Stardock BootSkin Vista is a software that allows users to change their Windows boot screens. Unlike other programs that can change the Windows boot screens, BootSkin Vista does so in a safe manner. It doesn't patch the Windows kernel. Nor does it require the user to download replacement Windows kernels to do so. Boot screens that use BootSkin Vista are typically under 20K compared to other boot screen programs whose files are over 2 megabytes.

There are many of different Boot skins to choose from that are freely downloadable from the WinCustomize website.

How to make a Bootskin
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a bootskin step-by-step. In this example I'm using actual screenshots of the process of making a Bootskin of my own called Genesis Aftermath I.

A. Introduction:
Basic tools:
- MS Windows: Preferably Win XP is the right system to work on for Bootskin.
Microsoft Website: Link

- Bootskin: The actual software to create and apply Bootskins with ease and safety.
Bootskin Website: Link

- Photoshop CS (either full or free trial version): This is where the main work is done.
Adobe Website: Link

- WinZip: The utility to zip your Bootskins.
WinZip Website: Link

- Notepad or Object Edit or any other text editor: Used to make the little script that comes with every Bootskin. (Notepad is intergraded to Windows so you don't need to download anything else).

The big picture:

To create a Bootskin you need to make-create three basic things:

a. The screen image: The actual image to show.
b. The progress bar: The tiny little bar that floats.
c. The script: A small text file that tells everything what to do.

B. The screen image:

- We will now attempt to make the screen image we want to use for our Bootskin. The whole process will take place in Adobe Photoshop CS. All terms referred are from the actual Photoshop layout.

- Screen image's Properties: 640x480, 4-bit, 16 colors palette.

1. You need to make your image in 640x480, the resolution that any Bootskin screen image is. So if you have a bigger sized picture-wall you need to drop its resolution to 640x480. Appropriate wall sizes are: 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960 and 1600x1200. If you have any other resolution you may need to do some clipping or stretch the image.

2. The way to do proper image resize is from the menu "Image>Size " Upon click on it a Dialog Box will appear.

3. Tick all the check-boxes that appear on the lower part of the Dialog Box. Those are:
- Scale Styles (if you have a multilayered image and you used styles or blending options
on them to scale them as vector forms, gives them a cleaner look)
- Constrain Proportions (so that your image doesn't get hindered too much)
- Resample Image (the mode to resample your image). In the drop down menu next to
Resample Image select Bicubic; this is the best method to bring down an image.

4. Now at the text box labeled as Width insert the number 640. With Constrain Proportions activated the Height should adjust automatically to 480. Press Ok to resize.

5. If your image is not of the resolutions mentioned above, then don't click on Constrain Proportions and in the text boxed labeled as Width and Height insert the numbers 640 and 480 correspondingly. Press ok to resize. Note: This might alter image quality, but that is your choice.

The license of this software is Freeware, you can free download and free use this boot cd software.