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+--- Thread: Guide: How I altered Windows to look and feel like an XBMC HTPC appliance (/showthread.php?tid=93731)
- vinayaga - 2011-08-16
Well, there are some functional elements to some parts of the discussion. At least in my case, when Windows starts up, explorer minimizes XBMC when there is a notification on the desktop. So I have to dig out the keyboard and connect it just to get XBMC to maximize. Its a pain. I have not followed the guide to replace explorer with XBMC as the shell and it works like a charm. The startup graphics changes are just the icing on the cake.
jhsrennie Wrote:I run XBMC from the Startup folder as well.
The reason for all the messing around is purely cosmetic. It's to make the HTPC look more like a dedicated XBMC application and less like Windows.
JR
- jhsrennie - 2011-08-16
vinayaga Wrote:Well, there are some functional elements to some parts of the discussion. At least in my case, when Windows starts up, explorer minimizes XBMC when there is a notification on the desktop. So I have to dig out the keyboard and connect it just to get XBMC to maximize. Its a pain. I have not followed the guide to replace explorer with XBMC as the shell and it works like a charm. The startup graphics changes are just the icing on the cake.
My solution to this is to disable any tray applets that display notifications: actually I simply didn't install any such applets in the first place. I have the green button on the remote configured to launch XBMC in case it ever does minimise (launching XBMC when it's minimised just restores the existing instance of XBMC to fullscreen).
JR
- venealis - 2011-10-13
dsimages Wrote:I created a couple of xbmc logo animations a while back. you check them out here on vimeo.
I was just never able to figure out how to get videos files to run at boot.
This is the image that I currently use at login, however my system stays on all the time so I only get to see it on reboots.
Great work thought. Do be advised....I have seen alot of harm cause by editing the boot screens and login animations, so becareful.
Dsimages is it possible to get these files from you. pretty please really liking all three of them.
- tocinillo - 2011-10-13
This is my personal port from Linux Plymouth splash, for Windows:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=631IUA8V
Under Win7 Boot select "Complete" and use "fondo base 2.png". Finally, use "Animation" and select folder "Animación Final".
Regards!
- deh2k7 - 2011-10-14
Awesome thread! Thanks for sharing this - it's a big help.
- htpc guy - 2012-02-08
2 quick questions, and one is sorta OT (but not quite)
Question 1:
I tried this some time ago on win7 prior to service pack 1 being released. I made up a cool splash screen and everything, tried the app on this site, and ended up with a boot loop. So, my question is, has anyone tried this lately and is it working better now? Is anyone having boot loop issues? I thought I made my animation within the specifications but I wonder if maybe my images were too large (file size, not pixel dimensions).
Question 2:
I just set up eventghost so that it runs as a shell for windows. I followed the instructions on the wiki found here. Windows boots, I see a black screen, mouse cursor, and eventghost gui. Then XBMC launches. How do I get it so that I don't see the eventghost gui. The mouse is easily solved by changing the color to black.
- TeKo - 2012-02-08
htpc guy Wrote:2 quick questions, and one is sorta OT (but not quite)
Question 1:
I tried this some time ago on win7 prior to service pack 1 being released. I made up a cool splash screen and everything, tried the app on this site, and ended up with a boot loop. So, my question is, has anyone tried this lately and is it working better now? Is anyone having boot loop issues? I thought I made my animation within the specifications but I wonder if maybe my images were too large (file size, not pixel dimensions).
Question 2:
I just set up eventghost so that it runs as a shell for windows. I followed the instructions on the wiki found here. Windows boots, I see a black screen, mouse cursor, and eventghost gui. Then XBMC launches. How do I get it so that I don't see the eventghost gui. The mouse is easily solved by changing the color to black.
Boot>start explorer>open EG>X it (Should be in tray now)>reboot
Works for me it only shows on startup when I had it open before the last shutdown.
You can just bind explorer.exe with EG so you can start it with your remote.
- kyotocafe - 2012-02-09
This is a very nice guide. Thanks.
It worked pretty good for me. The only thing is that I am still getting the keyboard language button in the upper left corner. But it is just fine, I don't want to change the regional languages to English as suggested, I prefer to keep the Japanese ones.
Other than that, every thing worked perfect.
Starting XBMC is a more straightforward experience now
- htpc guy - 2012-02-09
TeKo Wrote:Boot>start explorer>open EG>X it (Should be in tray now)>reboot
Works for me it only shows on startup when I had it open before the last shutdown.
You can just bind explorer.exe with EG so you can start it with your remote.
I tried this last night. I started explorer.exe, closed the eventghost gui and rebooted. I still saw the eventghost gui at startup before xbmc launched. Is there a setting in eventghost that I need to correct?
- ultratails42 - 2012-02-21
tocinillo Wrote:This is my personal port from Linux Plymouth splash, for Windows:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=631IUA8V
Under Win7 Boot select "Complete" and use "fondo base 2.png". Finally, use "Animation" and select folder "Animación Final".
Regards!
Any chance anyone has this and can reupload it to say mediafire? It looks good and closer to what i'd like but with megaupload gone now it's kind of not possible to download it anymore.
- htpc guy - 2012-02-21
Hate to bump my previous post but...
I'm using Eventghost to start my iMon software and xbmc. It works but I see the Eventghost gui and then XBMC starts. How do you make EV start without showing the gui? I've tried closing XBMC, starting explorer, closing EV and rebooting, hoping that it would remember its state from the previous boot.
- Lunatixz - 2012-02-23
htpc guy Wrote:Hate to bump my previous post but...
I'm using Eventghost to start my iMon software and xbmc. It works but I see the Eventghost gui and then XBMC starts. How do you make EV start without showing the gui? I've tried closing XBMC, starting explorer, closing EV and rebooting, hoping that it would remember its state from the previous boot.
Your missing the obvious solution... EG does remembers its last windows state!
so window EG (take out of full screen) then minimize window!
next time you reboot EG will start minimized..
RE: Guide: How I altered Windows to look and feel like an XBMC HTPC appliance - dkoh - 2012-03-28
I thought I'd share the boot animations I created for Windows 7 based on the Eden logo. They're kinda quick n' dirty but they came out pretty good. The animation occurs very early then remains static as I only get a couple seconds to see it during my boot. The first file is for 4:3 displays and the "WS" version is for widescreens that Windows stretches out; it looks normal once applied.
(GIFs, refresh to see the animation)
4:3 Version (ZIP)
Wide Version (ZIP)
RE: Guide: How I altered Windows to look and feel like an XBMC HTPC appliance - asiuhas - 2013-04-23
I followed twinflower's post and it looks great now. Though I'm using the same background for Windows as the login background.
A warning. If you run "sfc /scannow" (Windows's system file checker) it'll revert the boot screen and modifications done by LogonScreenTweaker.
RE: Guide: How I altered Windows to look and feel like an XBMC HTPC appliance - d3ord3 - 2013-08-20
(2012-03-28, 04:56)dkoh Wrote: I thought I'd share the boot animations I created for Windows 7 based on the Eden logo. They're kinda quick n' dirty but they came out pretty good. The animation occurs very early then remains static as I only get a couple seconds to see it during my boot. The first file is for 4:3 displays and the "WS" version is for widescreens that Windows stretches out; it looks normal once applied.
(GIFs, refresh to see the animation)
4:3 Version (ZIP)
Wide Version (ZIP)
If I upload a gif image, would you be able to make it useful to use with Windows 7 Boot Skin Updater in place of the Windows logo?