In our August issue we showed you how easy it is to change Windows standard splash screen, that appears during boot-up, to something of your own concoction. We received quite a few emails from readers wanting to know of more customisation tips û so here are three more tips we found that may tickle your fancy.

Change your shutdown screen: while you can change the start-up screen by modifying the logo.sys file, both shutdown screens can also be altered. All you need to do is find the files called logow.sys and logos.sys. Once youÆve found these (they will most probably be in your c:\windows directory), the first thing you should do is back them up. Then edit it them as you would edit logo.sys, like we showed you in the August issue, and BobÆs your uncle! Remember that the dimensions of the finished files should not exceed 320 by 400 pels, otherwise this exercise will not work.

Place your own logo in the system properties tab: many computer manufacturers place their own logo and support information in the system properties tab of your system (system properties can be accessed by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting properties). But this can be easily changed by modifying (or creating) 2 files. To add your own logo you need to find a file called oemlogo.bmp. If you donÆt find one then you can create your own using the Paint program. This image must not exceed dimensions of 180 by 114 pixels and once youÆve created your file you need to save it to the c:\windows\system folder. The bottom left pixel determines the transparency of the image. If you want white to be the transparent colour, simply colour this pixel white.

If you are a computer manufacturer and also wish to place support information in this tab then you will need to edit the oeminfo.ini file (which once again needs to be saved in the c:\windows\system folder). When you open this file there should be 2 sections û the first should be æGeneralÆ and the second æSupport InformationÆ û although your file may vary slightly by including other sections such as registration and user information or the like. I suggest you leave those alone. Under the æGeneralÆ section you can add manufacturer and model information while in the æSupport InformationÆ section you can add comments pertaining to how your customers can receive your support.

Quick Control Panel Access: if you find yourself going into Control Panel to change certain settings more often than not, then it might be a good idea to place the most regularly used components of the Control Panel in an easy to get to place û the Start menu for example. HereÆs how to do it: firstly, right-click on the Start button and select Open. Create a folder in the Start menu folder called æControl PanelÆ and open it. Now click on the Start menu, navigate through Settings to Control Panel and open this folder as well. Simply drag and drop all of the items that you regularly use from the Control Panel to the new Control Panel folder you just created for your Start menu. If you get a message saying you cannot copy or move the current icon, click yes û all you are doing is creating an easy to access shortcut.

Elias Plastiras