How to Customize the Windows XP Startup Message
You may want to play a joke on a friend, surprise a loved one on her birthday or just give yourself a laugh when you turn your Windows XP computer on in the morning. No matter what your reason, customizing the Windows XP startup message is thankfully an easy task. All it takes is a few mouse clicks, some typing of your new message and a reboot of your computer to make sure your handiwork has taken effect.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Turn on your computer. When it has booted, click on the "Start" menu.
-
2
Select "Run" from the Start menu. Type "regedit.exe" in the text box, and then click on the "OK" button. A new window featuring yellow file folders displayed in a tree format should appear.
-
-
3
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/WindowsXP/CurrentVersion/Logon. "Keys" are the items visually represented as folders.
-
4
Choose the key "legalnoticecaption" and edit it. This name should be whatever you want to call the window in which your new XP startup message displays.
-
5
Choose the key "legalnoticetext" and edit it to reflect whatever you would like your Windows XP startup message to say.
-
6
Exit and save all changes.
-
7
Reboot your system to check that your new Windows XP startup message is displaying as intended. If it is not, or if you wish to change or tweak your message, repeat the process as often as you like.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
This process involves editing the registry on your Windows XP computer. As long as you have administrative access, this should not present a problem. However, if you do not have administrative access, you may not be able to perform some or all of the tasks listed above.
If you are the only person using your machine and it is not owned by someone else (e.g., it is a work computer), you should be able to grant yourself the appropriate permissions. Simply right-click on the key called HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Choose "Permissions," and then choose your user name from the list that appears. Click on "Allow" and also on "Full Control" to set the parameters for which you are allowing yourself access. Finally, click on "OK" and exit the Permissions dialog box. The process above should now work as described.
If you are attempting to perform this change on a work computer, check with your company's IT department first before making any changes.
