootskin good.

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MarkMcQ

Join Date 03/2001

+18

My only problem is that my full-colour version is still progress bar-less.

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Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2419

But have you tried v1.05?

Here's the deal: In BootSkin 1.0/1.01 it worked fine for lots of people but not at all for people who had VIA chipsets. And hibernation in laptops didn't work. It's because of the screwy way that stuff is implemented in terms of driver loading.

So in 1.03/1.04 this was changed to a different way which solved those problems but now we get these random occurrences that it didn't work in certain cases. 1.05 was designed to fix taht but we are still seeing these reports.

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Bootskin is a great program and I'm sorry to see that some folks are having problems. It seems sad that a few people can determine a negative outcome for the rest of us.

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I love Bootskin...NEVER had a problem with it.

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I'll try the latest version then. I've been using 1.0 without problems since it came out. In fact I was surprised to learn at one point that a later version came out to fix problems with ATI cards? I've had no problems with 1.0 despite my ATI card so I hadn't yet gotten around to updating it. Will do, especially if you're considering putting it out to pasture.

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I haven't had a problem since the second release (on my old computer). I haven't installed it on my new computer yet... but I'll let you know within 15 minutes how it works

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werewolf

Join Date 04/2001

+28

dl'd new version. Working great. I've got VIA chipsets and all is well.

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It was working fine until the last update before this most recent one, and then I wasn't getting any bootskin to work...all I kept getting was the default XP bootscreen. But now that I've updated it to version 1.05, it seems to be working perfectly.

I hope it doesn't go away...it's a fun little program!

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Fuzzy Logic

Join Date 05/2002

+493

I uninstalled the previous version due to my PC refusing to boot. This new version works OK.

Testing it is as far as it goes though. There's only a couple of boot screens which look decent in 16 colours. Most of the library is filled with junk anyway.

For the few seconds it's on, I'll stick to the original XP boot screen.

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Koasati

Join Date 07/2001

+21

VIA chipsets here.......... never had any problems with any version I've tried, including 1.05. To be honest though, I've never used any BootSkin other than the one I made for myself.

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I think BootSkin is a worthwhile project for Stardock because it's the best user friendly app I've seen. Those having problems may just have an isolated incident. I have not been creating any skins for it purposely because you told us months ago that Stardock was working on a version that allowed better picture resolution. When can we expect that? The poor resolution as it stands is the only thing keeping me from using it. With the expensive video cards we are all inclined to buy for gaming etc there should be a solution to this problem? Don't give up, keep trying and let us all know when the better resolution version is available. Thanks for all the hard work!

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got one...

installed 1.05 from 1.0, rebooted for other reasons, seemed to boot ok (although I got different boot screen than the one I had been using [?]), got login screen, smartMCP displayed, start and task started to fill... BOOM! Blue screen!

Details from Blue Screen follows:

-
...

Problem caused by vidstub.sys
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

...

Technical Information:
***STOP: 0X00000050 (0x80686824, 0x00000000, 0xF7741971, 0x00000000)
***VIDSTUB.SYS_ADDRESS F7741971 BASE AT F7741000, DATE STAMP 40856326

...

-

System Information as follows:
Windows XP Pro (5.1.2600)
IE Version: 6.0.2800.1106

Processor: AMD Athlon XP 1700+ 1100MHz
Memory: 735MB
Mainboard: ASUSTeK A7N266

Video Card: NVidia GeForce2 Integrated GPU
Mode: 1280x1024 with 32bit colour depth

*******************

Hope this helps, will reinstall 1.0 and wait.

If you need anymore info, please don't hesitateto contact me!

Cheers!

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1.05 working fine here

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any chance of releasing the version that supports full color on sdcentral? Then your dealing with peeps who already like stardock and are more likely to understand theres no support guarranteed. (was reading neowin comments by frogboy)

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Okay I need to revise what I said above. I went through some of the library and downloaded a bunch of different bootskins. Still no problem with the Bootskin program itself, but bootskins that don't work, also don't show up at all when you try to apply them. I found seven that had issues where the author has not used a 640x480 4-bit bmp.

Mac OS X Atomic by FRXFRX https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=161 - Atom.bmp is 8-bit 256 colors

Mac OS Cube by FRXFRX https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=162 - Cube.bmp is 8-bit 256 colors

Mac OS Jaguar 2 by FRXFRX https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=165 - JaguarFur.bmp is 8-bit 256 colors

Mac OS Old by FRXFRX https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=167 - Old.bmp is 8-bit 256 colors

Blue Planet by latin4567 https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=1030 - BLUE PLANET copy.bmp is 1024x768 24-bit true color Untitled-1.bmp is 24-bit true color

Original Zelda by Jason Peist https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=615 - OriginalZelda.bmp is 24-bit true color

Pyro Edition by kona0197 https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=32&SkinID=1132 - Pyro.bmp is 24-bit true color

Prior to this, I was only trying bootskins that I had already downloaded when I was using version 1.0 of Bootskin. So now I wonder how an author can create and package a bootskin without ever knowing what it looks like

I thought that they were using the preview. I was wrong.

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Worked fine on my machine the last time I rebooted, but I usually standby it when I'm away so it's been weeks.

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Been using 1.04 on a Win2k machine and an XP machine for weeks now with no probs (both laptops - but I disable hibernate). Apart from the Win2k progress bar bug (it jumps about randomly instead of nice scrolling) they've been fine.

Looking at the links provided by Brad - I only see 3 negative reviews at Download.com and about a dozen at DeviantART. I would think that compared to the total No of users it has to be a vanishingly small proportion of complainers, right? I guess Brad is seeing a lot more unsatisfied users that just those on these links.

As well, reading through the comments above, I can't believe the No of bootskins submitted where the bitmap format isn't even as specified(i.e. 4 bit colour !!) - if people aren't even reading the directions on creating bootskins how can you be sure they're installing it right?

My vote: don't discontinue it just because of a few complainers.

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I noticed a program that I am using which boots prior to the operating system loading. It seems to have more colors available. The program is System Commander. How do they do it? Is it possible to integrate the idea in boot screens? Personally, I'm still waiting for the full color or at least a 256 color version.

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