The newest version of the Windows 7 Boot Updater has been released! This includes many improvements over the last version, but since it introduces experimental features which needs to be tested by the community it is remaining in Alpha (I have done preliminary tests, but there are numerous things I cannot account for).
The new noticeable major features are:
- Allows changing the background to an image. The new functions that get injected into the programs were hand-written in assembly, and let me tell you that the 64-bit version was difficult. Many new fancy tricks in my patching system were required to get it to work properly.
- Run in different languages and can be changed at run-time. Includes translations for German, Russian, and Italian. This required major changes to the core, along with the interface programs.
- Reverted it to use only .NET Framework 2.0 and not require MS Visual C 2010 library. This will greatly reduce the number of complaints about MCVS100.dll missing...
- Much faster startup and checking of bootres.dll. This is due to a new custom WIM reader I built into the program. You can read about it at Faster Windows 7 Boot Updater and WIM Compression.
- Can now create a standalone installer. Boot skins are easier to distribute and can be uninstalled.
There are many less noticeable features as well:
- Improved transparency support. Transparency is saved until it actually needs to be resolved.
- Boot skin files are smaller. This is because the program now includes libpng writing functions instead of using the .NET PNG saving functions.
- Improved update checking, slightly improved backup system, smarter default winload and winresume paths using BCD data, and other numerous other minor changes and fixes.
Hope you like the new version, and please remember to give me your feedback!
Boot Images does actually not work with 64bit. Patch KB2506014 changed winload.exe & winresume.exe.
Is the community feature (themes/skins) going to be available anytime soon?
@Jimbo, Was this a recent patch? I recall changing my boot image during April 1st as a prank and it worked fine.
For example : my boot drive is F, my windows drive is C.
Win7BootUpdater v11 ask for the "bootmgr" path, I choose it in the F:\.
It show a good check at the options but then when apply it's still show the BCD path is error, however, the skin applied pretty well. --- > This is a bug right ?
btw, you need to guide user that everytime they want to apply a new skin they need to restore the backup file first
@Jimbo - I am working on this.
The update that Jimbo is referring to is KB2506014 released on Apr 12. It only applies to Windows 7 64-bit.
@Freddy - The community feature is coming once I get time! I hope it is soon, but time is limited.
@pakistanshooter - That is a bug and will hopefully be fixed in the next version. Also in the next version you will no longer need to restore the backup files first.
Thank you very much, Jeff!
Why does the program resizes the bg images you choose?
My screen res is 1366x768 and i made an image in that size, but when i apply the boot file the image is way bigger than my res? Why, how come?
@Jimbo - You're welcome!
@Poma - This is a limitation of the Windows boot process. It is fixed to 1024x768.
i cannot run this on my desktop, would the problem have anything to do with a dual monitor setup???
as soon i run the program, it asks me to close it. So i click "show more details" (or something like that)
it gives me this
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name:= Win7BootUpdater (1).exe
Application Version: 0.0.1.1
Application Timestamp: 4dc08f1c
Fault Module Name: KERNELBASE.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Fault Module Timestamp: 4a5bdbdf
Exception Code: e0434f4d
Exception Offset: 0000b727
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Read our privacy statement online:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288
If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt
@Dale Borum - Please email me the output of boot-info.
Everytime i put a bootscreen on it always ends up as the windows vista boot screen??? ive tried a few different ones. and i have windows 7 x64. please reply
Is there any way to change animation in offline windows image? when I use sysprep and capture image, after installation it gives me error for winload.exe while booting. I have to restore backedup winload.exe and then it shows vista like animation!
any way to do this in offline image?
@bazza - Some computers don't work and I would like to figure out why. It would help if you emailed me the output of boot-info.
@Amit - Currently no one has found a way to get the offline image to work. The recommendation is to use the command line version from SetupComplete.cmd
There was a problem updating the files: Failed to disable bootres / winload security in winload.exe, this is likely due to it being a modified file or a recent Windows Update changed something. Any help for me?
@David Arppe - There are a few things that can cause this. Have you modified the boot setup with an older version of the program? Have you modified (pressed "Apply") many times with the current version? Possibly a recent Windows Update changed things. Or are you using Windows 8 or Vista? If you answer false to all these things, email me the output of boot-info.
Getting the same problem that David is getting. Any solution yet?
@Neb - As with my reply to David Arppe, there are lots of questions and please email me the output of boot-info. I cannot create solutions if I don't know the underlying problem.
Have you figured out what happens after you build an image with imagex that makes it revert back to the original boot screen after you apply your custom boot screen? I am trying to find some info on this! John
@John Marshall - There is a phase during installation that checks the security of all system files and it finds the modified files and doesn't like it. What program is scanning all the files? I have no idea - maybe no one has an idea.
hi!! would u mind tell me how 2 download it???? thx
@CM Vichea - It is available here.