BootSkin

BootSkin had a very good run when launched thanks to its capability of allowing you to tweak the boot screen of your Windows XP installation in a jiffy. While it didn’t come packing anything new, the easy-to-use interface made everything about it.

Hacking your XP boot screen was possible in less than half a year after the release date of Windows XP and any advanced user could have easily done it. The method required some know-how and beginners were cautioned that improper actions may result in system failure.

The main idea behind the manual override was to locate the ntoskrnl.exe and make a backup copy of it. After that, you should have restarted your PC in Safe Mode and replace it with a file of your very own choice. Later in the same year, 2002, you could have even created the boot screen from scratch.

BootSkin also does the same thing for installations of Windows 2000 and Vista, but only became popular when one of the best operating systems hit the market in 2001. Through its partners at WinCustomize.com, BootSkin offers a wide array of boot screen alternatives for you to pick and load into the system.

While being just a thing for children of all ages, BootSkin made thousands happy by applying their graphics to their PCs. On the other hand, many computer addicts prefer to completely eliminate this particular boot screen from the boot sequence just to earn a few tenths of if not seconds from the overall boot time.

BootSkin used to be a great piece of software that had only one job to do and performed it flawlessly. As years went past and new operating systems are constantly being developed, BootSkin can only be regarded as a one-hit-wonder that reached its peak some time ago and will slowly step off the scene as the last Windows 2000, XP or Vista installation goes to ground.